Newsroom

An exciting initiative to improve the medical care of children at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center is underway. The new Komansky Center for Children's Health, funded through a generous gift from Phyllis and David Komansky, has been established to make medical care more accessible, advanced, and supportive of the needs of young patients and their families.

"The Komansky gift brings us to a new level. Along with the recently opened Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, the new facilities help make NewYork-Presbyterian a pre-eminent resource for the care of children," says Dr. Herbert Pardes, president and CEO of NewYork-Presbyterian.

"I have a very strong philosophical bent that if you are doing something worthwhile, you should try to be the best at what you're doing," says David Komansky. "I hope this gift will propel the pediatric department into becoming among the finest in the country. The patients, professionals and the city deserve it. If we can play a small role in achieving this goal, we'll be delighted."

Among numerous projects funded by the Komansky gift is the renovation of the Pediatric Emergency Department (ED), which will provide patients and families improved access to care, including expanded capabilities for asthma treatment, more open space to allow for better observation by staff, and a more comfortable waiting room. This upgrade will be completed in July. Other Komansky-funded projects are scheduled for completion between now and September 2006.

"It's an amazing step forward for our children's program. Thanks to the Komanskys' support, we are updating several of our children's programs and expanding our capabilities to provide the best possible care for our young patients," says Dr. Antonio M. Gotto, dean of Weill Medical College of Cornell University.

The Komansky renovation is expected to be a catalyst for expanded care that will enable more pediatricians and general practitioners to refer acute cases to NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell.

"With more children able to be treated on an outpatient basis, those who are admitted to the Hospital are usually the most seriously ill, and for them the Komanskys' gift will have a profound impact," says Dr. Gerald Loughlin, pediatrician-in-chief at the Komansky Center for Children's Health at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell and chief of the division of pediatrics at Weill Medical College of Cornell University. "Renovated neo-natal ICU, pediatric ICU, procedural rooms, surgical units and pediatric inpatient units will provide up-to-the-minute technology and facilities to advance the care of children with severe illnesses, from pediatric burn patients to tiny 'preemies' who need help to begin life with the best possible chance for a healthy future."

"We're not just treating a patient, we're treating a whole family," says Cynthia Sparer, executive director of the Komansky Center for Children's Health at NewYork-Presbyterian. "These improvements embody the Hospital's ideal of family-centered care. The renovated inpatient units, for example, will allow families to stay together around the clock, with beds, showers and other amenities. The design and color scheme will be inviting, so children who must stay in the Hospital for a long period of time, or return frequently, have a more pleasant environment in which to recuperate."

At every level, the Komansky gift is intended to meet the special needs of children and families. A new pediatric procedure facility will have two state-of-the-art rooms for children with the latest technology for performing endoscopy and bronchoscopy, as well as separate waiting and recovery areas.