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CAMDEN, N.J – The Chairman of the Cooper Board of Trustees, George E. Norcross III, announced tonight that The Cooper Foundation’s eighth annual Cooper Red Hot Gala is another record-breaker, raising $2.1 million to benefit The Ripa Center for Women’s Health and Wellness at Cooper as well as Women’s Health programs throughout Cooper University Health Care.

“Cooper’s Ripa Center for Women’s Health and Wellness and our comprehensive Women’s Health Programs are designed to support women’s unique health care needs, while delivering the highest level of care and an exceptional patient experience,” said Norcross. “I am tremendously grateful to our community for its generous, record-breaking contributions to help ensure that women have access to the most advanced medical care delivered by health care professionals who are leaders in their field.”

Norcross hosted the Gala with Philip A. Norcross, Chairman of The Cooper Foundation Board of Trustees. Held at Vie in Philadelphia, this year’s event honored Robin L. Perry, MD, Chairman and Chief, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Terry Ricca, RN, Senior Vice President for Institute Strategy, Access, and Chief Experience Officer.

“We came together tonight to paint the town Cooper red and raise a record-breaking $2.1 million for Women’s Health Programs at Cooper,” said Susan Bass Levin, President and CEO of The Cooper Foundation. “The Gala is a celebration of Cooper’s red hot success throughout the region as well as its significant contributions to Camden’s continued growth and transformation.”

More than 1,000 people attended the 2018 Cooper Red Hot Gala, one of the largest charitable fundraisers in the region, raising a total of $12.1 million since 2011. Guests enjoyed a live art experience, during which Camden artist William Butler created a painting with the theme of “Camden Rising” that was auctioned off at the event.

As Chairman and Chief of the Department of OB/GYN, Dr. Perry oversees all health care providers within the Department. She is responsible for the overall quality of OB/GYN services, offered in the inpatient and outpatient setting. She provides the vision and direction for the OB/GYN residency program and Gynecologic Oncology and Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery fellowship programs at the Cooper Medical School of Rowan University. As a board-certified OB/GYN and Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialist, Dr. Perry also continues to provide direct patient care. 

Dr. Perry, the first female president of the medical staff at Cooper, is a pioneer in the field. She is recognized for her work to establish a wide-ranging network of Cooper Maternal and Fetal Medicine satellite offices to improve patient access and collaboration with multiple health care systems.

“I am one of those very lucky people who found a career that matches my identity as a human being,” said Dr. Perry. “The need to nurture is inherent in me. It is not what I do. It is who I am.”

With more than 30 years of health care experience, Ricca provides the vision, leadership, and direction for patient-centric approaches to improve the emotional, physical, and spiritual experiences of patients and their families. She works with Coopers’ physicians, leaders, and staff to build a sustainable culture that promotes accountability, fosters innovation, and consistently delivers a great patient experience and the best quality outcomes.

In 2016, Ricca relaunched a fully integrated women’s health program at The Ripa Center for Women’s Health and Wellness, offering coordinated and comprehensive primary and multispecialty care services for women.

“Women take care of everybody else, but they tend to put themselves last,” said Ricca. “The Ripa Center puts women first with programs designed to support women’s unique health care needs. We provide women the care they want, how they want it and when they want it.”

About The Cooper Foundation/Cooper Women’s Health Programs 

The Cooper Foundation serves as the philanthropic, community outreach and community development arm of Cooper University Health Care, one of the largest health systems in southern New Jersey with over 100 outpatient offices and its flagship, Cooper University Hospital located in Camden, N.J.  Cooper’s Women’s Health Programs are designed to support women’s unique health care needs, while delivering the highest level of care and patient experience. Cooper currently has dedicated gender-specific programs for women for primary care at The Ripa Center for Women’s Health and Wellness at Cooper and MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper, offering advanced screening, diagnostic, and treatment services for breast and gynecologic cancers. Cooper also provides care for women in the following specialties: cardiology, endocrinology, female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery, gastroenterology, maternal-fetal medicine, neurology, obstetrics and gynecology, and orthopaedics.

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