Ceremonies mark opening of Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital in Syracuse Sept. 10 to 13

SYRACUSE, NY (09/09/2009)(readMedia)-- A new era in pediatric care in Central New York will be ushered in this fall with the opening of the Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital in Syracuse, N.Y.

The facility opens to the community this weekend with a string of events from Sept. 10 to 13. The two-story, 71-bed children's hospital crowns the top of University Hospital's new $150 million East Tower addition. University Hospital is part of SUNY Upstate Medical University.

The children's hospital is named for Rochester-area businessman B. Thomas Golisano, who donated $6 million to build the facility.

A Dedication Ceremony is set for Sept.10 at 4 p.m. B. Thomas Golisano will cut a ceremonial opening ribbon and tour the facility that bears his name and meet other campaign donors Sept. 11, at 5:30 p.m. Public open houses for the new facility will be held Saturday, Sept. 12, from 1 to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 13, from noon to 5 p.m. The hospital is located at 750 East Adams St., Syracuse, N.Y.

The facility is chock-full of enhanced patient and family amenities, most notably spacious private patient rooms with furniture designed to give parents and family members a comfortable night's sleep without leaving their child's side. The private rooms are more than 250 square feet larger than the hospital's existing pediatric rooms, which are double rooms. The entire two-story children's hospital increases the amount of space dedicated to pediatric care fivefold, from 18,000 square feet to more than 87,000.

Floors also contain numerous age-appropriate playrooms, family lounges, where parents and others can prepare meals and relax. The Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital also will have its very own mini medical library. The Family Resource Center will be an information center for families on all sorts of health-related issues.

The intriguing colored-glass exterior design for the facility is from the creative minds at Karlsberger, the Columbus, Ohio-based architectural firm that has been working on the project since 2004. Karlsberger, which has designed numerous children's hospitals throughout the country, was assisted in this project by Syracuse-based King and King, Architects.

Perhaps the most eye-catching element of the facility is the large two-story "treehouse" space located on the east side of the building more than 100 feet in the air. It is here that families and patients can still be in the hospital, but leave the patient care areas. A café, solarium, performance center, chapel and an exhibit space are some of the key elements of this area. The treehouse also serves as the entrance to the Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital.

Visitors and families coming to the hospital can enter the facility through the "clubhouse" located off Irving Avenue and take the elevators directly to the treehouse.

The Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital has been made possible by an unprecedented outpouring of philanthropic support from organizations, business and schools near and far that raised more than $21 million to build the facility.

The top gift in the community fundraising campaign was a $6 million contribution from Golisano, which he made in 2005.

Patients are expected to move into the new facility Sept. 23.

More than 2,900 children from 43 counties throughout New York were patients at University Hospital last year. The counties with the greatest pediatric admissions in 2008 are (in alphabetical order): Broome, 132; Cayuga, 178; Chenango, 42; Cortland, 56; Herkimer, 64; Jefferson, 136; Lewis, 30; Madison, 151; Oneida, 292; Onondaga, 1,283; Oswego, 272, Otsego, 18; St. Lawrence, 101; Steuben, 13; Tioga, 22; and Tompkins, 48

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Editor's Note: Media are invited to cover the Dedication Ceremony Sept. 10, at 4 p.m. outside the Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital on the corner of Irving Avenue and East Adams Street. Media are also invited to cover the visit by B. Thomas Golisano Sept. 11, at 5:30 p.m. at the above location. Golisano will cut a ceremonial ribbon and thank the community for its support in raising more than $21 million for the children's hospital. For more information on coverage opportunities, call 315-464-4828.