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The Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian, the only children's hospital in Manhattan and one of the largest in the country, opened its doors today. One of the most technologically advanced children's hospitals in the world, the Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian is a family-centered, high-tech facility that offers world-class care and unparalleled resources in an innovative physical environment devoted exclusively to children.

Building on NewYork-Presbyterian's record of breakthroughs in pediatric care, this ten-story, 265,000-square-foot hospital facility positions The Children's Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian to expand on its leadership position in pediatric clinical care, research and the training of future physicians. The Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, an affiliate of Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, provides the highest level care in every area of pediatrics and is world renowned for advancements in neonatal and critical care, cardiology, oncology, and neurology.

The new $120-million building is being funded entirely through philanthropy, including personal contributions of $55 million by more than 600 employees of Morgan Stanley.

John Mack, Chairman of the Board of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, said, "For over 100 years, children have come through our doors to get the finest pediatric care available. Through the outstanding generosity of the many people involved, NewYork-Presbyterian will have a new state-of-the-art facility to carry on its tradition of providing the best care to those who need it most for decades to come."

In addition to Morgan Stanley, other members of the New York City financial community, including JP Morgan Chase and a consortium of donors from Goldman Sachs, made significant contributions to the new hospital. The medical staff and employees of the Children's Hospital also made important contributions.

"The relationship between the Children's Hospital and Morgan Stanley reflects our commitment to the local community where our employees live and work," said Morgan Stanley President and Chief Operating Officer Robert Scott. "The opening of the new hospital means more than our name on a building. It represents a deep and personal relationship that will last into the future."

Family-Centered Care in a High-Tech Environment

A key element in the design of patient areas revolves around the understanding of "family-centered care." When a child is ill, the entire family must be a part of the treatment and healing process. The philosophy of family-centered care also emphasizes the importance of teamwork in the treatment of children, and the involvement of multidisciplinary groups of physicians and medical professionals to oversee a child's care from diagnosis forward.

Dr. Herbert Pardes, President and CEO, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital (the parent of the Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian), said, "With the opening of the Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian, we now have the physical plant to match the expert clinical care and cutting-edge research that we do here every day. We know that when a child is sick, the entire family hurts. The stress of having a child who needs hospitalization is unimaginable. Recognizing this, our goal is to keep the physical and emotional needs of the child and his or her family at the heart of everything that we do. This new facility makes it possible."

The Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital houses inpatient, ambulatory and diagnostic services, including the largest neonatal intensive care unit and pediatric intensive care unit in the tri-state area. In addition to having floors dedicated to providing intensive care for children at every age, from the tiniest newborns through adolescents, there are individual floors dedicated to specialized services such as cardiology, neurology, oncology, and surgery. The Hospital has 100 medical/surgical beds, 41 pediatric intensive care beds (including 14 cardiac intensive care beds), and 50 neonatal intensive care beds. Most of the patient rooms are single occupancy, measuring 382 square feet, with facilities for parents to stay overnight with their child, computer connections for the child and the family, and lounge areas that offer the family privacy and an opportunity for quiet contemplation.

The design of the neonatal intensive care unit, where the average length of stay is 17 days, reflects the hospital's attention to the needs of families during long-term stays. The new unit provides parent amenities and enhanced privacy at every bedside, surgical capabilities that minimize the need to transport babies out of the unit, and a liaison service to greet and assist the families of new patients. In the pediatric intensive care unit there are private rooms with sleep areas for parents, family lounges, a family nourishment station, and support for clinical research. Both departments will have their own pharmacies.

High-Tech, Soft Touch

The hospital features two design elements with families in mind: the Launch Pad is a virtual home in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit designed for parents to sleep in and prepare to take their baby home after a long stay. Patient rooms are divided into three zones: a clinical space, a child space, and a family space, including a daybed for parents to sleep, a storage space for longer-term stays, a writing desk, and computer-ready internet access.

"We understand how difficult it is for a child to spend time in the hospital, and we understand the need to provide a nurturing environment," said Cynthia Sparer, Executive Director, Children's Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian. "Our commitment is to remember at all times that the patient we are caring for is a child. We have top physician leaders in the field of pediatrics, and together with our nurses and the rest of our staff we dedicate our efforts to these children and their families."

Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian is the first New York hospital to offer patients and families new communication technologies, such as handheld remote and wireless keyboard devices that allow access to e-mail, the web, and information about healthcare. Via closed-circuit television, patients too ill to leave their rooms can observe musical theater and other entertainment that will be staged year-round in the hospital's Winter Garden. A flat screen television equipped with additional features, such as movies on demand and games, will also be a feature in all patient rooms.

Literary and Artistic Theme

The computerized patient rooms are complemented by an emphasis on education and literacy. The theme of the new building is "Learning Through Literature," and it showcases artwork and murals inspired by such classic children's books as: The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle, Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak, and Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, by Judith Viorst. All featured books will be available to patients.

To personalize each child's room, an area of wall space at the entrance of each room is intended specifically for a child's favorite artwork, messages or photographs. For the opening of the new facility, the Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital invited students from New York City's P.S. 128, Riverdale Country Day School from the Bronx, Ranney School from Tinton Falls, New Jersey, and Rockland County's Nyack Public Schools to "adopt a floor" by contributing original artwork from their students that will be displayed in these spaces.

In addition, each floor has a dedicated Child Life Center, a playroom that is a designated "safe space" from medical procedures where children are taught coping mechanisms, such as talk therapy and relaxation. Inpatient units also feature a meditation room, a kitchen, a laundry room and a classroom staffed by New York City public school teachers.

Speaking of what the new Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian will mean for children, Dr. John M. Driscoll, Jr., Pediatrician-In-Chief at Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, said, "We know we can't duplicate the comforts of home for our patients. We know that they'll miss going to school with their friends, playing outside and all of the other pleasures of childhood, but this new facility enables us to come as close as we can to making sure that each patient who comes through our doors receives the highest quality care in an environment that still allows them to be children."