Children’s Specialized Hospital (CSH), an RWJBarnabas Health facility, and Matheny School and Hospital, Inc. have announced plans to enter into a strategic collaboration. This agreement will allow CSH and Matheny to share expertise, experience and resources in an effort to improve access to high quality clinical care and education for those with disabilities throughout New Jersey.

The organizations’ missions are parallel – to provide the programs and services necessary for those with special health care needs to live a life full of opportunity and potential. Matheny is a residential special hospital and school for children and adults with medically complex developmental disabilities. Matheny offers comprehensive and compassionate care to people with disabilities throughout the state of New Jersey. CSH is the nation’s leading provider of inpatient and outpatient care for children and young adults from birth to 21 years of age facing special health care challenges. These include chronic illnesses and complex physical disabilities like brain and spinal cord injuries, to developmental and behavioral issues like autism and mental health.

“I am confident that our collaboration with Matheny will prove beneficial not only for our two organizations but most importantly for the special needs community throughout New Jersey and beyond,” said Warren E. Moore, FACHE, President and CEO, Children’s Specialized Hospital and Senior Vice President, Pediatric Services, RWJBarnabas Health. “I am looking forward to working together to create a system of care for the patients and families we serve throughout their lifespan.”

“Through this collaboration, we will be able to serve more people with special needs, offer more services, and therefore increase access to care which is currently a challenge for this population,” said Kendell R. Sprott, MD, JD, President and CEO, Matheny School and Hospital. “I want to thank everyone who made this collaboration possible. We are proud to be associated with Children’s Specialized.”

About Children’s Specialized Hospital

Children’s Specialized Hospital is the nation’s leading provider of inpatient and outpatient care for children and young adults from birth to 21 years of age facing special healthcare challenges – from chronic illnesses and complex physical disabilities like brain and spinal cord injuries, to developmental and behavioral issues like autism and mental health. At 13 different New Jersey locations, our pediatric specialists partner with families to make our many innovative therapies and medical treatments more personalized and effective so each child can reach their full potential. For more information, visit www.childrens-specialized.org.

About Matheny School and Hospital

Matheny’s mission is to provide exceptional care and an optimal quality of life for children and adults with special needs and medically complex developmental disabilities. Matheny is a 501c3 nonprofit organization headquartered in Somerset County. It was founded in 1946 and today offers comprehensive quality care through its fully accredited special hospital; outpatient medical and dental clinics; adult day center; private nonprofit school; five adult group homes; and the award-winning fine arts program – Arts Access. Matheny patients live with multiple medical conditions such as Cerebral Palsy, Spina Bifida, Lesch-Nyhan Disease (LND) and a wide range of other rare disease including Rett syndrome, Angelman syndrome, Cornelia De Lange syndrome, Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome and 4Q Deletion syndrome. For more information, visit www.matheny.org or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram: @mathenymedical. 

Virtual Miles for Matheny 2020 was a blast! 

We officially kicked off our special, virtual Miles on Friday, June 12th at our Peapack campus with modified Wheelchair Walks on our three residential zones and three community group homes.

As the week went on, we were excited to receive photos and videos from the wider Matheny community telling us how they celebrated Miles!

If you want to check out great event photos, check out our album below, or follow our Facebook and Instagram pages!

Thank you for your support and participation! We couldn’t have done it without you!

Have you heard about our incredible friends and partners, the Friends of Matheny?

For over 30 years, they have raised close to $4 million to support Matheny’s programs. Thanks to the Friends, Matheny’s physical space and programs have been expanded, and our students, residents, and staff have enjoyed special trips and events. From volunteer work at the Second Chance Thrift Shop to offering the Breakfast of Champions at Miles for Matheny each year, the Friends give us so much, and we couldn’t be more grateful for them.

The Friends recently offered another financial contribution of $100,000! In these difficult and uncertain times, we are thrilled to have the generous and passionate Friends as part of our Matheny family!

