STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Staten Island University Hospital recently unveiled its Gruppuso Family Women and Newborn Center, for the first time integrating maternity, labor and delivery, and the NICU into one location and accommodating the delivery of an additional 1,000 babies a year within the Ocean Breeze site.
The center, which will open sometime in April, has a separate street entrance aimed at creating a warm and inviting atmosphere for arriving families, and private rooms for labor and delivery. Since 1979, the maternity and NICU services have been scattered across three different locations on two floors within the facility.
The new seamless structure, which adds nearly 50,000 square feet of space, will respond to community need and make sure mother and baby have every chance to thrive, the hospital announced.
“What truly sets this facility apart is the spirit of compassion and empathy that permeates every interaction,’’ said Dr. Brahim Ardolic, executive director of SIUH, during a ceremonial ribbon-cutting ceremony in the Ocean Breeze facility on Tuesday.
Ardolic emphasized the importance of compassion and empathy in patient care. “We understand that each individual is more than just a patient — they are someone’s mother, daughter, sister, or friend,’’ he said.
The facility is named for the late Staten Islander Vincent Gruppuso, founder of the Kozy Shack pudding empire and a generous community leader in whose memory a charitable foundation continues to support philanthropic causes around the Island.
Following Hurricane Sandy, a storm resiliency plan was initiated, leading to the construction of a new power plant, which laid the foundation for the Gruppuso Family Women and Newborn Center.
Despite delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the center is in its final stages of completion, thanks in part to the advocacy efforts of Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, who secured $2 million in the federal budget.
“SIUH’s women and newborn facilities have not been…
Read the full article here
Leave a Reply