St. John’s Episcopal Hospital is moving forward with the construction of a new Labor, Delivery, Recovery, and Postpartum (LDRP) unit in Far Rockaway, thanks to $1 million in capital funding secured by New York State Sen. James Sanders Jr.
The funding, announced Tuesday, marks a major investment in expanding maternal care services for families across the Rockaway Peninsula, an area historically underserved in healthcare infrastructure.
It will help advance construction on the state-of-the-art maternal care facility, which began in May 2024 and is expected to be completed by late 2025. The new unit will enhance comfort, privacy, and continuity of care for mothers and newborns — especially those requiring specialized support.
“We are incredibly grateful to Sen. Sanders for his continued advocacy on behalf of Episcopal Health Services and his commitment to the construction of the St. John’s Episcopal Hospital’s Labor, Delivery, Recovery and Postpartum unit,” said Donald T. Morrish, MD, MMM, Chief Executive Officer of EHS. “EHS is dedicated to ensuring all women have access to high-quality care close to home, and this generous funding brings us one step closer to making this vision a reality.”
The hospital’s LDRP model will consolidate the phases of childbirth into a single space — allowing women to labor, deliver, recover, and receive postpartum care in one location.
“Quality healthcare is essential for a thriving community. I am proud to support St. John’s Episcopal Hospital in enhancing maternal care, ensuring families in the Rockaways receive the best possible start,” said Sanders, who represents New York’s 10th Senate District, which includes the Rockaways and parts of Southeast Queens.
St. John’s Episcopal Hospital is the only full-service acute care hospital on the Rockaway Peninsula. Through Episcopal Health Services Inc., the health system provides emergency, ambulatory, preventive, and rehabilitative care to residents of the Rockaways and nearby Five Towns region, regardless of ability to pay.
