St. Francis Hospital Opens Its First Sabbath Room
Roslyn, N.Y., January 31, 2008 - In order to better meet the needs of families of Orthodox Jewish patients, St. Francis Hospital, The Heart Center has unveiled a new Sabbath Room. The two-bedroom, one bath suite, is equipped with a fully stocked kosher kitchen and will be available on a first come, first served basis as a hospital courtesy.
“This latest initiative springs from our mission to care for and respect patients and families of all faiths,” said Alan D.Guerci, M.D., President and CEO. “We are pleased to be able to provide these additional overnight accommodations.”
“We do everything we can to make our patients and their families comfortable during a hospital stay,” said Akram Boutros, M.D., EVP and Chief Administrative Officer. “Now we will be able to offer additional hospitality to Orthodox Jewish families who are unable to travel on the Sabbath.”
Tovah Brill, a pharmacist at Mercy Medical Center whose husband was once a patient at St. Francis, came up with the idea. With help from Drs. Chaim and Meyer Abittan, two brothers who are not only St. Francis physicians, but rabbis as well, an appropriate space was found. Both doctors recognized the need for the room, after facing the recurring situation with patients’ families during the Sabbath.
“We hope this will give our patients’ families a peaceful place to sleep and pray during the Sabbath, that will also give their loved one peace of mind knowing they are close by,” said Chaim Abittan, M.D.
According to recent Hospital statistics, Jewish patients are the second largest segment of the Hospital’s patient base, after Roman Catholics. Kosher meals are always available to patients and their families, as well as access to spiritual care. The Hospital is currently exploring the idea of installing kosher vending machines.
Anyone interested in requesting the Sabbath Room, can call the St. Francis Hospital Office of Pastoral Care at (516) 562-6720.
Contact:
Paul Barry, 516-705-6657, paul.barry@chsli.org
Rosemary Gomez, 516-705-6656, rosemary.gomez@chsli.org
