Friends and Supporters,
It was a month of growth, accomplishment, and tremendous pride here at The Center!
We ushered our students into adulthood as official graduates, celebrated the opening of our Discovery Dreams Play Park, received awards, continued to develop our first-of-its kind Children’s Specialty Hospital, welcomed a new university partnership – and celebrated the start of summer.
Here’s a few brief highlights from the month of June:
COVID-19 Update
Here at The Center, we remain as committed as ever in our use of PPE and our cleansing protocol to protect against the spread of COVID.
“We must remain vigilant with reporting ANY sign or symptom of illness – even if it appears to be allergy-related. Test, test, test when in doubt,” said our Chief of Nursing Susan Sayers, “We need everyone’s help and diligence to be sure our residents, students, and one other stay safe and well.”
The COVID hotline remains open Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:00pm for guidance if you are visiting a loved one on campus.
Children’s Specialty Hospital Update
The development of our Children’s Specialty Hospital, an urgently needed new model of care in New York State, is advancing at a great pace.
In June, windows were installed and almost all of the roof work was completed. Framing and sheet-rocking continued in some areas, light fixtures were connected, and exterior color palettes were tested.
This month, we expect the dramatic 3-story glass curtain wall to be added to the front entrance area, air handlers to be stationed on the roof, connection to municipal water to begin, and work will be kicked off on the state-of-the-art Alemany Learning Center control room.
Discovery Dreams is Officially Open!
It is official…the Discovery Dreams Play Park on our South Campus is open for exploration, fun, learning, and endless possibility!
Spearheaded by Ann Marie Connolly, TCFD’s Assistant Chief of Clinical Services, the inclusive park has been in the making for a decade. At the official ribbon cutting event in June, Ann Marie talked about the magic she saw happening all around her on the zip line, swings, “we-saw,” and climbing wall. She thanked the Administration for its “unwavering support,” the many TCFD employees who aided in the research, design, and development of the park, the donors who had a vision of what could be, and the amazing children and adults at The Center who will always serve as our inspiration and motivation.
“As I stand here today, my heart is filled with joy as our dream has come true…our dream to create a magical place where children of all ages and abilities can explore, play, learn, grow, and thrive,” said Ann Marie to the elated crowd of supporters.
We know Discovery Dreams Play Park will become a center for endless wonder at TCFD!
New Student Partnership with Cornell University!
This month we welcomed three summer interns to TCFD!
All are students from Cornell University’s College of Human Ecology and are with us for six weeks in three different capacities. One student is working with our Assistant Chief of the Department of Nourishment Arts, Jennifer Franck, in the area of Nutrition & Health. The second is working with Franck on “Precision Nutrition” or the analysis of response data to nutritional intervention. The final intern is working with the Psychology team in our unique Lab Classroom under the supervision of Psychology Research Associate Tania Villavicencio.
We welcome this new partnership with Cornell University and look forward to the continued opportunities this collaboration will bring in the future.
Patrick H. Dollard Receives Lifetime Achievement Award
Congratulations to our CEO, Patrick H. Dollard!
Patrick received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Dream Tank – a Monticello-based organization doing incredible, life-changing work with teens and young adults, right here in Sullivan County. The mentoring, support, and opportunities they receive are priceless.
In his remarks at the Dream Tank Evening of Gratitude reception, Patrick said “I have received a lot of awards over the years, but this one is very special and means the most to me.”
Please spread the word about the Dream Tank and help us keep this great work going in our area. For more information, visit: http://thedreamtankonline.com/
Graduation 2022!
There’s nothing quite like Graduation Day here at The Center!
This year it seemed like our star students were shining extra bright. We were all back together under the big tent at the Discovery Health Center for the traditional “Pomp & Circumstance” and handing out of the diplomas. For parents and teachers alike – it was an emotional day remembering TCFD “firsts,” recalling challenges, and celebrating much growth and accomplishment. So many little moments have led to miracles for our students. We have been fortunate to be walking alongside each of them through the years.
Congratulations to each graduate and their families, and a huge thank you to our one-of-a-kind Education and Clinical Teams!