(October 26, 2018) The Count Basie Center for the Arts and Hackensack Meridian Health unveiled the Hackensack Meridian Health Theatre, the new name for the historic venue housed on the Center’s growing campus.

“The Hackensack Meridian Health Theatre will hold a special place on our creative campus,” said Tom Widener, chairman, Count Basie Center Board of Trustees. “Our historic theater is the centerpiece of the Basie Center and we are thrilled to have such an important state-wide institution associated with it.”

The Count Basie Center for the Arts is one of the top-selling nonprofit performing arts centers in the U.S., with more than 250,000 patrons in 2017. As part of its current $27 million expansion, the Basie Center will evolve as a world-class center for arts education, culture, and the performing arts, potentially doubling the number of its performance, educational and cultural offerings, while reaching a wider sector of the community through new partnerships and programs.

“We value our relationship with the Basie Center and are proud to play a role in its expansion,” said Robert C. Garrett, co-CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health. “Our association with the Count Basie Center for the Arts is a natural extension of our dedication to improving the health and well-being of our patients and their families.”

Upon completion of the arts organization’s expansion, the Hackensack Meridian Health Theatre will continue to be a main attraction of the Count Basie Center for the Arts.

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“At Hackensack Meridian Health, our mission is to transform health care and serve as a leader of positive change,” said John K. Lloyd, co-CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health. “This relationship with the Basie Center aligns with our commitment to create and participate in a caring community.”

Construction at the Basie Center is underway, and will include an expanded lobby with new concession and restroom areas, an outdoor arts plaza, modernized backstage facilities, an education building, a second performance space and a new rooftop lounge.

“Members of the Hackensack Meridian Health Riverview Medical Center family have long known the Basie Center to be a wonderful neighbor,” said Tim Hogan, president, Care Transformation Services, Hackensack Meridian Health. “We are delighted to advance our relationship with the Basie as both of our organizations continue to experience a significant evolution.”

Hackensack Meridian Health is committed to providing the highest quality, human-centered care that it is accessible and affordable, with excellence as the standard. Innovation is embedded in the DNA of Hackensack Meridian Health, where team members embrace the values of: creativity to make things better; courage to do the right thing; compassion to engage in the human experience; and collaboration through a team-centered approach.

“Hackensack Meridian Health Theatre at the Count Basie Center of the Arts is the perfect example of what can happen when two pillars come together to inspire and care for our community,” said Adam Philipson, president and CEO, Count Basie Center for the Arts. “We look forward to working collaboratively in the years to come.”