Let s Do Lunch! St. Elizabeth Seton Legacy Award Presented to The Ursuline School. Summer 2015

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Let s Do Lunch! St. Elizabeth Seton Legacy Award Presented to The Ursuline School. Summer 2015"

Ralf Fletcher
5 years ago
Views:

Summer 2015 Let s Do Lunch! The Social Action Group of The Ursuline School. On May 8th, the St. Elizabeth Seton Children s Foundation hosted its first ever Cherish the Child Event, Let s Do Lunch!

Center, raising nearly $30,000 in support of the children who receive critical medical, educational and rehabilitative services across our Continuum of Care at the Pediatric Center, the John A.

More than 100 guests took part in this lovely afternoon that began with a tour of our Yonkers campus, which is home to the Pediatric Center and the Yonkers campus of the Coleman School.

1 Summer 2015 Let s Do Lunch! The Social Action Group of The Ursuline School. On May 8th, the St. Elizabeth Seton Children s Foundation hosted its first ever Cherish the Child Event, Let s Do Lunch! at the Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Peter X. Kelly before his cooking demonstration. Center, raising nearly $30,000 in support of the children who receive critical medical, educational and rehabilitative services across our Continuum of Care at the Pediatric Center, the John A. Coleman School and the Children s Rehabilitation Center. More than 100 guests took part in this lovely afternoon that began with a tour of our Yonkers campus, which is home to the Pediatric Center and the Yonkers campus of the Coleman School. While touring our 165,000-square-foot complex, attendees had the opportunity to meet our residents and learn why our pediatric long-term care facility is unlike any other in New York State. Guests reconvened for a cooking demonstration from renowned chef, restaurateur and CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 St. Elizabeth Seton Legacy Award Presented to The Ursuline School Earlier this year, the St. Elizabeth Seton Children s Foundation established the St. Elizabeth Seton Legacy Award to be given annually to honor an individual or a community organization that has made a significant contribution to the Foundation through their time, actions, talent and dedication. The honoree selected serves as one of our role models for our Compassion in Action initiative by making our community a better place for the medically complex children entrusted to our care. Over the last four years, students from The Ursuline School s Social Action Club have volunteered within our Continuum of Care, assisting with fundraisers such CONTINUED ON PAGE 7 Patrice McDermott holds the St. Elizabeth Seton Legacy Award. PAGE 3 Where Dreams Take Flight PAGE 4 Yonkers Block Party PAGE 5 Pomp and Circumstance

there wasn t much time for that! These past few months have been very eventful for our Continuum of Care.

2 Letter from Pat Tursi Dear Friends, For most people, summer is a time for BBQs, dips in the pool and some R&R. In this issue of Bayley s Bulletin, you ll see how we, also, had fun in the sun ( Yonkers Block Party Kicks Off Summer ) and perfected our stroke ( Where Dreams Take Flight ), but, as for R&R, well there wasn t much time for that! These past few months have been very eventful for our Continuum of Care. We ve hosted events that are perennial favorites amongst our friends and supporters including our spring event ( Let s Do Lunch! ) and our graduation ceremony ( Coleman School White Plains Graduation ), plus we added additional celebrations to our roster, such as our presentations of the St. Elizabeth Seton Legacy Award ( St. Elizabeth Seton Legacy Award Presented to The Ursuline School ) and the Nursing Mission Award ( Nursing Mission Award Honors Jillian Coar ). The weeks and months ahead hold Pat Tursi with Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center even more reasons to celebrate, too! resident, Stephanie, and Senator Andrea In September, we ll be celebrating the Stewart-Cousins at this year s Block Party. 40th Anniversary of the Canonization of our foundress, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, and the 27th year of service for the Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center. This fall will also signify a historic milestone in the delivery of long-term pediatric care: the Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center will break ground on the Hummingbird Campaign, our 32-bed expansion that will make us the largest provider of pediatric ventilator care in New York State. I hope you enjoy reading about all the amazing happenings taking place throughout our Continuum and I thank you for your continued support. Without it, we would not be able to accomplish all that we have and all that we hope to for the benefit of the medically complex children entrusted to our care. Sincerely, Pat Tursi Vice President of the St. Elizabeth Seton Children s Foundation CEO of the Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center and the Children s Rehabilitation Center President of the John A. Coleman School Bayley s Bulletin gives the St. Elizabeth Seton Children s Foundation the opportunity to communicate news and events from across the organizations that comprise our Continuum of Care the Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center, the John A. Coleman School and the Children s Rehabilitation Center. If you know someone who would like to be on our mailing list, or if you have ideas for future issues, please let us know. Contact Sarra Young at (914) or SYoung@setonchildrensfoundation.org EDITOR Sarra Young, St. Elizabeth Seton Children s Foundation ASSISTANT EDITOR Karen Moya, Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Sarra Young, St. Elizabeth Seton Children s Foundation Chris Marksbury, CM Photos Joe Golden Rosie Puthiyamadam, Children s Rehabilitation Center Articles without attribution are written by the editor St. Elizabeth Seton Children s Foundation Articles or material may be reproduced with permission only. The organizations within our Continuum of Care are sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of New York. Dear Bayley s Bulletin Giovanna ( A Party Fit for a Princess, Spring 2015) is my hero. She s everything sweet, wonderful and amazing. She gives so much love, knowledge and joy even within 10 minutes of meeting her. She s also known as the happiest baby ever! Sophia Loftus, Giovanna s Mother PAGE 2

