Jefferson Announces Gift to Name New Facility: The Honickman Center

$50 Million Gift Will Transform the Patient Experience

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jefferson Health has received a $50 million gift from Lynne and Harold Honickman, along with their children Marjorie and Jeffrey Honickman and Shirley and Richard Hahn, in support of its new 19-story medical building rising at 11th and Chestnut Streets in Philadelphia. The building will be named the Honickman Center and will serve as an integral component in Jefferson Health's strategy to improve healthcare delivery by blending physical and virtual care. Upon opening in 2024, the center will centralize an array of clinical services into a future-ready, accessible facility for a seamless patient experience.

"This is truly a life-improving gift for all of Philadelphia," said Joseph G. Cacchione, MD, CEO of Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health. "The generosity of the Honickman family will ensure incredible convenience and a world-class experience for patients and providers alike, while expanding Jefferson's commitment to serving communities across the region."

The Honickman Center represents a leap forward for the future of health care and the development of Philadelphia's East Market section. Jefferson will utilize emerging technologies for the facility, such as digital wayfinding, virtual surgical theaters, voice assistants, wearable data integration, augmented and virtual reality, and robotics. Also, the building will be capped with a rooftop garden designed to create a space for peace and healing. The Honickman Center construction is expected to produce approximately $616 million in economic impact in Philadelphia, supporting 3,390 jobs over the four-year period of construction and $18.8 million in tax and fee revenue to the City of Philadelphia.

The Honickman family has a long history of supporting health related causes. For over two decades, Lynne and Harold have been devoted leaders, benefactors, and friends to Jefferson. The Honickman name already graces Jefferson Health's breast imaging center, an endowed professorship in Neurology, and two endowed positions in Jefferson Signature Services. Lynne and Harold also envisioned and helped launch the iconic Jefferson Gala, serving as co-chairs twice, and were recognized with Jefferson's Award of Merit in 2007 and the President's Award in 2017.

The Honickman Foundation is dedicated to supporting projects that promote the arts, education, health, social change, and heritage. The Foundation has improved countless organizations in the Philadelphia area, including Project H.O.M.E., the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Birthright Israel, Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, and the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia.

"We recognize we have been fortunate, and with that comes the responsibility to make contributions that positively impact our hometown of Philadelphia," said Lynne and Harold Honickman, on behalf of their family. Marjorie and Jeffery added, "Jefferson has been a leader in our community, providing high-quality patient care as it embraces the evolution of health care. Making this legacy contribution to Jefferson's Reimagine Campaign is an honor for our entire family."

Spanning approximately 462,000 square feet, the Honickman Center will feature:

more than 300 exam rooms
58 infusion chairs
10 operating rooms
six endoscopy rooms
imaging and lab services
a pharmacy
three levels of underground parking

"Lynne and Harold Honickman, along with their family, have inspired and furthered every dimension of Jefferson's mission to improve lives," said Stephen Smith, executive vice president and chief advancement officer. "This landmark gift joins the Jefferson and Honickman names in a profound way and exemplifies the power and promise of philanthropy to improve the world."

"This is one of the most important and impactful gifts in Jefferson's 198-year history," said Patricia D. Wellenbach, chair of the Board of Trustees. "We are incredibly grateful to Lynne, Harold and their family for their generosity and commitment to improving lives."

Jefferson seeks to raise $150 million in philanthropy for the Honickman Center as part of its Reimagine Campaign. More than 1,200 donors have already contributed to the historic project.

About Jefferson

Jefferson, located in the greater Philadelphia region and southern New Jersey, is reimagining health care and education to create unparalleled value. Jefferson is more than 42,000 people strong, dedicated to providing the highest-quality, compassionate clinical care for patients, preparing tomorrow's professional leaders for 21^st-century careers, and conducting research leading to new discoveries on the basic science, clinical, population science and applied levels. Thomas Jefferson University, home of Sidney Kimmel Medical College, dates back to 1824 and today comprises 10 colleges and four schools offering over 200 undergraduate and graduate programs to 8,400 students. Jefferson Health serves patients through millions of encounters each year at 18 hospitals (ten are Magnet® designated by the ANCC for nursing excellence) and over 50 outpatient and urgent care locations throughout the region. Jefferson is also home to Health Partners Plans, a not-for-profit managed healthcare organization serving more than 290,000 members in Southeastern Pennsylvania with a broad range of health coverage options through Health Partners Medicare, Health Partners (Medicaid) and KidzPartners (Children's Health Insurance Program).