Dedicated With A Capital D

Len Sichel can spot competence and leadership skills in others as quickly as he crunches numbers. When he met Keerti Sharma, MD, chief of geriatrics for Morristown Medical Center and program director for the Geriatrics Fellowship, supporting her passion for senior care was as easy as basic math for this former vice chairman and chief financial officer for The Mennen Company.

"She's thorough with a capital T and super competent," said Sichel, a longtime member of the financial investment and audit committees of the Atlantic Health System Board of Trustees.

After embracing Dr. Sharma's vision, Sichel and his wife, Brenda, gave $25,000 through a donor advised fund (DAF) to the Geriatric Medicine Center of Excellence Fund to support the David and Joan Powell Center for Healthy Aging at Morristown Medical Center.

For decades,the Sichels have been passionate advocates for the Morristown community.This heightened awareness for helping others led them to launch the Cardiac Patient Support Fund at Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute for underserved community members who need financial support for treatments and medications. When the pandemic hit in 2020, they also gave generously to the COVID-19 Support Fund.

"It's important to give back to the community and friends in need. It's important to be a provider of help," Sichel said. "I attended Rutgers (University) on two scholarships for academics, which led me to believe in the kindness of strangers."

For more information on DAFs and other forms of gift planning, please contact Cynthia W. O'Donnell, JD, at 973.593.2418 or cynthia.odonnell@atlantichealth.org.