University Hospital at Downstate Promotes Message of Health and Hope During National Hospital Week:
May 7, 2010
Holds Annual Health Fair May 15
A hospital is more than a place where people go to heal, it is a part of the community that fosters health and represents hope: from providing treatment and comfort to the sick, to welcoming new life into the world, hospitals are central to a healthy and optimistic community. That’s the message SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University’s University Hospital at Downstate is sending during National Hospital Week 2010. As part of the celebration, University Hospital will host its Annual Health Fair on Saturday, May 15 from 11 am – 3 pm on Lenox Road between East 35th and East 37th Street.
“National Hospital Week, first and foremost, is a celebration of people,” said Maria Yomtov, RN, MSN, CDE, director of the Center for Community Health Promotion and Wellness at SUNY Downstate. “We are extremely proud of every member of our staff and we recognize the important role they play in extending a sense of trust to our patients and our communities.”
Keeping hospitals in the spotlight is part of the tradition of National Hospital Week, a celebration of care that dates back to 1921. That year, a magazine editor in Chicago suggested an annual “open house” where an apprehensive public could see first hand the vital work performed inside hospitals. The idea spread across the country and helped change the perception about hospitals from places of illness to places of healing. Today, National Hospital Week is the nation’s largest health care celebration.
This year, University Hospital health fair organizers have selected a theme that emphasizes the healing process: “National Hospital Week – Health, Hope & Healing.” Attractions at the health fair include free health screenings and information, entertainment for children and adults, and activities highlighting the cultural diversity of the community SUNY Downstate serves. In addition, SUNY Downstate will be celebrating 150 years of providing medical education to Brooklyn during the National Hospital Week Health Fair.
For more information about University Hospital’s 2010 Health Fair call 718-270-2020 or 718-270-3739.
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About SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
Downstate Health Sciences University in Brooklyn is one of four academic health centers (AMCs) in The State University of New York (SUNY) 64-campus system and the only SUNY AMC in New York City dedicated to health education, research, and patient care for the borough’s 2.7 million residents. Its flagship hospital, University Hospital at Downstate (UHD), is a teaching hospital and benefits from the expertise of Downstate’s exceptional medical school and world-class academic center research facilities. With a staff of over 800 physicians representing 53 specialties and subspecialties, Downstate offers comprehensive healthcare services to the community.
UHD provides high-risk neonatal and infant services, pediatric nephrology, and dialysis for kidney diseases and is the only kidney transplantation program in Brooklyn. Beyond its clinical expertise, Downstate houses a range of esteemed educational institutions, including its College of Medicine, College of Nursing, School of Health Professions, School of Graduate Studies, and School of Public Health. Downstate fosters innovation through its multifaceted biotechnology initiative, the Biotechnology Incubator and BioBAT, which support early-stage and more mature biotech companies.