Flora Baker of Ocean City, NJ, was presented with Shore Medical Center’s 4th Annual Surgical Chairman’s Award in a special ceremony held at the medical center on Friday, June 22, 2012.  The prestigious Surgical Chairman’s Award is presented annually to a physician, nurse, administrator or community member who has gone above and beyond in support of Shore’s surgical program.

Baker generously donated $3 million to the Shore Tomorrow Campaign for the construction of Shore’s state-of-the-art Surgical Pavilion, which opened in September of 2011 as the Ben and Flora Baker Surgical Pavilion in honor of Baker and her husband.

“Through your donation, you have changed the face of surgery in this community for many years to come,” Leonard Galler, M.D., FACS, and Chairman of Shore’s Department of Surgery, said during his presentation to Baker. “You have allowed the people who work in this building to do magical things.”

Shore Medical Center’s state-of-the-art Surgical Pavilion is the centerpiece of the largest campus expansion in Shore’s 70-plus year history. The Surgical Pavilion houses nine spacious surgical suites, which provide the most up-to-date technology; two 400-square-foot advanced cardiovascular imaging procedure rooms, one for cardiac catheterization and one for interventional radiologic and vascular procedures; a cutting-edge infusion therapy suite; and an 8,900-square-foot endoscopy section which includes four spacious procedural suites and eight patient assessment and recovery bays.

“People from throughout the region come here in need of our help and the skills of our exceptional surgeons,” said Shore President and CEO Ron Johnson. “Flora Baker’s generosity has given Shore a leading Surgical Pavilion with the advanced technology needed to help the people we serve. We are truly grateful..”

Pictured: On Friday, June 22, 2012, Leonard Galler, M.D., FACS, left, chairman Shore Medical Center’s Department of Surgery, presented Flora Baker, of Ocean City, NJ, with the prestigious Surgical Chairman’s Award, given annually to someone who has gone above and beyond in support of the medical center’s surgical program. Also pictured is William Elliott, retiring Executive Director of the Shore Medical Center Foundation.