Bayshore Medical Center Foundation to Host Annual Oktoberfest on October 23

Funds to support life-saving cardiac care

(L to R) Caitlin Miller, president and chief hospital executive at Bayshore Medical Center; Mary Ann Larkin; Carol Stillwell; Robert Garrett, CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health; and Joyce P. Hendricks, president and chief development officer of Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation at the 2024 Oktoberfest event at Stillwell Stables.

“Bayshore Medical Center has a nationally-ranked team of experts who can uncover silent cardiac risks through preventative testing, and who are available 24/7 to treat life-threatening emergencies - from strokes to heart attacks - with a response time that is, on average, twice as fast as hospitals across the country,” said Caitlin Miller, MBA, MS, BSN, RN-BC, president and chief hospital executive of Bayshore Medical Center. “Our community can rest easy knowing that we are well equipped to help them if, and when, the need arises. The generosity of Carol, Mary Ann and Stillwell-Hansen, Inc., and all of our Oktoberfest sponsors, is helping to make that possible. We are forever grateful for their unwavering support to provide the best care to our patients.”

In 2021, the New Jersey Department of Health licensed Bayshore Medical Center to expand its cardiac services beyond emergent care angioplasties, to offer elective angioplasty, a scheduled procedure that cardiologists use to open clogged coronary arteries, with stents, in patients diagnosed with coronary artery disease. Should a patient experience a heart attack, personalized cardiac rehabilitation at the medical center helps to get patients safely moving again so that they may begin the next phase of their lives.

“We are thrilled to host this critical fundraiser, and hope additional sponsors will join us” says Marisa Medina, MCIS, CFRE, executive director of Bayshore Medical Center Foundation. “Donor support has the power to make a true difference in our community’s health and we are excited that this year’s event will benefit cardiac services, which are truly life-saving. We are so thankful to our wonderful hosts and sponsors, and to the event’s committee, who are helping us to keep the Bayshore area healthy.”

“Oktoberfest is one of our favorite events of the year,” said Carol Stillwell and Mary Ann Larkin in a joint statement. “Not only is it so much fun, but it raises crucial funds for Bayshore Medical Center, our cherished local hospital. We firmly believe that supporting health care is a worthwhile investment, because we will all need it someday. It’s not a question of if, it’s a question of when. Thank you to everyone who is planning to join us or is sponsoring this important event. It’s going to be a wonderful time, and we hope to see you there!”

All funds raised from this event bring Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation, to which Bayshore Medical Center Foundation belongs, one step closer to its $1 billion fundraising goal as part of its Be The Difference campaign, the largest fundraising campaign ever undertaken by a health care network in New Jersey. All funds contributed specifically for Bayshore Medical Center will support needs at this not-for-profit hospital site.

Launched in September 2024, Be The Difference is a transformational effort focusing on four key pillars: enhancing the delivery of patient care, accelerating groundbreaking research and discovery, expanding health care access for all and revolutionizing medical education while supporting the nursing profession. Through this ambitious initiative, Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation aims to reshape health care for patients, clinicians and the diverse communities it serves, paving the way for a brighter, healthier future.

To register for Oktoberfest today, visit GiveHMH.org/BMCOktoberfest or contact Meagan O’Flaherty, manager, Strategic Events, at strategicevents@hmhn.org.