Browns Mills, N.J. — The Deborah Hospital Foundation received a $4 Million gift from the estate of Joan Dembeck Zdanowicz.  A plaque was unveiled today on the Browns Mills campus to dedicate the newly named Joan Dembeck Zdanowicz Pediatric Cardiology Department.  

Ms. Zdanowicz, as primary caregiver for her parents, was the sole beneficiary of their estate, which included a Charitable Remainder Trust established by her mother, Josephine Dembeck, a past volunteer member of a Deborah chapter.  Joan Dembeck Zdanowicz’s fiscal responsibility of the Trust, and her own estate made this generational multi-million dollar gift possible.

This gift honors the philanthropic legacy of Josephine Dembeck and Joan Dembeck Zdanowicz while celebrating their commitment to Deborah’s youngest patients.  It marks a significant milestone in the hospital’s progression to incorporate advanced diagnostic equipment, treatments and techniques to help patients with congenital or acquired heart conditions live long and healthy lives.

Shown left to right are: Joseph Chirichella, president and CEO Deborah Heart and Lung Center and Deborah Hospital Foundation; Steve Toal, chief development officer, Deborah Hospital Foundation; Kenneth Cronlund, CPA, executor; Joseph Manni, executive vice president and chief operating officer, Deborah Heart and Lung Center; Aaron Kugelmass, MD, executive vice president and chief medical officer Deborah Heart and Lung Center;  Donna Curley, pediatric coordinator, Deborah Heart and Lung Center and Boban Abraham, MD.

Deborah Heart and Lung Center in Browns Mills, New Jersey is a teaching hospital in the prevention, diagnosis, research and treatment of heart, lung and vascular diseases. Founded in 1922, Deborah has treated more than 2.3 million hearts from every corner of the United States and 87 countries. From performing the first adult and pediatric open-heart surgeries in NJ, to one of the highest-volume left-ventricular assist device (LVAD) implant programs in the nation, Deborah is consistently recognized as a leader overall and in patient care from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).  It is ranked among the top hospitals in NJ for patient satisfaction; holds a top-tier Society of Thoracic Surgeons rating, which places Deborah among the best cardiac surgery programs in North America; and is rated High Performing in five specialties, Heart Attack, Heart Bypass Surgery, Heart Failure, COPD and TAVR by U.S. News & World Report. Deborah is an Alliance member of the Cleveland Clinic Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute.