Stewart’s Shops and the Dake family have donated $500,000 to Albany Medical Center’s new pediatric emergency department, recently named the Massry Family Children’s Emergency Center.
The Saratoga-based company and family were early supporters of Albany Med’s latest project, helping it reach the $14.5 million mark toward the fundraising goal of $20 million, Albany Med officials said. The total cost of the project is $50 million.
When it opens in the summer, it will be the only pediatric emergency department in northeastern New York and western New England, according to the hospital.
“Stewart’s and the Dake family are committed to ensuring that all our shops’ communities are strong and healthy,” said Susan Law Dake, president of the Stewart’s Foundation. “We are happy to be part of Albany Med’s commitment to pediatric health.”
The Massry Family Children’s Emergency Center will be exclusively for children and teens through 18 years old, and will be open 24 hours a day, seven days week, year-round. The four-story, 70,000-square-foot facility, which will be located adjacent to the current Emergency Department, is designed specifically for the needs of children and their families, and offers access to the full range of pediatric specialists. It will be staffed by physicians, nurses and mid-level providers specially trained in pediatric emergency medicine.
“For many years, the Dake family and Stewart’s have been stalwarts in helping Albany Med provide the best possible care to the families and children of our region. Their generosity, time and time again, has allowed us to create and expand programs as well as to plan for the future health needs of northeastern New York and western New England. We continue to be very grateful for their friendship and significant support,” said James J. Barba, president and CEO of Albany Med.
Since 1990, Stewart’s and the Dake family have made gifts to Albany Med totaling more than $3.5 million.
The company is also the lead sponsor of the Grow Our Own Fund in Nursing Education, a program that provides Albany Med employees with the financial and educational resources to become registered nurses. Their support has also allowed Albany Medical College to establish the Phyllis E. Dake Chair in Movement Disorders as well as the Phyllis E. Dake Endowed Neuroscience Fellowship. They have also funded the child life program at the Bernard & Millie Duker Children’s Hospital at Albany Med through the Stewart’s Holiday Match Program.
“Because of generous donors like the Dakes, the new children’s ED will make the entire experience a lot easier for families and less frightening for children. And they will receive the specialized care they need from the region’s only staff trained specifically in pediatric emergency medicine,” said Dr. Christopher King, chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Albany Med, adding that the new pediatric ED is the front door to the region’s only children’s hospital, the Bernard & Millie Duker Children’s Hospital at Albany Med.
The features of the new pediatric emergency department include:
• Triage area to immediately assess the severity of illness or injury..
• Fast-track unit for children and teens with less serious conditions.
• Observation unit for stays up to 23 hours.
• Private rooms designed for the safety and comfort of children and parents.
• On-site X-ray and imaging.
• Negative pressure rooms for suspected contagious disease.
• Peaceful and child-friendly décor and child-size equipment.
• Games, toys and television to provide a distraction for children.
• Valet parking.
• Easy access for ambulances.
• Nearby rooftop medical helicopter pad.
For more information, visit: www.amc.edu/PedsED.