Stony Brook University's New Children's Hospital Is Complete

Stony Brook University celebrated the opening of the new Stony Brook Children’s Hospital on October 17 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. This new hospital will expand Stony Brook’s capacity to meet kids’ health needs across Long Island. The hospital is designed with kids in mind, and will feature separate child and teen playrooms, common areas like an outdoor garden, and a classroom with WiFi so students can keep up with their schoolwork. Even the menus will be kid-focused. Families and visitors can find support and comfort in the new Ronald McDonald Family Room.

“The new hospital was designed with patients at the center of our thinking and planning, to promote their safety, well-being and healing,” said Margaret M. McGovern, M.D., Ph.D., Knapp Professor of Pediatrics and Physician-in-Chief, Stony Brook Children's Hospital. ”When it opens, Stony Brook will be the only children’s hospital on Long Island with all single-patient rooms, which will allow us to combine the best practices in modern pediatric medicine with a child-first, family-first philosophy.”

Research supports the idea that being cared for in a child-friendly environment supports better outcomes for children. But the hospital isn’t just child-focused–patients actually have the chance to control their own environment through special multicolored wall lights, which gives them a sense of control in a situation that usually provides anything but. Long Island artists have also helped make the hospital welcoming with nautical-themed art, including a lighthouse and a wall-sized feed from the Long Island Aquarium.