The Wegmans Child Life Program offered specialists who helped children cope with the fear and anxiety associated with a hospital stay. These individuals share what is happening to children in terms they can understand and create activities that strengthen their self-esteem and independence. They also coach parents on how to communicate to their children during traumatic times, which encourages children to express themselves freely.
Social workers were available to help remove unnecessary burdens on children and their families during their stays. A child’s social worker can assist with transportation needs—from parking reimbursement to bus passes—and provide sources for emotional support to parents who often feel stressed, worried, or frightened when their child is hospitalized.
New equipment was purchased to provide potentially life-saving care to children who are hospitalized.
Gifts for recruitment helped draw master clinicians, cutting-edge researchers, and innovative educators and trainees, ensuring the robustness of the health care, medicine, and science workforce in upstate New York for generations to come.