NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens and Joy in Childhood Foundation Announce New Starlight Site for Hospital's Pediatric Patients
One of Only Nine Hospitals Nationwide to Benefit from Updated, Enhanced Patient Waiting Area
Aug 16, 2018
NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens and The Joy in Childhood Foundation, the charitable foundation supported by Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins, today announced the creation of a Starlight Site in the hospital through a $1.5 million partnership with Starlight Children’s Foundation. The new Starlight Site will transform NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens’ pediatric waiting area into an updated, brighter, and happier space for its pediatric patients.
The waiting room update will include an upgraded, private breastfeeding room, a reading nook, and a teen-friendly area with iPads, headphones and other state-of-the-art equipment. The Starlight Site will be open for patients and their families by the close of 2018.
“Everyone at NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens is dedicated to ensuring the comfort of our patients at all times, and these new enhancements to our pediatric wing will be a welcome addition for children, parents and caregivers who rely on our hospital for their pediatric needs,” said Chris Roker, CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens. “We have long been committed to minimizing the waiting period for our patients. The imminent arrival of the Starlight Site will go a long way toward alleviating the wait and elevating the patient experience.”
Starlight Sites ease stress and support the overall health and well-being of pediatric patients by providing hospitals with rooms designed to be enjoyed by children and their families. Starlight Sites support kids and families as treatment rooms, teen lounges, playrooms, kitchens, gardens, and other healing spaces.
“Through our partnership with Starlight Children’s Foundation, we’ve seen the joy that Starlight Sites can bring to patients and their families,” said Karen Raskopf, Co-Chair, The Joy in Childhood Foundation. “That’s why we’re so excited to bring this Starlight Site – a waiting room – to NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens and give their pediatric patients and families an opportunity to create more joyful moments together when they need it most.”
In 2017, The Joy in Childhood Foundation made a three-year, $1.5 million commitment to Starlight Children’s Foundation in support of programs that bring joy and comfort to hospitalized kids, including the Starlight Sites program.
To learn more about The Joy in Childhood Foundation, please visit www.dunkinbrands.com/foundation or follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/JoyInChildhoodFoundation/.