The Jamaica Hospital Medical Center raised $225,000 for its Psychiatry Department at a fund-raising gala attended by more than 700 guests earlier this month. The hospital held its 110th Anniversary Rainbow Ball —— a black tie affair…
-By Betsy Scheinbart
The Jamaica Hospital Medical Center raised $225,000 for its Psychiatry Department at a fund-raising gala attended by more than 700 guests earlier this month.
The hospital held its 110th Anniversary Rainbow Ball —— a black tie affair —— Nov. 10 at The Vanderbilt in Plainview, L.I. and recognized two honorees for their contributions to psychiatry and depression awareness.
Dr. Richard Harding, president of the American Psychiatric Association, received the 2001 Mary R. Gale Award for his contributions to the field.
Mike Wallace, co-anchor of the CBS show “60 Minutes,” and his wife, Mary Wallace, a veteran television producer, were presented with the 2001 Service Award for their work to remove the stigma of mental illness and keep the issue of recognizing and treating depression in the public eye.
The event’s beneficiary — the Department of Psychiatry — includes a psychiatric emergency department and two 25-bed inpatients units. It also offers outpatient mental health services and provides millions of dollars worth of uncompensated care every year for those who cannot afford to pay.
Several therapists volunteer their services on weekends to operate a free clinic for immigrants. The department also has a disaster response team, which recently assisted family members of people killed in the World Trade Center and the crash of American Airline Flight 587 in Belle Harbor, the Rockaways.
