Michael Kleiman, D.M.D., and his wife, Frayda, have been treated at JFK for various health issues over the years. They are now paying it forward and giving the Center for Wound Healing a major boost in renovating and expanding.
It would be an understatement to say Michael Kleiman, D.M.D., and his wife, Frayda, have deep roots at Hackensack Meridian JFK University Medical Center.
Michael, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, has been an innovative leader at the medical center and was instrumental in its merger into the Hackensack Meridian Health network. He started on staff at the Edison-based hospital in 1981, becoming chair of the Department of Dentistry and then serving as president of the medical staff and in various leadership roles on the board of trustees.
Frayda’s association goes back even further – she was a candy striper at the hospital as a teen in the 1960s! Frayda, who managed her husband’s practice for many years, was the “first lady of JFK” while Michael served in his administrative posts. Among other things, she played an important role in building up the pet therapy program.
Saving the Life of a Doctor
Both Kleimans have been treated at the medical center for various health issues over the years. “We’ve used the hospital’s services a whole lot,” said Michael, who is 73. Frayda is 71.
One of the most recent – and frightening – challenges came last year when Michael contracted a flesh-eating bacterial infection below his knee, causing two bouts of septic shock that landed him in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
The wound team at JFK’s Center for Wound Healing helped save his leg, and perhaps his life, Michael said. “The wound center was wonderful,” he added. “It’s a very special place.” Once stabilized, Michael visited the center for months as an outpatient during a series of skin grafts.
The Secret Sauce of JFK
In return for the great care received, Michael and Frayda are donating $7,000 toward the renovation and expansion of the wound center.
“It’s a hidden gem. People who use it know it’s terrific, but it isn’t high-profile,” Michael said. “We want to bring focus to and gratitude for the great service they are providing there.”
Dr. Kleiman said the doctors and nursing staff at the center are “phenomenal.” He gave a special shoutout to his surgeon, Geoffrey Wong, M.D., his nurse practitioner, Huifang Cheng APN and center director Gary Breitbart, M.D.
Dr. Kleiman also commended the caring staff at the ICU and in-patient rehab who aided him on his health journey. They have what he called “the secret sauce of JFK - the family atmosphere.”
Care Comes Full Circle
Improvements to the Center for Wound Healing are part of the first phase of a $500 million expansion at JFK.
“The $7,000 donation will go a long way to help patients in need receiving care in the JFK University Medical Center for Wound Healing,” said Anne Eckert, administrative director at JFK. “For proper healing, it is important to have the right supplies on hand, such as moisturizing creams for periwound dry skin, specialized diabetic socks to promote circulation and safe, sharp nail clippers to prevent injury."
The wound center will also be expanded to eight rooms and more space will be provided for the center’s two existing hyperbaric chambers. The expansion will reduce wait times and improve the patient experience, said Michele Morrison, president and chief hospital executive at JFK University Medical Center.
"It will look more state-of-the-art as you walk into these operating rooms, and the area will be more easily accessible to patients with mobility issues,” she added. The first phase of construction is scheduled to begin this April, which will include, among other things, the creation of a new ambulatory surgical center.
Morrison noted Michael’s role in the medical center’s evolution. “Dr. Kleiman really laid the foundation to help level up the support from a small community center to an academic center,” she said, calling Dr. Kleiman a “visionary."
The Kleimans have been generous donors throughout the years, and have praised the care they received as patients. “I spent my whole professional life building the hospital and working with these people and, at this stage, I wind up being taken care of here,” Michael added.
To learn more about how you can help the JFK University Medical Center, visit GiveHMH.org/JFKUMC.
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