Riverview Medical Center receives $120,000 to support addition of Addictions Counselor in the hospital

Riverview Medical Center Foundation is honored to announce a gift of $120,000 from the Tigger House Foundation that will support the addition of an Addictions Counselor in the hospital's emergency department. The majority of patients seeking help for addiction arrive in the Alton A. Hovnanian Emergency Care Center in a state of crisis. The addition of a licensed chemical dependency counselor would provide timely and critical assessment and outreach to patients during this severe time of need.

Tigger House Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to achieving a positive impact by reducing the death rate of heroin and opiate addiction. The organization was founded by Lisa and Rick Stavola in 2013 after they tragically lost their 25 year-old son, Rick Jr. (also known as Tigger), to a heroin overdose. "Losing Rick Jr. was absolutely devastating and heartbreaking for our family," shares Lisa and Rick. "His memory inspires us every day to do whatever it takes so others don't have to suffer a similar loss. Making this gift to Riverview gives us hope and promise for a future where fewer people are impacted by the horrific realities of addiction."

Funding from the Tigger House Foundation will be instrumental in helping Riverview create this new position, ensuring a licensed Addictions Counselor will be available in the hospital's emergency department to address patients' needs in a timely manner, seven days a week. "The addiction epidemic in New Jersey, and specifically Monmouth County, cannot be ignored," says Timothy J. Hogan, FACHE, president of Riverview Medical Center and Bayshore Community Hospital. "The generosity of the Tigger House Foundation will impact so many in our immediate community who turn to Riverview for care. This is a huge first step to achieving our long-term mission to reduce the deadly impact of substance abuse."

The Booker Behavioral Health Center at Riverview currently offers comprehensive services and follow-up for people who need treatment for substance abuse and addiction. "As our Behavioral Health services, and the demand for them, continue to grow, we recognized the importance of having a dedicated clinician on-call in the emergency department to address the immediate needs of individuals who arrive with a substance-related situation and no other concurrent psychiatric issues," explains Joseph A. Miller, Ph.D., vice-president of Neurosciences and Behavioral Health at Hackensack Meridian Health. "The generous and heartfelt support we have received from the Tigger House Foundation will ensure patients coping with a substance abuse problem are provided with timely and appropriate medical attention to immediately address their specific needs. Our partnership with the Tigger House Foundation is a wonderful example of what can happen when community organizations and health networks come together to address a significant need in the community."