Jayne and Scott Schroeder Look Ahead To Valley's Next Chapter

08/3/2021

For Jayne Schroeder, an appreciation for The Valley Hospital spans generations. A Ridgewood native and Valley-born, she remembers her mother and aunt refusing to go anywhere else. "For them, the level of attention, personal monitoring, and care was such a different experience," she explains. Husband Scott's first exposure to Valley, however, was a bit different. As a newlywed living in Glen Rock, his grandfather had come to visit and ended up needing medical treatment. "I had never been to a hospital in the area or had to call 911 before. In under five minutes, a Valley ambulance responded," Scott remembers. His grandfather received care at Valley and upon release told Scott that he had never been treated so well at a hospital in his life. Impressed, Scott initialed a visit with the care team. "It was such a positive experience, meeting the doctors, the nurses, everything," he explains.

From that point on, The Valley Hospital has been an integral part of the Schroeders' lives. All four of their children were born there, with the couple joking that they've returned for "lots of Emergency Department visits." Jayne has been involved with Women For Health and Valley Home Care's Butterflies endowment. In March of 2005, Scott was approached by Denis Sullivan, then the Chairman of the Foundation's Board of Trustees, who asked if he would consider becoming more involved at Valley. "I went to dinner with Denis, Tom Palmer, Buzz Rukin, and Audrey. Sitting down with that group, I was blown away. I never had a chance," he says with a laugh. He spent a year on the President's Council before joining the Board in 2006.

Scott's twelve years on the board were marked by many accomplishments, including serving as Chairman of the board and assisting in the Foundation's fundraising efforts of $135 million during his tenure. Today, he sits on the Valley Health System Board while serving as an Honorary Trustee of the Foundation. Scott speaks fondly of his years with Valley, especially in regard to the opportunity he has had to work with his fellow trustees and hospital administration. "There is no ego in the room. All decisions are made in the best interest of Valley, and that comes from the top down. Audrey and Rich have set a tone at the hospital for decades, and it shows. Valley didn't become what it is today overnight. It's a result of hard, well thought out planning that’s created this unbelievable hospital."

Jayne and Scott are enthusiastic supporters of The Valley Hospital in Paramus, committing $300,000 in early 2021 to name the hospital's Ambulance Entrance. "Valley is a good neighbor and always extremely generous," Jayne explains. "It was a no brainer, we were always going to support this," Scott adds. "It will be the premiere hospital in New Jersey. Our community is lucky to have Valley."