THE CENTER FOR DISCOVERY® AND SENATE MAJORITY LEADER CHARLES SCHUMER BREAK GROUND ON FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND CHILDREN’S SPECIALTY HOSPITAL

Patrick H. Dollard, CEO of The Center for Discovery® (TCFD, The Center) and Dr. Theresa Hamlin, President, was joined by US Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY), representatives from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and other state and local dignitaries in Rock Hill, New York, on Friday, July 2, 2021, to break ground on a first-of-its kind Children’s Specialty Hospital for those with complex conditions like autism.

The hospital is a dream-come-true for The Center and hundreds of families across the state. It will provide the first comprehensive place of diagnosis, clinical assessment, crisis evaluation, and evidence-based, targeted treatment for medical, physiological, and behavioral issues related to complex conditions.

Senator Schumer, a tireless advocate for children with complex conditions, has played a pivotal role in supporting the development of the hospital. In the midst of a global pandemic, he advocated for and secured an unprecedented $35 million low interest loan through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Office of Rural Development Community Facilities Program, facilitating meetings and connections with various federal agencies to keep the project on track during the pandemic allowing for this groundbreaking event with USDA officials.

“I have worked with The Center for Discovery® for years to make sure they had all the federal resources necessary to provide high-quality care for their vulnerable patients with complex disabilities,” said Senator Schumer. “As a lead negotiator for last year’s COVID relief bills, and as Majority Leader this year, I have fought tooth and nail to make sure that The Center has all of the tools needed to rebuild and recover from the pandemic. That’s why after years of tireless advocacy, I’m proud to attend today’s groundbreaking ceremony for the Children’s Specialty Hospital.”

Schumer continued, “This first-of-its-kind hospital will support our most vulnerable New Yorkers and their families while creating over 400 new jobs in Sullivan County. I will continue my support for the essential role carried out by The Center for Discovery as both a health care provider and the largest employer in Sullivan County, and I will not rest until the last stone has been placed and they have all the federal resources they need to continue their service for all of Upstate New York.”

“We have been envisioning this hospital and working toward this day for over a decade,” said Patrick H. Dollard, “with a growing staff of more than 1,700, 300 residents, and over 100 community students, and over 40-years of experience in the field, we are firsthand witnesses to the great need for this kind of care not only in our community, but indeed – the rest of the country. Our model of care has become a benchmark for so many others. We are incredibly grateful to Senator Schumer for his vision and leadership and for being a longtime champion for our community. Thank you, also, to the USDA for their support and collaboration. We look forward to helping many other families find answers they have so desperately been searching for.”

Improving health and wellness, educating families and school districts when applicable, and ultimately keeping children and adolescents together with their families and out of long-term residential care, is the goal of The Children’s Specialty Hospital. It is estimated it will save New York State millions of dollars.

The hospital building will also include the state-of-the-art Alemany Learning Center to expand the education of professionals in this field, and expanded office and research space for The Center’s already robust research and development arms.

“Our success here at The Center is because we lead with compassion and we act as a team. Imagine having hundreds of professionals in your corner at once, and every one of them adding their expertise in medicine, clinical services, the arts, recreation, and nutrition. This kind of care is transformative.” added Patrick H. Dollard.

Other guests for the groundbreaking included: NY State Senator Mike Martucci (R-NY); NY Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther (D-NY); Brian Murray, USDA Acting NYS Director; Josephine Finn, Vice Chancellor NYS Board of Regents; Jeffrey Kraut, Executive VP for Strategy and Analytics at Northwell Health; Ed Sweeney, TCFD Board Chairman; Bill Rieber, Town of Thompson Supervisor; Jay Quaintance, President of SUNY Sullivan; George Cooke, Sullivan County Commissioner of Jurors.

For a link to the full press release on AP News, visit: https://bit.ly/TCFDGroundbreakingAP.