An interview with Jerry Compito (pictured right), MD, Chair of the Princeton HealthCare System Foundation Board of Directors, and Tim Mathiasen, Senior Vice President of Development, Princeton HealthCare System.
In March 2014, Princeton HealthCare System (PHCS) Foundation welcomed Gerard (Jerry) Compito, MD, as the new Chair of the PHCS Foundation Board of Directors, and in April, it welcomed Tim Mathiasen as Senior Vice President of Development.
The appointment of Dr. Compito marks the first time that the PHCS Foundation Board of Directors has chosen a physician as Chair. Dr. Compito is board certified in neuroradiology and diagnostic radiology. He is a member of Princeton Radiology Associates; an attending physician at University Medical Center of Princeton (UMCP), where he also performs interventional procedures; and is past president of the PHCS Medical Staff as well as a former PHCS Trustee. He has also served as chair of Princeton Radiology’s board of directors.
A Columbia University graduate, Dr. Compito earned his medical degree from State University of New York–Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, where he was a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society. While completing a fellowship in neuroradiology at New York Presbyterian Medical Center–Cornell, where he was also Chief Resident, he served as an attending radiologist at Booth Memorial Medical Center in Flushing, NY, and as a staff radiologist for the United Nations. Dr. Compito is a resident of Skillman, where he lives with his wife, Connie, and their three children.
Tim Mathiasen, who served as the Interim Vice President of Development before accepting his new role with the Foundation, has been with PHCS Foundation since 2010 as Senior Director of Development and Campaign Director, as well as Director of Principal Gifts. Prior to joining PHCS, he was the Senior Director of Development for Alumni Giving at the New York University School of Medicine. Mr. Mathiasen was also the Director of Alumni Development at The Pennington School. His wife, Lisa, is a registered nurse and lactation consultant. He, his wife, and three children reside in Pennington.
Q: This is the first time in the history of PHCS Foundation that a physician has been chosen as Chair of the Foundation Board of Directors. Why was this a good time for a physician to be in this position?
Dr. Compito: “It is very important that physicians and other medical staff are engaged during fundraising campaigns, and I am very pleased to bring my network of colleagues and experience to this position. One of my focuses is on engaging medical staff to help bolster physician partners on advisory committees and to help create staff-to-donor connections that offer ‘authentic experiences’ for committee members and donors alike. It is crucial that our supporters gain firsthand knowledge of the service lines that they are most interested in, so that they can see the direct impact of their contributions.”
Mr. Mathiasen: “During the capital campaign, we found that most donors were grateful patients who felt a connection to the hospital and its staff as a result of the exceptional care they received. The mission of the Foundation is to financially support and promote the mission of PHCS. Aligning our activities with this objective turns the focus now to developing and growing specific clinical service lines. Placing a physician with strong ties to the community in a leadership position will help accomplish this goal by engaging both former patients and their families and physicians throughout the community.”
Q: What impact do you hope to make during your tenure with the Foundation?
Dr. Compito: “My goal in supporting the mission of the PHCS Foundation is to build a structure for funding the service lines that have been outlined in the PHCS strategic plan. This ensures that the resources and staff necessary for success are in place. Also, I believe that it is very important to build the next generation of volunteers and to continue to demonstrate our appreciation for their contributions.”
Mr. Mathiasen: “Donors’ motivations for philanthropy are evolving. Many are now interested in understanding the direct effect and return on investment of their contributions. Through the service line fundraising model, we will have tangible goals and results to share, which will provide solid evidence of the impact of their support. As technology evolves, we must stay on the cutting edge and develop non-traditional ways to connect with and provide updates to our current and potential donors.”
Q: You both mentioned a renewed focus on fundraising for specific clinical service lines. Can you tell us more about the exciting developments in this area?
Dr. Compito: “PHCS is in strategic planning mode, with an emphasis on creating service lines that will have a significant impact on the communities we serve. We are focused on program development in surgery, oncology, women’s health, emergency services, orthopaedics, geriatric care, and mother and baby care. Additionally, we continue our ongoing support of the operational needs of the Bristol-Myers Squibb Community Health Center as well as all other areas. The fundraising approach that was taken to create the Jim Craigie Center for Joint Replacement is being used as the model for service line fundraising. Through that project, we learned that philanthropy can play a key role in accelerating the creation of new service lines, and it can provide a wonderful opportunity for our patients to show their appreciation for the care they have received from our physicians and staff.”
Mr. Mathiasen: “The Foundation has been fully engaged in the strategic planning process with the PHCS executive team and has been deployed in direct support of clinical service line growth. The goal is to match the interests of donors with the needs of the hospital and demonstrate that donations have a direct impact on the hospital’s ability to improve the health of our patients and they community we serve.”
Q: How can people get involved? What can they do to make a difference?
Dr. Compito: “One easy way to support the hospital is to make a gift to the Foundation in honor of a physician, hospital employee, or volunteer. The Foundation’s yearly Celebration of Gratitude reception is an event where donors who have made a gift in honor of their physician, a staff member, or a volunteer have a chance to reconnect with those who made a difference in their PHCS experience. This is an amazing occasion to witness firsthand. There is a joy that comes from knowing that members of the PHCS team at all levels of care can truly make a difference. This event is important to patients as well, as it provides them with the opportunity to say thank you and contribute to the hospital’s programs in appreciation of the level of care received in our facility.”
Mr. Mathiasen: “PHCS Foundation provides a variety of ways donors can support the hospital’s programs and services. Our Annual Giving campaign applies donations where they are needed most; major gifts support service line funding for programs, equipment, education, and technology; corporate donations, matching gifts, and grants support a broad range of services; Planned Giving helps donors and their families plan for the future in a mutually beneficial way; memorial gifts honor loved ones who have passed away; and events such as our annual golf outing bring our supporters and staff together to enjoy a day of fun with a purpose.
The mutual respect between Dr. Compito and Mr. Mathiasen places the Foundation in the best position possible, as the goals set forth are united. As a team, they look forward to collaborating with our Board members, committee members, PHCS senior staff, clinicians, and physicians to further strengthen PHCS and thereby the community we serve.
Dr. Compito and Mr. Mathiasen would like to thank their predecessors, Kim J. Pimley and Joseph E. Stampe, for their tremendous accomplishments and for positioning the PHCS Foundation for success in the future. Dr. Compito succeeded Ms. Pimley, who was Chairman of the PHCS Foundation Board of Directors from 2010 to 2014. Mr. Stampe was the Vice President of Development, PHCS, from 2006 through 2013.
Article as seen in Foundation News Fall 2014.