Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset Honors Former State Senator Kip Bateman as Hospital’s Largest Blood Donor

Photo Caption: L to R: Brian Stanford, DO, Medical Director, Pathology, RWJUH Somerset; Wael Hassan, Assistant Vice President, Laboratory Services, RWJBarnabas Health; former State Senator Christopher “Kip” Bateman; Cathy Wiedwald, manager, Laboratory Support Services, RWJUH Somerset; Deirdre Blaus, Interim Chief Administrative Officer, RWJUH Somerset; and Donna Castronovo, Vice President, Somerset Health Care Foundation.

SOMERVILLE, NJ, November 6, 2024 – Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) Somerset, an RWJBarnabas Health facility, recently honored former State Senator Christopher “Kip” Bateman as the hospital’s largest blood donor. Since 1980, Senator Bateman has donated more than 32 gallons of blood at the hospital, which was used to help more than 520 individuals in our community. Since 2017, he has also hosted community blood drives to support the hospital’s Blood Donor Program.In a brief ceremony, Somerset Health Care Foundation unveiled a plaque in Senator Bateman’s honor which is permanently displayed outside the hospital’s Blood Donor Room. “Senator Bateman’s dedication to our Blood Donor Program is simply extraordinary,” said Deirdre Blaus, Interim Chief Administrative Officer, RWJUH Somerset. 

“Faithfully donating blood every few months for over four decades, he provided life-saving gifts to patients in critical need. We hope that his example inspires others to become blood donors as a way to give back to our community.”One of only a few hospital-run programs of its kind in the state, RWJUH Somerset’s Blood Donor Program relies on the support of volunteer blood donors to provide most of the blood used annually at the hospital. Blood is used for cancer treatments and may be needed by patients following surgery, childbirth or a traumatic event which has caused serious injuries, such as a car accident. RWJUH Somerset’s Blood Donor Program offers appointments Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Blood donors must be at least 16 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds and be in general good health.To schedule an appointment, please call the RWJUH Somerset Blood Donor Program at 908-685-2926 or visit www.rwjuhdonorclub.org.

Photo Caption: L to R: Brian Stanford, DO, Medical Director, Pathology, RWJUH Somerset; Wael Hassan, Assistant Vice President, Laboratory Services, RWJBarnabas Health; former State Senator Christopher “Kip” Bateman; Cathy Wiedwald, manager, Laboratory Support Services, RWJUH Somerset; Deirdre Blaus, Interim Chief Administrative Officer, RWJUH Somerset; and Donna Castronovo, Vice President, Somerset Health Care Foundation.

About Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital SomersetLocated in Somerville, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) Somerset, an RWJBarnabas Health facility, is a nationally accredited, 339-bed regional hospital providing comprehensive emergency, medical/surgical, behavioral health and rehabilitative services to central New Jersey residents. As a designated teaching hospital of Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, the hospital maintains a family medicine residency program with 21 residents. 

RWJUH Somerset has earned significant national recognition for clinical quality and patient safety including the prestigious Magnet® Award for Nursing Excellence. As the first hospital in New Jersey to offer primary health care services for the LGBTQIA community, RWJUH Somerset has been honored as a Leader in LGBT Healthcare Equality by the Human Rights Campaign. The Steeplechase Cancer Center at RWJUH Somerset has been designated as a Comprehensive Community Cancer Center by the American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer. RWJBarnabas Health and RWJUH Somerset in partnership with Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey - the state's only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center - bring a world class team of researchers and specialists to fight alongside you, providing close-to-home access to the latest treatment and clinical trials.

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