Golisano Children’s Hospital tops Upstate Medical University Hospital.
In 1998 opening a hospital for children was among the 87 goals set by thousands of people participating in the FOCUS Greater Syracuse visioning sessions. One year later as the goals were evaluated the word was: “No news – may not be financially feasible.” But support was found.
A fundraising campaign was launched in 2003, and Rochester businessman B. Thomas Golisano gave $6 million to the project. The Golisano Children’s Hospital at Upstate opened in September of 2009.
Floors of the children’s hospital contain age-appropriate playrooms and family lounges, where parents and others can prepare meals and relax. The Family Resource Center there is an information center for families on all sorts of health-related issues. SUNY Upstate Medical University’s Health Sciences Library is a member of the National Network of Medical Libraries and offers online health information resources to the public.
Creating a hospital for children was among the tougher tasks identified in the original visioning sessions, but with ingenuity and generosity it became one of the first accomplished not by FOCUS but by Forging Our Community’s United Strength.
To learn more about FOCUS Greater Syracuse, the 87 goals set in 1998 and the 20 highlighted in this anniversary year go to www.focussyracuse.org/about . There is more work to be done.