Bristol-Myers Squibb is celebrating 20 years of support for the children’s hospital that bears its name with a $2.5 million pledge from its foundation that will help ensure the hospital in New Brunswick will be on the cutting edge of care for the next 20 years.
Officials at the Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital said the $2.5 million gift will support a dedicated pediatric infusion center to provide a child-appropriate site for outpatient biologic drug treatments at BMSCH.
Such treatments are becoming standard of care in gastroenterology, rheumatology, genetics, neurology, nephrology and others, William Faverzani, vice president and chief administrative officer at the hospital, said.
“The need for a pediatric infusion center will only expand over the coming years, and this generous gift will place us at the forefront in treatment modalities,” he said.
The addition of a pediatric infusion center will provide family-centered care to children requiring short- or long-term infusion therapy, therapeutic injections, sedation or provocative stimulation testing. Infusion therapy will be administered to infants, children and adolescents who require either one-time or ongoing IV therapy for a variety of acute and chronic illnesses, including gastrointestinal, rheumatologic, immune, genetic, neurologic, renal, endocrine and blood disorders.
With a dedicated center in close proximity to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, patients receiving infusions will have highly skilled and personalized care with the convenience of an outpatient setting, hospital officials said.
Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation President John Damonti said the group was thrilled to be able to make such an impact.
“We are proud to support the pediatric infusion center as part of our long-term commitment to the Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital,” he said. “In line with our priority to facilitate access to high quality care for every patient, we recognize the need for a child-appropriate facility and are delighted to help the hospital realize its vision.”
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital CEO Bill Arnold said the hospital continues to be grateful for the support.
“The Bristol-Myers Squibb foundation’s unwavering support of our children’s health mission over the past 20 years is truly remarkable,” he said. “They continue to be our steadfast partner at BMSCH and will again help transform our ability to deliver the latest, essential therapies to children in New Jersey and the region.”