Where Dreams Take Flight by Rosie Puthiyamadam, Physical Therapy Supervisor at the Children s Rehabilitation Center At the Children s Rehabilitation Center, we are privileged to become integral parts

Whether they are learning to take their first steps, tie their shoes, say their first words or swim through water at Olympic speeds, the culture at our clinic challenges the traditional notions and

For the last six years, I have worked with Devin Marrero, a 20-year-old, young man with diplegic Cerebral Palsy. His legs are affected by hypertonicity and weakness and he walks with crutches.

3 Where Dreams Take Flight by Rosie Puthiyamadam, Physical Therapy Supervisor at the Children s Rehabilitation Center At the Children s Rehabilitation Center, we are privileged to become integral parts of our patients various pursuits, dreams and successes. Whether they are learning to take their first steps, tie their shoes, say their first words or swim through water at Olympic speeds, the culture at our clinic challenges the traditional notions and commonly accepted limitations of therapy. As therapists, nurses and doctors, we all work together to facilitate the goals set forth by our patients. For the last six years, I have worked with Devin Marrero, a 20-year-old, young man with diplegic Cerebral Palsy. His legs are affected by hypertonicity and weakness and he walks with crutches. He is also training to become a competitive Olympic swimmer. Devin works out four days a week, swims six days a week and pushes his body to its limits to become better and stronger with the hopes of, one day, representing the United States of America in the Olympic Games. As his physical therapist, I, along with our whole rehabilitation team, have had the distinct honor of helping him become a fiercer athlete along his journey. The confidence Devin has placed in us is matched only by the faith we have in Devin s potential. As an aspiring speech pathologist, Devin works hard to meet the rigorous demands of his academic program in conjunction with his physical goals. He has progressed from walking with a walker, to walking with crutches, to taking steps independently at a Relay For Life event, to now qualifying for Olympic swim meets. Together, we attended a weekend camp for aspiring swimmers in Augusta, Ga. in October 2013, an experience that gave us more aggressive and challenging training goals. Upon our return, Devin vowed to make the cut-off times to qualify for the Can-Am Para-swimming Championships in Toronto in March To do this, Devin worked tirelessly both on land and in the water to improve his stroke, form, speed and endurance. After a year and a half his hard work paid off he drastically improved his initial time and made the cut-off time needed to venture to Toronto in 2015 for his first international meet! In Toronto, Devin swam in five events and made it to the finals in all of them. The Team USA coaches were so impressed with Devin s dramatic improvement! They congratulated him and even gave him some tips on where he should focus to improve even further. Once again, when we returned home to New York we were inspired to work even harder. Next, we are hoping to make Team USA for the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo. At the Children s Rehabilitation Center, we have all been enriched by Devin s journey not just as clinicians, but as supporters, fans and friends. Devin continues to defy the odds and to surpass the challenges put before him, bringing him closer each day to his goal of earning Olympic gold. Nursing Mission Award Honors Jillian Coar On May 6th, the first day of National Nurses Week 2015, Jillian Coar, R.N., received the second annual St. Elizabeth Seton Children s Foundation Nursing Mission Award in Honor of Sr. Miriam Kevin Phillips, S.C., during a ceremony held at the Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center. The St. Elizabeth Seton Children s Foundation established this award in 2014 to be given annually to an R.N. or L.P.N. who embodies the mission of St. Elizabeth Seton through the commitment and service they provide to the residents of the Pediatric Center and their families. The award s namesake, Sr. Kevin, has a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in nursing, as well as a master s degree in nursing education, and has had a long and admirable career in the nursing field. Formerly, she served as Director of the School of Nursing at St. Vincent s CONTINUED ON PAGE 5 Honoree Jillian Coar with Stephanie, a resident of the Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center. PAGE 3

