Virtua Impressions 2018

35 Currently being piloted in the City of Camden, the Pediatric Mobile Services Unit was made possible through a transformational $1 million gift to The Power to Heal campaign from the Joseph Lacroce Foundation. Supporting a mobile healthcare project aligned perfectly with the interests of founder and president Sam Lacroce and his fellow board members, all of whom are passionate about making a difference for children in need. “Without children, there would be no future, so we have to keep our children as healthy as possible,” says Lacroce, who recently renamed the foundation—formerly known as Carz N’Toyz—in honor of his son, Saverio Joseph Lacroce, who died of leukemia in 1975 when he was just 12 years old. The Joseph Lacroce Foundation made this remarkable contribution with a keen awareness of the many ways economic disadvantage threatens children’s health.The risk for developmental delays doubles for those living below the poverty line. Lack of access to nutritious food compromises physical, mental and social growth, leaving children susceptible to illness and unable to realize their full potential. Children from low-income homes rarely have their first dental checkup before kindergarten, by which time tooth decay has already set in.Those who are unable to obtain immunizations and physical exams cannot attend public school and often live in aging houses and apartments that expose them to dangerous levels of lead. These risk factors affect thousands of children in the neighborhoods Virtua’s Pediatric Mobile Services Unit is serving.The earlier an issue is identified and managed, the more promising a child’s future becomes. Virtua’s new unit is a 25-foot custom designed bus that is staffed by a bilingual program coordinator, a dental hygienist, occupational therapists, speech therapists and various physician residents. If the team discovers an issue that would require specialized care for the child, they connect the family to the appropriate physician or other resource. The Joseph Lacroce Foundation has been one of Virtua’s steadfast community partners since it was founded in 2012, spearheading an annual toy drive; funding a concussion screening program for young athletes; furnishing pediatric lounges at Virtua with toys, games and books; and providing new parents with infant car seats they otherwise could not afford.TheWelcome Lobby inVirtua’s new Samson Cancer Center will be named in recognition of the Joseph Lacroce Foundation for its extraordinarily generous gift to the Pediatric Mobile Services Unit. A special memorial plaque will commemorate the life of Saverio Joseph Lacroce. “We are incredibly grateful for the continued support of our friends at the Joseph Lacroce Foundation,” said Dennis Pullin, FACHE, president and CEO of Virtua. “Because of their generosity today and throughout the years, Virtua is transforming care for children in our community.” – Sam Lacroce Founder and President of the Joseph Lacroce Foundation “Without children, there would be no future, so we have to keep our children as healthy as possible.” Virtua officials and Joseph Lacroce Foundation Board Members gathered at the Inaugural Ride Ceremony, pictured left to right: Robert Silcox, Maria Emerson, Maria Franchio, Christina Mattison, Ray J. Giannantonio, Sam Lacroce, Peter Hovnanian, Jack DeAngelis, and Dennis Pullin.