Dear Matheny Community,

Even in the most difficult moments, there’s a little light to be found.

Over the last several weeks, we have been excited and overwhelmed by numerous displays of generosity from Matheny’s supporters, partners, and surrounding community.

There were the kind strangers who left a chalk message of encouragement to our staff by the front door (see our website banner photo). And the numerous individuals who have shared their favorite memories of volunteering or participating in Matheny events (see our social media pages). And then, in the last month, we have seen several donations of personal protective equipment (PPE) and to our new Matheny Emergency Fund.

To our community, thank you. Partnerships and cooperation are critical in times of crisis, and your gifts play an essential role in keeping our students and patients safe and happy.

In time, we will look back on the COVID-19 pandemic, and remember the significant role you played in getting us through it.

Once again, and we cannot say it enough – Thank you.

Kendell R. Sprott, MD, JD – President and CEO

On April 3rd, 2020, New Jersey Business Magazine discussed the challenges of meeting the healthcare needs of diverse populations. Thanks to the NJ Hospital Association, the piece highlighted the inclusion efforts of several health organizations around the state, including Matheny:

“Inclusion is also the goal for other populations, including those living with disabilities. The Matheny Medical and Educational Center in Peapack promotes diversity and inclusion by providing people with disabilities opportunities to engage in their communities through initiatives like its Miles for Matheny Wheelchair Walk and its Brave Bag partnerships with several police departments.”

Click here to read the full article. 

This is a brief update regarding the provision of care at Matheny for our inpatients and group home residents during this challenging time.

Update for Families 3-18-20

Resources and Educational material related to COVID-19:

• CDC.gov COVID-19 Homepage
• COVID-19 workplace-school-and-home-guidance cdc 2020
• NJ State Department of Health
• Somerset County Department of Health

NEWS RELEASE

Dr. Hunt and nurse Graciela help Chris with his winning smile!

Delta Dental Foundation Grant Brings a “SMILE” to People with Special Needs

January 21, 2020, Peapack, NJ — People with special needs who need great dental care are smiling thanks to a generous $45,000 SMILE grant award from the Delta Dental of New Jersey Foundation. The SMILE grant will help Matheny’s Dental Center continue its long tradition of comprehensive, safe and effective dental care for individuals with medically complex developmental disabilities.

What makes Matheny’s Dental Clinic unique? Matheny has the equipment, space and expertise to deliver high-quality dental care to individuals with special needs. Meeting the oral health care needs of this population can be difficult. Associated conditions such as dysphagia impact oral health, and behavioral challenges are common among those with developmental disabilities. The Delta Dental SMILE grant will allow Matheny to continue offering a designated PCA (Personal Care Assistant)/Transporter to bring patients to procedures in a safe, timely manner and keep them informed and calm during delivery of care. The grant will also allow Matheny to upgrade its Imaging Plate System to improve the quality and efficiency of dental imaging, and a new Piezo Scaler for more effective cleaning, disease prevention and treatment. The more precise, less invasive and quieter equipment will positively impact patients with sensory issues.

Dr. Melanie Hunt and Dr. Joseph Maggio are Matheny’s full-time dentists who have many years of experience in treating and caring for this special population. Dr. Hunt said, “We are proud of the services we offer because we take a holistic approach to dental medicine. We offer transportation, a dedicated Personal Care Assistant, knowledgeable staff and medications; but most importantly, we ensure the safety and comfort of the patient during their dental visit.”

The Dental Center at Matheny has been operating since 2001 thanks to the generous support of Delta Dental of New Jersey. Matheny’s Dental Center has treated thousands of patients with special needs and has been successful in improving oral healthcare for this vulnerable population.

“Matheny remains committed to providing quality dental care to the developmentally disabled and as such is grateful for the partnerships in the community that have allowed us to continue our mission and enhance our services to meet the needs of those we serve,” says Vincent Barba, MD, FACP, FHM, CPPS, Matheny Vice President – Patient Care and Safety, Chief Medical Officer & Safety Officer.