Yonkers Block Party Kicks Off Summer The St.

We were also joined by some of our supporters in the community, including New York State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Yonkers Councilman Michael Sabatino and Robert Voorheis, District Office

In addition, Yonkers Fire Fighters Local 628 barbequed for all of our attendees, Yonkers PBA and Yonkers CLSA sponsored a Mister Softee truck and Empress Emergency Medical Services showcased its

We were pleased to host over 250 families and friends at this year s Block Party, said Brian Harrington, Senior Vice President of Institutional Advancement.

4 Yonkers Block Party Kicks Off Summer The St. Elizabeth Seton Children s Foundation hosted its 2nd Annual Block Party on June 6th at the Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center, raising over $20,000 in support of the children who receive services within our Continuum of Care. Residents of the Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center and their loved ones enjoyed an afternoon of fun, summer games, food, arts and crafts, live music and even a petting zoo! We were also joined by some of our supporters in the community, including New York State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Yonkers Councilman Michael Sabatino and Robert Voorheis, District Office Manager of Assemblywoman Shelley Mayer. In addition, Yonkers Fire Fighters Local 628 barbequed for all of our attendees, Yonkers PBA and Yonkers CLSA sponsored a Mister Softee truck and Empress Emergency Medical Services showcased its state-of-the-art medical transport vehicles and distributed beach balls to all our attendees. We were pleased to host over 250 families and friends at this year s Block Party, said Brian Harrington, Senior Vice President of Institutional Advancement. Our Block Party is an event that our children and their loved ones really look forward to and we are thankful to have the support of so many amazing friends in the community who help make days like today possible for them, he said. For more pictures from our Block Party, please visit facebook.com/ setonpediatric. Clinic Helps Teens Figure Out What s Next On June 18th, patients from the Children s Rehabilitation Center and their parents gathered in the clinic s Speech Gym for the second What s Next Panel. The panel gives teenagers and their parents a forum to candidly discuss options and what s next once the teens complete high school. Teens who had already applied to college discussed both the victories and challenges of the process. They also shared observations from college tours and answered questions pertaining to PAGE 4 transportation, wheelchair accessibility, dormitories, nursing care and more for the students who will be applying this coming year. For more information on the next What s Next Panel, please contact Rosie Puthiyamadam, Physical Therapy Supervisor. Meet the panel! From left to right: Nerissa, Giuliana, Devin, Catherine and Julianna.

