Construction of the Ronald McDonald House of the Greater Hudson Valley at Maria Fareri Children's Hospital Now Underway

Highlights:

Westchester Medical Center & Ronald McDonald House Charities announce the construction of the Ronald McDonald House of the Greater Hudson Valley at Maria Fareri Children's Hospital.

Facility will be located on the Westchester Medical Center campus in Valhalla, steps away from Maria Fareri Children's Hospital.

13,000+ square foot facility will serve families with children undergoing lengthy hospital treatment that reside far from Maria Fareri Children's Hospital.

Construction expected to be completed late 2010.

VALHALLA, N.Y., May 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Westchester Medical Center and Ronald McDonald House Charities are proud to announce that construction of the new, freestanding Ronald McDonald House of the Greater Hudson Valley is now underway.  Located on the Westchester Medical Center campus in Valhalla and with more than 13,000 square feet of living space, the new house will serve as a home away from home for families whose children are under the care of Maria Fareri Children's Hospital at Westchester Medical Center.

The new structure – which will be conveniently located a few short steps away from Maria Fareri Children's Hospital's front door – will boast 12 bedrooms, private bathrooms, living, dining and play areas as well as a kitchen with multiple cooking stations.  Primary funding for the construction will come from Westchester Medical Center with interior design and furnishings supplied by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., headquartered in Westchester County.  The design, inspired by Starwood's Four Points by Sheraton brand, will complement Ronald McDonald House Charities' mission to provide a home environment for families of critically ill and injured children. Starwood is also a significant donor of Maria Fareri Children's Hospital.

Maria Fareri Children's Hospital at Westchester Medical Center is the advanced-care pediatric facility for seven counties in New York's Hudson Valley region as well Fairfield County, Connecticut. The new Ronald McDonald House of the Greater Hudson Valley will serve families that live great distances from the hospital, particularly those with children in the Regional Neonatal and Pediatric Intensive Care Units.  This is due to the fact that many of the kids cared for in these units have life-threatening illnesses, traumas or are in need of complicated surgeries that require lengthy hospital stays.  

"From the moment we opened our doors five years ago, Maria Fareri Children's Hospital has operated under the philosophy of family-centered care, which encourages the participation of parents and siblings in the treatment of each child," remarked Michael Gewitz, M.D., Physician-in-Chief, Maria Fareri Children's Hospital at Westchester Medical Center.  "The new Ronald McDonald House of the Greater Hudson Valley will enhance our ability to practice this philosophy because it will allow patients and families to remain close to one another while children are at the hospital receiving treatment."

"When a child is hospitalized due to serious illness or traumatic injury, parents and other close family members want and need to stay by that child's side every minute of every day – and the Ronald McDonald House makes that possible," said Bryan Colley, Board Chairman, Ronald McDonald House of the Greater Hudson Valley.  "Our House will give families a spacious, comfortable and peaceful place to stay right here at the hospital – so they can be there for their children when they need them most.  We're grateful to Westchester Medical Center for funding the construction and Starwood for providing the design and management expertise that will promote healing in a comfortable environment."

The Ronald McDonald House of the Greater Hudson Valley at Maria Fareri Children's Hospital is expected to host its first family in late 2010 when construction of the facility is scheduled to be completed.

Growing to Meet a Critical Need

With the children's hospital operating at or over capacity since the day it opened, the Ronald McDonald House of the Greater Hudson Valley is just one of several growth projects undertaken by Maria Fareri Children's Hospital and Westchester Medical Center in order to meet the demand for its services.  For example, new single patient rooms were recently added to Maria Fareri Children's Hospital and its pediatric emergency department was expanded.  Moreover, construction is set to begin this summer on a new in-patient "neighborhood" that will enable Maria Fareri Children's Hospital to treat more than 450 additional children annually.

About Maria Fareri Children's Hospital at Westchester Medical Center

Maria Fareri Children's Hospital at Westchester Medical Center is the only all-specialty children's hospital in the Hudson Valley region and Fairfield County, Connecticut.  It is a local and national leader in pediatric care and an advocate for children's health and wellness.

The hospital is home to the area's only intensive care unit dedicated to the treatment of children as well as the region's only Level IV (most sophisticated) neonatal intensive care unit. Maria Fareri Children's Hospital's pediatric asthma research center is one of only a handful in the nation sponsored by the American Lung Association, and its pediatric cardiovascular surgery and pediatric transplant services are recognized for their success rates.

For more information on Maria Fareri Children's Hospital at Westchester Medical Center, please visit www.WorldClassMedicine.com/MFCH.

SOURCE Westchester Medical Center