Delta Dental of New Jersey, the state’s largest dental coverage provider, began offering dental programs in 1969. Delta Dental of New Jersey now provides or administers dental coverage to more than 1.7 million people in New Jersey and Connecticut. Each year, the Delta Dental of New Jersey Foundation awards nearly $1 million in grants in New Jersey and Connecticut to provide dental care to underserved children, developmentally disabled persons, seniors and veterans.

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About Matheny: Matheny’s mission is to provide exceptional care and an optimal quality of life for children and adults with special needs and medically complex developmental disabilities. Matheny is a 501c3 nonprofit organization and is headquartered in Somerset County. It was founded in 1946 after Walter and Marguerite Matheny’s son, Chuck, was born with cerebral palsy (CP) into a world ill-equipped to care for children with special needs. Matheny patients have a diverse range of medical conditions such as Cerebral Palsy, Spina Bifida, Lesch-Nyhan Disease (LND) and a wide range of other rare diseases including Rett syndrome, Angelman syndrome, Cornelia De Lange syndrome, Wolf-Hirshorn syndrome and 4Q Deletion syndrome. For more information, visit https://matheny.org or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram: @mathenymedical.

January 23, 2020, Peapack NJ — Matheny Medical and Educational Center has again earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval^® for Hospital Accreditation by demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards. The Gold Seal is a symbol of quality that reflects Matheny’s commitment to providing exceptionally safe, high quality patient care at the Matheny Hospital.

“We commend Matheny for its continuous quality improvement efforts in patient safety and quality of care,” said Mark Pelletier, RN, MS, chief operating officer, Accreditation and Certification Operations, and chief nursing executive, The Joint Commission. The Accreditation is awarded to Hospitals that exemplify a strong commitment to quality healthcare on a three year cycle.

“Our commitment to our patients is our primary focus in the clinical operations of Matheny. We are continuously working to improve our processes of care in order to attain the best outcomes for our patients,” said Vincent Barba, MD, FACP, FHM, CPPS Vice President of Patient Care & Safety and Chief Medical Officer for Matheny. “Our staff members are to be commended for their outstanding delivery of clinical services for every patient under our care. We are proud of the work our team members accomplish every day.”

For more information about The Joint Commission, please visit www.jointcommission.org.

Matheny Arts Access video, “25 years With Art Without Boundaries” recently won Best of Show during the 2019 NJ Ad Club awards! Congratulations to everyone who made this dream come true.

Click here to watch.

Save the Date!

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Matheny Arts Access Program is a unique fine arts program where individuals with disabilities can fully express themselves in the arts. Please join us to celebrate art without limits! Full Circle is a multi-disciplinary fine arts showcase featuring original work created by the Arts Access artists. We are proud to celebrate and share their exceptional creations in painting, digital art & sculpture, dance, drama and creative writing. In addition to showcasing visual art gallery exhibition, and the stage showcasing performance pieces by choreographers, dramatists and writers, Full Circle features gourmet food tasting.

The Full Circle has been a platform for our artists to present their work and define themselves not by what they can’t do, but by what they can do.

Click here to register or make a donation.

Everyone at Matheny is thrilled to welcome the third class of Rutgers Biomedical Engineering School Interns! This is the largest class since the program’s inception in 2017.  All 23 students will hit the ground running after this week’s immersion program where they will learn the ins and outs of Matheny’s programs. More importantly, they will meet the wonderful people who work here and best of all, they will meet our residents and students. The overarching goal of the program is to improve the lives of people with disabilities through innovation and research  and these are just the students to make that happen. Stay tuned for more as the week goes on.

Dr. Sprott, Matheny President and CEO, welcomes the 2019 RU Biomedical Engineering class of Interns

Rutgers Biomedical Engineering students listen closely to Matheny’s President, Dr. Kendell Sprott