5 Coleman School White Plains Graduation The John A. Coleman School honored 60 students who graduated from their White Plains campus on June 30th, including six children from its inclusive nursery school, Children s Place, as part of its 46th Annual Commencement Ceremony. New York State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, White Plains Mayor Thomas Roach and White Plains City Councilwoman Milagros Lecouna joined our students, their loved ones and staff from the Coleman School and the Children s Rehabilitation Center for this very special ceremony. After the traditional graduation procession, this year s commencement speaker, Michael Welling, father of Matthew from the Class of 2011, spoke to attendees and reflected upon his family s life-changing experience at the Coleman School. According to Michael, the Coleman School transformed his son into the confident and courageous Coleman kid he is today. Nerissa Johnson, a graduate from the Class of 2000 and the recipient of this year s St. Elizabeth Seton Children s Foundation Alumni Award, expressed similar sentiments of gratitude and said that she would not be the independent Nerissa Johnson, the recipient of this year s St. Elizabeth Seton Children s Foundation Alumni Award. Twin brothers and proud Coleman School grads, Owen (left) and Caleb. and successful person she is today without the support and dedication of the Coleman School and Children s Rehabilitation Center staff. Graduation is such a joyous event for the entire John A. Coleman School community, said Maureen Tomkiel, Executive Director of the Coleman School. In their young lives, these graduates have already accomplished so much and have persevered over countless obstacles and for that we couldn t be prouder of their achievements. We wish our Class of 2015 and their families all the best as they transition into the larger educational community and beyond, she said. Visit facebook.com/jacschool for more pictures of the Coleman School s 46th Annual Commencement Ceremony. Nursing Mission Award Honors Jillian Coar CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 Hospital and Senior President for Mission Services for St. Vincent Medical Centers. Sr. Kevin is a member of the Sisters of Charity of New York and currently serves as the Canonical Secretary for the Sisters of Charity Council. She has also served as a member of the Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center Board of Directors since Jillian has worked as a nurse at the Pediatric Center since December Jill exemplifies the meaning of the consummate professional who exhibits deep compassion and the ultimate desire to make a difference in the lives of our children, said Karen Smith, the Pediatric Center s Chief Nursing Officer. She is an inspiration to all who have the pleasure of knowing her. PAGE 5

Let s Do Lunch! CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 friend of the St. Elizabeth Seton Children s Foundation, Peter X.

After lunch, grateful parent, Rachel Amar, spoke to guests about the enormous, life-changing impact the Pediatric Center has had on her family.

Pediatric Center s Long-Term Ventilator Care Program, which was the first of its kind in New York. Max is still a resident of the Pediatric Center today. Let s Do Lunch!

6 Let s Do Lunch! CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 friend of the St. Elizabeth Seton Children s Foundation, Peter X. Kelly, and enjoyed a composed spring salad followed by a dariole of three chocolates, which were expertly prepared and served by the Xavier s Restaurant Group. After lunch, grateful parent, Rachel Amar, spoke to guests about the enormous, life-changing impact the Pediatric Center has had on her family. In 2006, Rachel s son, Max, became the first ventilator-dependent child admitted to the Rachel Amar shares her family s experience with Let s Do Lunch! attendees. Pediatric Center s Long-Term Ventilator Care Program, which was the first of its kind in New York. Max is still a resident of the Pediatric Center today. Let s Do Lunch! was the perfect opportunity to introduce ourselves to people who may not have known about the work that goes on here before today, said MaryLou Pagano, Vice President of Institutional Advancement. The Foundation and the children entrusted to our care made so many new friends this afternoon, she continued, and we are absolutely thrilled with the outpouring of support we received surrounding this event. The afternoon concluded as Pat Tursi, CEO of the Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center, presented the first annual St. Elizabeth Seton Legacy Award to the students and leadership of The Ursuline School s Social Action Club in honor of their service and dedication to the children served by our Continuum of Care. Casey Friend, a junior at The Ursuline School and one of the presidents of the Social Action Club, spoke after receiving the award. Seeing the Elizabeth Seton children smile or even just react to us being there makes everything worth our while, Casey said. The Social Action Club hopes to keep a very strong relationship with the John A. Coleman School and the Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center to help them change the world, one child at a time. Please visit facebook.com/setonpediatric to see more pictures from Let s Do Lunch! Let s Do Lunch! Co-Chairs Michele Caiola (left) and Shannon Gallagher. 2nd Annual Fall Festival Sunday, October 4th John A. Coleman School and Children s Rehabilitation Center White Plains, N.Y. For additional information on our Fall Festival, contact MaryLou Pagano, Vice President of Institutional Advancement, at (914) or MLPagano@setonchildrensfoundation.org You can also visit setonpediatric.org/fall-festival Annual Report We are proud to share with you our 2014 Annual Report, which is now available online at setonpediatric.org/ 2014-annual-report. Our Annual Report highlights the accomplishments of each of our organizations and shows how, together, we have made an incredible difference in the lives of more than 5,000 of New York State s most medically complex children. Of course, these achievements would not have been possible without the love and generosity of our friends and supporters people like you! We sincerely thank you for your continued dedication and love for the children we care for across our Continuum. PAGE 6

