A ray of hope for children with complex conditions

The Center for Discovery breaks ground on a new children’s hospital

By LIAM MAYO
Posted 7/14/21

ROCK HILL, NY — The Center for Discovery (TCFD) joined with community and government leaders from across the state, including U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, NY State Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther and …

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A ray of hope for children with complex conditions

The Center for Discovery breaks ground on a new children’s hospital

Posted

ROCK HILL, NY — The Center for Discovery (TCFD) joined with community and government leaders from across the state, including U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, NY State Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther and NY State Sen. Mike Martucci, to break ground for a children’s specialty hospital in Rock Hill, on Friday, June 2. 

The hospital, a first-of-its-kind facility in the nation, will provide children with complex conditions including autism with a highly specialized evaluation and treatment program, according to TCFD president Dr. Theresa Hamlin.  

When a child comes in for treatment, a team of doctors will perform an individualized biomedical examination, evaluating their environment, their physical and mental condition, and their overall lifestyle. Following the evaluation, doctors will develop a child-specific treatment protocol, with the end goal of re-integrating a child into their family environment within 45 days of in-patient treatment. 

The hospital’s aim of providing care to children through short-term stays will set it apart from pre-existing children’s hospitals, which primarily provide longer-term residential care. So too will its focus on ensuring that children can find the care they need within their homes and their communities. 

“Our goal for the hospital is not only to treat these children,” said Hamlin, “but to support their families.”

That support was made possible by a $35 million loan through the USDA Office of Rural Development Community Facilities Program. TCFD representatives thanked Schumer and the acting state director for the USDA Office of Rural Development Brian Murray for their work in securing the loan. 

Patrick H. Dollard, the CEO of TCFD and the guiding force behind the hospital’s conception, thanked Schumer personally for his 30-plus years of support for TCFD. “He’s just that kind of guy,” he said, adding that Schumer had given them the same support and care as a fledgling organization as he did now that they were fully grown. 

The hospital will bring jobs to Sullivan County, creating around 400 healthcare jobs and around 200 construction jobs. It is currently scheduled to open in 2022; once open, it will collaborate with community hospitals and school districts state-wide, bringing hope to families of children struggling with complex conditions.

“It’s a place of hope,” said Murray. “Of healthcare. Of learning. But most important[ly], a place where parent and child can reach their full potential.” 

For more information, visit the Center for Discovery website at www.thecenterfordiscovery.org.

autism, The Center for Discovery, children's hospital, treatment, Chuck Schumer

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