There will be no shortage of talent-or affection-when jazz musicians get together in a musical tribute to oncologist and hematologist Francis A. Forte, MD, at 8PM at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center on Saturday, October 25, 2008
The concert, the highlight of Jazz, a community-wide celebration, will include guitarist Roni Ben-Hur, pianists Barry Harris, Danny Mixson and Richard Wyands, and Calvin Hill on the bass. Vocalists Roz Corral and Amy London and others complete the bill. The performers comprise a very short list of the jazz artists who would consider it a privilege to play in honor of Dr. Forte, who for 15 years has led an extraordinary effort to provide medical care to uninsured jazz musicians.
Inspired by a request from Dizzy Gillespie that Englewood Hospital help jazz musicians less fortunate than he was to have quality medical care, the hospital has provided more than $5 million of free care and numerous physicians have donated countless pro bono services, all under the leadership of Dr. Forte. The concert will also acknowledge the work of each doctor who has contributed to the success of the endeavor, and the hospital's exceptional humanitarian support of the art and world of jazz.
"By fulfilling Dizzy Gillespie's wish, Dr. Forte, his colleagues and the hospital have made it possible for jazz artists to get back on their feet, and back to work." explains Mr. Ben-Hur, who is helping organize the concert.
The program also benefits individuals who have not been recipients of its sometimes life-saving medical services, Mr. Ben-Hur continues. "Musicians, as talented and committed as they may be, face daunting challenges in their career choice. The love at the very core of this program has encouraged and inspired many jazz artists, who in turn express it in their music."
Jazz will also mark the grand opening of the hospital's new infusion therapy center, and the 15th anniversaries of the Dizzy Gillespie Cancer Institute and the Dizzy Gillespie Memorial Fund, which helps defray the cost of the free care.
Jazz @ Englewood Hospital and Medical Center
350 Engle Street, Englewood NJ, 07070
Saturday, October 25
Celebration starts at 6PM
Concert, 8PM, "A Tribute to Frank Forte"
Featuring:
Barry Harris, Richard Wyands, Roni Ben-Hur, Amy London, Danny Mixson, Roz Corral, Calvin Hill + others TBA
Jazz is free and open to the public, but reservations are requested.
Call (201) 894-3725 or email
foundation@ehmc.com
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More details...
Infused with Love
Jazz to Celebrate Outstanding Care and Exceptional Caring
Englewood Hospital and Medical Center will mark the 15th anniversaries of its Dizzy Gillespie Memorial Fund and Dizzy Gillespie Cancer Institute, as well as the grand opening of its new infusion therapy center, with Jazz, an evening of music and celebration at the Medical Center on Saturday, October 25, at 6PM.
Hematologist and oncologist Francis A. Forte, MD, of Tenafly, will be the special guest and honoree. Dr. Forte was Dizzy Gillespie's oncologist at the end of the musician's life until he succumbed to pancreatic cancer in 1993.
Dizzy Gillespie was a resident of Englewood and a patient at Englewood Hospital on many occasions, calling it "my hospital." Shortly before he died in 1993, Dr. Forte recalls, "Dizzy said, 'I can't give you any money, but I can let you use my name. Promise you'll help musicians less fortunate than I am.'" His request resulted in the founding of the Dizzy Gillespie Memorial Fund and the Dizzy Gillespie Cancer Institute at the hospital.
Since then, more than 1,000 jazz musicians have received needed medical care through more than $5 million in medical services donated by Englewood and pro-bono services by an extensive network of physicians, who volunteer under the tireless leadership of Dr. Forte. Donations to the fund help defray the cost of care provided by the hospital. The Jazz Foundation of America, headquartered in New York, helps musicians access the program.
"In life, Dizzy honored the hospital by entrusting it with his health," says Douglas A. Duchak, president and CEO of Englewood Hospital and Medical Center. "In death, his legacy has touched-and sometimes saved-the lives of jazz musicians from around the world."
The new infusion therapy center was necessitated by a growing demand by Englewood's patients for infusion therapy, which is the intravenous administration of medication, nutrients, or fluids. Demonstrating the hospital's commitment to providing state-of-the-art care in a humanistic environment, the center provides a more comfortable, private, and efficient setting for patients, family members, and caregivers.
Highlights include 28 individual treatment areas, each with its own TV and a chair for a family member or friend; an enhanced online scheduling system; Wi-Fi access; a nutrition center for snacks; a large waiting area; and soothing décor. The new center is located on the first floor of the hospital's Russell and Angelica Berrie Center for Humanistic Care.
Dr. Forte joined the medical staff of Englewood Hospital in 1972 and is one of its most well-respected and distinguished physicians. He is a graduate of Manhattan College and holds a medical degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine. The physician and his wife, Marie, live in Tenafly, where they raised three sons. An accomplished jazz guitarist, Dr. Forte donates performance fees from his gigs to the Dizzy Gillespie Memorial Fund.
In a fitting tribute, jazz luminaries will perform at 8PM in a concert coordinated by jazz guitarist Roni Ben-Hur of Teaneck, New Jersey, considered one of the elite players in modern jazz. In fulfilling its promise to Dizzy Gillespie, the hospital has established strong ties with the international jazz community.
Jazz is open to members of the Medical Center's extended family, including the jazz community. Tours of the infusion therapy center and a reception begin at 6PM, and the concert starts at 8PM. Call (201) 894-3725 or email
foundation@ehmc.com for more information. Details about the concert will be posted at englewoodhospital.com closer to the date.
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