7 St. Elizabeth Seton Legacy Award Presented to The Ursuline School CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 as our Block Party and our Fall Festival, bringing holiday cheer to our children and their families at our annual Family Holiday Party and serving as ambassadors for our organizations within the Westchester community. Congratulations, because you ve brought smiles to our children many times over, said Pat Tursi, as she presented the award to Eileen Davidson, Carol Killebrew, Patrice McDermott and members of the Social Action Club on May 8th. The St. Elizabeth Seton Legacy Award, represented as two joined hands holding a flame, was sculpted by Sr. Margaret Beaudette, S.C. These hands represent the Sisters of Charity, our sponsors, and The Ursuline School, our community partner, and our friendship that s surrounded by the flames to keep the light and keep the heart, Pat said. Coleman School Receives NASET Award The John A. Coleman School, with campuses in White Plains and Yonkers, was once again selected as a National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET) School of Excellence. This is the eighth consecutive year that the Coleman School has received this honor. Selection as a School of Excellence is the highest level of recognition a private special education school can achieve through NASET. We are thrilled to have been honored with this prestigious award, once again, said Maureen Tomkiel, Executive Director of the John A. Coleman School. It recognizes our commitment to rigorous standards of excellence and to living our mission every day. Coleman School staff collaborate with our families to ensure From left to right: Principal of the White Plains campus of the Coleman School Maria Leitenberger, Principal of the Yonkers campus of the Coleman School Sharon Herl and the Coleman School s Executive Director Maureen Tomkiel at last year s Fall Festival. that each student achieves his or her greatest potential. Our compassionate team of educators, therapists, nurses, social workers, psychologists and other learning specialists make sure that our children receive the highest quality of care and educational opportunities needed for them to learn, grow and become as independent as possible, Maureen said. Save the Date Wine Tasting Event Thursday, October 29th 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center 300 Corporate Boulevard South Yonkers, N.Y. For details or to RSVP, contact MaryLou Pagano, Vice President of Institutional Advancement, at (914) or MLPagano@setonchildrensfoundation.org PAGE 7

300 Corporate Boulevard South Yonkers, N.Y. 10701 Visit us at: www.setonpediatric.org NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION US POSTAGE PAID WHITE PLAINS PERMIT NO.

rating from the New York State Department of Health (DOH) during their annual, unannounced Quality Indicator Survey.

According to the DOH, the average number of deficiencies cited per facility in our region is eight.

8 300 Corporate Boulevard South Yonkers, N.Y Visit us at: NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION US POSTAGE PAID WHITE PLAINS PERMIT NO DONATE ONLINE Pediatric Center Receives Deficiency-Free Survey Once again, the Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center was recognized for its delivery of exceptional patient care with a deficiency-free rating from the New York State Department of Health (DOH) during their annual, unannounced Quality Indicator Survey. This is our sixth deficiency-free survey since 2004 and the second one since we moved into our new facility in March According to the DOH, the average number of deficiencies cited per facility in our region is eight. The Quality Indicator Survey is a computer assisted long-term care survey process used by selected State Survey Agencies and the DOH to determine if Medicare and Medicaid certified nursing homes meet the Federal requirements. A deficiency-free survey means that we are Vice President of Operations Lisa Poskanzer with Reham, a resident of the Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center. in full compliance with the standards required for continued participation in the Medicaid program, explained Lisa Poskanzer, Vice President of Operations at the Pediatric Center. We embraced the seven surveyors with our All are Welcome gusto and four days later were blessed with hearing the coveted words from the team leader: no findings! It was truly a moment of overwhelming joy, tremendous humility and strong validation that we had fulfilled our mission, said Lisa. This accomplishment was the result of hard work, focus to detail and steadfast leadership that was a combination and melding of our newer and more tenured staff members being open to change, listening attentively to the needs of our children and their families and embracing our mission.

The Hummingbird Campaign

The Hummingbird Campaign It s been said that a small action, such as the flapping of a hummingbird s wings, can alter the atmosphere on a global scale. Our own Hummingbird Campaign will change the course