By Naeisha Rose
Queens Hospital Center in Jamaica announced it will receive upwards of $25,000 toward upgrading its pediatric waiting room.
The Aug. 16 announcement revealed that it is one of nine hospitals across the country to receive a Starlight Site upgrade with funds from The Joy in Childhood Foundation, a charitable endeavor supported by Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins.
The partnership with The Joy in Childhood Foundation and the Starlight Children’s Foundation, a charity that works to bring happiness and to help with the well-being of hospitalized kids who are critically, chronically and terminally ill or injured, will update, brighten and bring programs to the new waiting area. The program is designed for families in the United States, Canada, Australia, and Britain.
This new Starlight Site will be located at 82-68 164th St. and is expected to be completed by the end of 2018, according to NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens, the parent of Queens Hospital Center.
The facility will include a private breastfeeding room, a reading nook, and a teen-friendly area with iPads, headphones and other state-of-the-art equipment, according to Queens Hospital.
With help from donations, the Starlight Foundation has also provided colorful hospital gowns, fun centers that include indoor playrooms, video games, virtual reality games, toys and crafts, music and celebrity visits to more than 60 million patients worldwide at over 800 children’s hospitals and health facilities.
“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 Queens Hospital CEO Chris Roker. “The imminent arrival of the Starlight Site will go a long way toward alleviating the wait and elevating the patient experience.”
Co-Chair Karen Raskopf of The Joy in Childhood Foundation agrees.
“We’ve seen the joy that Starlight Sites can bring to patients and their families,” said Raskopf, “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.”
The total of the upgrades to all of the nine hospitals across the country is $1.5 million, according to NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens. The Jamaica site is the only one to receive an upgrade in New York, according to Cleon Edwards, a spokesman for the hospital.
Reach reporter Naeisha Rose by e-mail at nrose
