K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital and New Jersey Association of Health Underwriters unveil “Children’s Dream Racer”

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New Jersey Association of Health Underwriters (NJAHU) board members joined with leaders and clinical staff at Hackensack Meridian Health K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital recently to unveil the “Children’s Dream Racer” (CDR) that was donated to the hospital for pediatric patients.

A Dream Racer is a child-sized version of a NASCAR racecar. Built by retired NASCAR car builder and CDR founder Mark “Smitty” Smith, the car is made with the same materials as a real NASCAR racer and features a flat panel TV, CD/DVD player, PlayStation®, and IV stand/oxygen bottle trunk.

The racer will be located at K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital to help keep kids entertained during their outpatient visits.

“The NJAHU fell in love with the concept of the Dream Racer,” NJAHU State President Rob Saphow said. “We are thrilled to be a part of something so important to the children who are being treated at K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital. We would like to thank the Horizon Foundation, the FNA Insurance/HUB team and the other companies who helped make this donation a reality.”


“The Dream Racer is a wonderful addition to K. Hovnanian and will bring joy to the children who visit for outpatient care,” said Kenneth N. Sable, M.D., MBA, FACEP, Hackensack Meridian Health regional president, southern market. “Our pediatric teams take pride in delivering expert and safe care but also realize it’s essential to support children emotionally, provide distractions to alleviate stress associated with illness and ultimately allow children to be children.”


U.S. News & World Report recently ranked the combined cancer program at Hackensack Meridian Health’s two children’s hospitals – K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital and Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital in Hackensack, NJ, #44 in the U.S. and the only cancer program in New Jersey to be ranked among the top 50 in the nation.

Annually, more than 20,000 children visit the pediatric emergency department and Level II Pediatric Trauma Center at K. Hovnanian, over 1,000 are admitted to the hospital and more than 3,500 children receive lifesaving or life improving surgeries. Additionally, more than 900 infants and children receive care in the neonatal and pediatric intensive care units, and more than 1,000 children receive their cancer treatments at the children’s hospital.

Photo caption:
(Dream Racer group)
At the unveiling, from left, is Vito Buccellato, chief hospital executive, Jersey Shore University Medical Center; Harpreet Pall, M.D., MBA, CPE, Chair of Pediatrics and Physician-in-Chief; Beth Ann McKeown, BSN, R.N., CPN, pediatric nurse manager; Marianne Connelly-Semenuk, R.N., BSN, MA, CPNP, CPON, pediatric Hematology/Oncology; Jessica Scerbo, M.D., section chief, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology; Kelly Chaknis, director, Women’s and Children’s Services, Hackensack Meridian Health South Region; Rob Saphow, president, NJAHU; Kenneth N. Sable, M.D., MBA, FACEP, regional president, Southern Market, Hackensack Meridian Health; Ann Marie Conte, R.N., senior manager, patient care, NICU; Carolyn Andress, vice president, HUB International and FNA Insurance Services and Renée Woodside, senior program officer, Horizon Foundation for New Jersey Corporate Social Responsibility. At front, from left, is Imani, Na-Liah and Zoi Brown and Child Life Specialists Kellie Maas and April Slowenski.

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