Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey Funds First
Center for Humanistic Medicine in U.S.

Thanks to a $3.2 million grant from the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey, the UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School established the first Center for Humanistic Medicine in the country.

Known as the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey Center for Humanistic Medicine, the center focuses exclusively on training doctors in compassionate care and in how to become medical and scientific experts on humanism in medicine.  The grant is the largest single grant ever awarded by the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey.  It will be supplemented with an additional $1.2 for scholarships for the program from UMDNJ-NJMS.

The Center’s opening coincided with a new medical school curriculum that will equip students to be better prepared to practice a high quality of care in today’s rapidly changing health care environment.   All students at the school will be involved with the humanism program at various points in their studies.

At the heart of the Center is a core group of academically talented, service-oriented students who were offered full scholarships to attend NJMS.  The students will graduate with a medical degree and a special distinction in humanistic care.  In return, they will act as mentors to incoming students and be expected to provide a high standard of humanistic care once they begin their careers.

We are excited to support such an important new component in medical training.  This Center has an opportunity to really change the face of medical education and ultimately, dramatically improve patient outcomes in their treatment.  We have great confidence in the NJMS to set a standard in humanistic training that will someday be a model for medical schools nationally,” said Lester Lieberman, chair, Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey.