With your gift to Shore Medical Center, you join us in Caring Together for our entire community. Your investment in Shore helps us provide the best in patient-centered care and the most advanced treatment options. Donate today!

Please use the purple tabs below to learn more about the many ways you can give to Shore. To reach our Planned Giving & Development staff, call 609-653-3800. Shore Medical Center is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization Tax ID #: 21-0660835.  

Naming Opportunities, Memorial & Tribute Donations

Memorial & Tribute Donations
Making a donation to Shore Medical Center in honor or in memory of someone special to you is a wonderful way to leave a lasting and meaningful legacy. When you make a donation of this kind, we notify the honoree’s or the individual’s next-of-kin that your gift has been received. You can make a donation in honor or memory of someone online here. 

For those who wish to make an even larger impact in honor or memory of someone, naming opportunities are available throughout the hospital. Our Planned Giving & Development team will work with you to find a meaningful location to place a plaque and create a beautiful tribute to your loved one. 

The video below captures just how meaningful naming opportunities at Shore Medical Center can be for the family and friends of those who are honored. Betty Halpern was a nurse at Shore Medical Center for over 30 years who lost her battle with cancer in July of 2019, and PACU patient bay #5 is forever dedicated in Betty’s memory. 

Please call our Planned Giving & Development Team today at 609-653-3800 to learn more about memorial and tribute donations, or simply make your donation online. 

Lightkeeper’s Society: “Concierge-Like Benefits”

Making peace of mind part of your healthcare experience.

The Lightkeeper’s Society at Shore Medical Center was established in 2008 to honor the outstanding commitment of donors who support the exceptional healthcare at Shore Medical Center. With an annual commitment of $5,000 or more, your tax deductible gift to the Lightkeeper's Society will help further enhance the delivery of care for all of the patients at Shore.

To demonstrate our appreciation, Shore Medical Center created the Lightkeeper’s Society, a donor-centered program that brings peace of mind to our benefactors and their families to their Shore Medical Center healthcare experiences.

We thank our Lightkeeper's Society members for their thoughtfulness and generosity by presenting them with access to a donor liaison, 24 hours a day, and 7 days a week. From physician and specialist recommendations to helping navigate our health system, a Lightkeeper Liaison will make every effort to facilitate your healthcare needs. This includes providing personal assistance during an emergency situation. Should you or a family member require immediate medical attention, a Lightkeepers Liaison will come to the emergency department at Shore Medical Center offering support, guidance and assistance.

Your personal Lightkeeper Liaison is available 24/7/365 to assist you with all aspects of your Shore Medical Center experience including:

• Help navigate our health system and facilitate access to care
• Offer personal assistance during an emergency situation
• A private room, when available, if admission to the Medical Center is required
• Arrange and expedite appointments, tests, procedures, treatments and health screenings
• Recommend outpatient services, in-home care and medical supply resources
• Coordinate your healthcare needs with other providers when traveling between primary and seasonal residences
• Advocate on your behalf when family is unavailable

For additional information regarding community offers/discounts or for a donation application please contact:

Mary McGuckin, Manager Lightkeeper’s Society
609-653-4657 or email mmcguckin@shoremedicalcenter.org

Stainton Society

The Stainton Society is the longest running donor society at Shore Medical Center. Shore’s growth and endless pursuit of excellence has been made possible over the years only by the matching level of passion and generosity from the community which dates back to 1989.

The Society was created to help provide ongoing philanthropic support for the hospital’s growth and modernization programs. The organization was formed in memory of Howard S. Stainton, Ocean City’s most famous businessman, philanthropist and supporter of Shore Medical Center. In the spirit of his humble philanthropy, the Stainton Society allows individuals, families, and businesses to provide annual support to Shore Medical Center through membership.

The impact of the Stainton Society can be readily seen all over the campus, its members helped fund a number of project and equipment needs including a, Orthopedic Laminar Airflow Surgical Suite, Emergency Room renovations, CT Scanner, Critical Care Center, Pet CT Scanner, and the Shore Cancer Center. Annual membership gifts range from $500–$4,999, and all funds are used to ensure the ever changing healthcare needs of our community are met with the region’s most advanced medical services and clinical expertise.

Stainton Associates, is geared toward our community’s brightest and most dedicated supporters under age 40. This level provides an opportunity to network with the area’s most influential individuals and business leaders. Support for this level is $250 or more.

Member Benefits:

• Recognition on five digital displays located within Shore Medical Center
• Recognition in our Shore Connections Donor Newsletter distributed two times per year
• Invitations to special events throughout the year that give you access to our physicians, wellness experts, and more
• Community Deals & Discounts

The Legacy Of Howard S. Stainton
Howard S. Stainton was a successful entrepreneur who owned Stainton’s Department store in Ocean City, New Jersey, as well as the largest single home builder in Ocean City. Mr. Stainton was often referred to as “Mr. Ocean City” for his many accomplishments and generosity to his community. He supplied heating oil, free of charge, to the local rescue squad, helped families of his employees with medical bills and educational expenses and was given numerous honors over the years for his extreme generosity.

Mr. Stainton served on Shore’s Hospital Board from 1941 through the 1950’s and oversaw two major expansions to the Medical Center. While Howard Stainton passed away in 1979 at the age of 93, his legacy lives on. His estate, via the Stainton Trust, has donated more than $9 million to major capital improvements at the hospital, including the Howard S. Stainton Pavilion in 1976.

Diorio Society – Planned Gifts and Gifts that Pay You Income

The DiOrio Society recognizes and honors those who have made a commitment to preserve and enhance the current and future healthcare needs of our entire community by making a planned gift to Shore Medical Center.  Your investment is an investment in future generations’ chapters in life.

 

The DiOrio Society is named in honor of Joseph DiOrio, who served on the Shore Medical Center Board of Trustees for 50 years.  Though Joe joined the Board in 1964, his commitment to Shore began long before when, as a young man, he performed odd jobs around the hospital.  Joe served as Board Chair from 1974-1975 and in 2000 was honored by Shore employees for his dedication and commitment to the organization, awarding him an “Award of Gratitude” and naming DiOrio Hall in his honor.

Joe’s impact on Shore Medical Center is immeasurable and will be felt for generations to come.  He was an active leader involved in the growth and development of numerous programs and projects that provide the highest quality of healthcare, including the building of the Hayes Tower, the Cancer Center, and the Ben and Flora Baker Surgical Pavilion.

Through the DiOrio Society, Joe’s ‘chapter in life’, as well as his passion and dedication to Shore Medical Center, will continue forever. By making a planned gift, you can make a significant gift to Shore Medical Center and gain financial and tax benefits for you and your family and will qualify you for membership in the DiOrio Society. Gifts can be made through inclusion in estate planning,  IRA rollovers, transfer of stock, as as well as many more options. Shore Medical Center welcomes the opportunity to work with you and your clients to identify tax-wise ways to support Shore Medical Center’s charitable nonprofit mission.  

Members of the DiOrio Society are provided with a variety of benefits, including:

• Recognition in our semi-annual newsletter
• Invitations to private receptions and events
• Eligible for naming opportunities based upon your specific gift
• Planned Gifts, bequests & tax deferred Charitable Contributions may also qualify you to receive benefits of the Lightkeeper’s Society based upon your specific gift

If you have already included Shore Medical Center in your estate plans please let us know so that we may properly acknowledge your generosity and ensure your gift will be used as you intend. Your information remains confidential but will assist Shore in planning for the future.

We would be delighted to work with you and your advisors in arranging planned gifts that best suit your family, financial, and philanthropic objectives. Please contact:  Mary McGuckin 609-653-4657
www.mmcguckin@shoremedicalcenter.org.

Chairtable Gift Annuity and the SECURE Act 2.0

What Does the SECURE Act 2.0 Mean for You and Your Support of Shore Medical Center?

In December 2022, Congress passed the SECURE (Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement) Act 2.0. As part of this law, the age for Required Minimum Distribution is now 73. IRA owners who turn 72 in 2023 (those born in 1951) do not have an RMD due this year. Instead, they will need to start taking RMDs when they attain age 73 in 2024.

RMD’s are of course taxable income. As part of the SECURE Act 2.0, you can take a ONE time qualified charitable distribution (QCD) of up to $50,000 per person ($100,000 per couple) directly from your IRA to a Charitable Gift Annuity, like Shore Medical Center’s.

Shore Medical Center is one of a small number of charitable organizations to have a Charitable Gift Annuity in place.

Shore Medical Center’s Charitable Gift Annuity provides you a great option to:

• Reduce your overall IRA value
• Support Shore Medical Center
• Create stable, fixed taxable income for your life. At maturity, the balance of your annuity will benefit Shore Medical Center.

To learn more, please contact Mary McGuckin at 609.653.4657 or mmcguckin@shoremedicalcenter.org. 

Guardian Angel – “A Way To Say Thank You To Your Cargiver’

Honor that person who made a difference…today! Visiting any medical center can be a stressful experience. During your stay, you, a family member or friend might be touched by the words or actions of one of the passionate Shore physicians, nurses or staff members who care for you from admission through discharge. The Guardian Angel program was established to provide you with the opportunity to say thank you to these special caregivers.

Guardian Angels can be anyone from valet parking attendants, Physicians, nurses, aides, food servers or the person cleaning your room.  By making a $50 donation; you can recognize that Special Caregiver as your Guardian Angel.  Your Angel will be notified of your gift and kind words.  They will also be invited to the Annual Pinning Ceremony where they will receive a custom designed Guardian Angel pin to be worn proudly on their badge.

To find out more on how you can shine the spotlight on Shore’s exceptional caregivers, making them a shining example for their peers by highlighting their commitment to patient-centered care, make your Guardian Angel gift today, or contact Mary McGuckin at 609-653-4657 or email.

Shore Connections Donor Newsletters

Your gifts to Shore Medical Center create a ripple throughout our hospital that reaches from corner to corner and patient to patient. To help share just some of the ways your gifts make a difference at Shore, we've developed a newsletter for our donors, Shore Connections. We send this out twice a year, but we also make it available right here on our website.

You’ll notice on the newsletter cover there are three linked starfish. They represent the three most important elements of our work: the medical center team, our generous donors, and the patients and families we are able to help together. The starfish also call to mind the adaptation of Loren Eiseley’s essay, The Star Thrower. In it, the narrator encounters a young man on a beach tossing washed-up starfish into the ocean and asks why he’s doing this. The young man replies, “If I don’t throw them in, they’ll die.” The narrator is baffled by the man’s seemingly fruitless efforts. “But there are starfish all along every mile. You can’t possibly make a difference!” The young man tosses another starfish into the water and says, “It made a difference to that one.” This message speaks volumes about the impact of your gifts, no matter the size.

Thank you for joining all of us at Shore Medical Center on this journey as we work together to make a difference in the lives of our friends, family and neighbors who need our help most. We hope you enjoy reading Shore Connections.

• Shore Connections: Fall/Winter 2017
• Shore Connections: Spring/Summer 2017
• Shore Connections: Spring 2018
• Shore Connections: Winter 2018
• Shore Connections: Spring 2019
• Shore Connections: Fall 2019
• Shore Connections: Fall 2020
• Shore Connections: Spring 2021
• Shore Connections: Fall 2021
• Shore Connections: Summer 2022
• Shore Connections: Fall 2022

Meet the Team

Mary McGuckin
Manager - Lightkeeper's Society,
Planned Giving & Grateful Patient programs
email  | 609-653-4657

Jessica Giles
Manager- Business Development
email  | 609-653-3986