ArchCare at Mother Cabrini Hospital to reopen soon with more beds
NEW YORK - A hospital for extremely sick children will soon reopen in East Harlem after getting a much-needed expansion.
Timothy Cardinal Dolan was on hand to bless the renovated, expanded and newly named ArchCare at Mother Cabrini Hospital.
"It's really important for those of us who dare to say that we are trying our best to be followers of Jesus. Because he was always, he always had, like, a special radar for those on the side of the road, those who are not being tended to, those who people usually walk by. That's why we want to, in his holy name, welcome those people here," Dolan told CBS2's Nick Caloway.
ArchCare at Mother Cabrini, formerly knowns as the Specialty Hospital for Children in Manhattan, was created by the Archdiocese of New York 50 years ago to provide a nurturing home for severely disabled and medically fragile children and young adults.
"It's a very special population because these are the most fragile individuals in our society," said Medical Director Dr. Vicki Deutsch.
For the patients here, this is more than just a hospital. It is home. For their families, it's a second home.
"I'll be able to enjoy being with her here with my family, knowing that she's in such a cheerful place, such a modern place, clean," said Rose Hearn, a mother of a patient.
Hearn's 20-year-old daughter, Jillian Rose, is among the patients who will soon reside at the hospital.
"Have it be bright and cheerful, under circumstances that are quite frankly challenging. So this is just a boost to all of our spirits," Hearn said.
Patient families raved about the care their loved ones received at the old hospital, too. But it was full, and potential new patients were often turned away. Thanks to the new $23 million expansion, the capacity went from 56 beds to 72.
With the ribbon cut, the healing can now begin.
Residents will be moved into the new space by the end of the year.