Cinco De Mayo Fundraiser Benefits Patient Pet Care Program
05/05/2008
Contact: Mary Mooney
212-604-2675
May 5, 2008 NEW YORK, NY - St. Vincent's Hospital Manhattan held a fundraiser on May 5, 2008 for the unique Patient Pet Care program that provides assistance to patients by caring for their pets during unexpected hospital stays. This program was established in 2004 for patients who had pets that needed to be cared for but had no one to turn to in their time of need. St. Vincent's believes that caring for these pets allows patients to better focus on their recovery by providing peace of mind about the health and safety of their animals. It is the only such hospital-based program in the city.
St. Vincent's Hospital has professionals either going to the patient's home to take care of their pet or have them picked up for boarding, where they are fed, given water, walked and provided with veterinary attention if needed. This program is totally dependent on philanthropy in order to maintain and grow its services.
'It is important to us to continue to develop and run the patient pet care program,' says Kate Fisher, Coordinator of St. Vincent's Patient Pet Care Program. 'If this unique program can help give our patients peace of mind and relieve any additional anxiety they might have, then we have made a major contribution to their overall health progress.'
The Cinco de Mayo-themed fundraiser was held at New York University's Kimmel Center and included a cocktail reception, music and raffle prizes, along with special guests, Jane Hoffman, President of the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals, and Tracy Wolfson, Anchor and Reporter for CBS Sports. The money is used to fund the optimal care of the animals to ensure this important service continues for patients.
St. Vincent's Hospital Manhattan plans on providing hands-on service to about 75 patients and give consultations to about 300 patients and their friends and family members regarding the pet caretaking arrangements. The patient pet care program is a wonderful complement to St. Vincent's in-house animal assisted-therapy program, the oldest in New York City.
About Saint Vincent's
Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers (Saint Vincent's) is anchored by St. Vincent's Hospital Manhattan, an academic medical center located in Greenwich Village and the only emergency room on the Westside of Manhattan from Midtown to Tribeca, St. Vincent's Westchester, a behavioral health hospital in Westchester County, and continuing care services that include two skilled nursing facilities in Brooklyn, another on Staten Island, a hospice, and a home health agency serving the Metropolitan New York area. Its behavioral health services also provide supportive housing programs for people with mental illness throughout the Metropolitan area. Saint Vincent's is the designated provider for the New York and New Jersey region of the US Family Health Plan sponsored by the US Department of Defense.
Saint Vincent's serves as the academic medical center of New York Medical College in New York City. The healthcare organization is sponsored by the Roman Catholic Bishop of Brooklyn and the president of the Sisters of Charity of New York.
