Stony Brook Children’s Hospital Completed

STONY BROOK, NY — Stony Brook University commemorated the latest advancement in medical care for children with the completion of the new Stony Brook Children’s Hospital at its ribbon cutting ceremony on Oct. 17, the university announced.

Stony Brook Children’s provides cutting-edge research, child-sized technological innovations, clinical trials and breakthrough techniques to benefit pediatric patients as Long Island’s only children’s teaching hospital, according to the university.

Margaret M. McGovern, MD, PhD, Knapp professor of pediatrics and physician-in-chief at Stony Brook Children's Hospital, said once it opens, Stony Brook will be the only children’s hospital on Long Island with all single-patient rooms.

"The new hospital was designed with patients at the center of our thinking and planning, to promote their safety, well-being and healing," she stated via press release.

Each room of the new hospital includes patient, family and healthcare provider areas. State-of-the-art hospital beds will capture and download patient information directly into the patients’ charts. Every room contains a proprietary security system, with interactive televisions, in-room refrigerators and kid-focused menus.

The hospital has separate child and teen playrooms, as well as common areas, including an outdoor garden, and a classroom with Wi-Fi so students can keep up with their studies.
For family members and visitors, the hospital provides a new Ronald McDonald Family Room, courtesy of the Ronald McDonald House of Long Island.

The hospital’s design and amenities are supported by research that shows that a child-friendly environment contributes to better outcomes for children. Patient rooms include multi-colored wall lights controlled by patients, to give them a greater sense of control over their environment during what can be a frightening time for them and their families.

The hospital was nine years in the making, starting with a literal flag planted in the ground to mark the "birth" of the Stony Brook Children's Hospital, Kenneth Kaushansky, MD, MACP, senior vice president, health sciences, and dean of Renaissance School of Medicine at SBU, said. The hospital will be staffed with more than 180 pediatric specialists in over 30 specialties, he said.

The hospital project received broad support from legislators, the community, civic organizations, schools and philanthropic organizations, as well as individual donors. The school said the project was made possible by New York State Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the State University of New York under the leadership of former Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher through a $35 million NYSUNY 2020 Challenge Grant, $50 million in State Senate funding for the hospital and the Medical and Research Translation (MART) building from senators John Flanagan and Kenneth LaValle, and through $50 million in support from a historic $150 million gift from Jim and Marilyn Simons.

"I am pleased to continue my support of the Children’s Hospital," said LaValle. "It is critically important that families going through such an emotional time will receive cutting-edge healthcare close to their homes and their support systems. The facility is well on its way to becoming a preeminent children’s medical care provider in the region."

Delaney Unger, an Osteosarcoma survivor who received a rare amputation called rotationplasty in spring 2017 at Stony Brook Children’s, sang the praises of the hospital staff who cared for her.

"It became my second home," Unger, 13, said of the children’s hospital. "During my time there, the doctors, nurses and Child Life [Specialists] became family to me. They were there for me with whatever I needed to make me as comfortable as I could be. They were always there with a smile to make me feel better. I must say, I am a little jealous of the new beautiful Stony Brook Children’s Hospital. I can attest that not only will the children who stay here get the best possible care, but they will also do so in a fantastic new facility designed with them in mind."

A community open house is slated for Saturday, Nov. 2, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.