Last month, Jamaica Hospital Medical Center celebrated breaking ground for what will be the newly renovated Ferrara Family Center for Hospice Care. The event was held in the Trump Pavilion Garden Room North and was filled to capacity by staff, elected officials, media and supporters of the hospital.
The ground breaking ceremony commenced with remarks from Jamaica Hospital President and CEO Bruce J. Flanz who excitedly welcomed everyone and shared a brief history of the renovation project from inception to reaching the milestone that was achieved on that day. Mr. Flanz’s excitement proved infectious as others including elected officials Senator Joseph Addabbo and Queens Borough President Melinda Katz later followed his speech expressing the same sentiment while applauding the hospital for its commitment to providing quality care to the community over the years.
The highlight of the event took place when the Borough President, along with Mr. Flanz and board member Neil Foster Phillips introduced hospital trustee Mr. Joseph Ferrara, the namesake for the unit. Mr. Ferrara went on to explain how important this day was for him and for the advancement of the hospital’s community initiatives. “It’s a necessary thing,” he said. “The community deserves this.”
Ferrara praised the high level of care and dedication offered by the Hospice Care Unit’s multidisciplinary staff led by Dr. Alan Roth; Chairman of Family Medicine and Chief of Palliative Care Medicine and Angelo Canedo PHD; Vice President of MediSys Health Network: by sharing his personal experience of the support received when his wife passed away. “I met many wonderful and caring people”, he said.
Guest speaker and former Jamaica Hospital employee Edward Schraeger also shared his story “I was fortunate enough to have a place like Jamaica to bring my relatives. Without Jamaica, I honestly don’t know what we would’ve done,” Schraeger said. “It warms my heart to see this program will continue to flourish.”
Hospital leadership later presented Mr. Ferrara with a sledge hammer with a gold- covered head and a plaque as a commemoration of his generosity. He found it a great honor for his family to be a part of the momentous occasion.
The Ferrara Family Center for Hospice Care is slated to begin construction this fall. The unit’s redesign will offer patients and families many upgraded amenities that promote serenity, privacy and will allow them to feel more at home. Some of the new upgrades will include private and spacious suites for patients, family meeting rooms and a relaxing family lounge that offers loved ones a space to gather decompress or reflect.
“The needs of our patients and community are at the top of our list of priorities; our commitment to patient satisfaction is reflected in every amenity and feature we will offer at the Ferrara Family Center for Hospice Care,” concluded hospital CEO and President Bruce J. Flanz. “We want to ensure that compassion and comfort are received at all times,”stated Mr. Flanz.