Ronald McDonald Family Room Unveiled at Children's Hospital

In the practice of pediatric medicine, admitting a child to the hospital is kind of like admitting the child's whole family.

That's according to Dr. Margaret McGovern, physician-in-chief of Stony Brook Long Island Children's Hospital, who on Thursday helped cut the ribbon on the hospital's new Ronald McDonald Family Room – a brand-new space where families can spend time together while a child is in the hospital.

"This is a happy day for Stony Brook Long Island Children's," McGovern said. "This is a project that we're so excited about."

The family room will serve the approximately 7,000 children admitted to Stony Brook each year with a living room-like setting that includes a comfy couch and a flat-screen TV. The family room also features a kitchenette, dining area, internet, laundry facilities, a shower and lockers, and comes with transportation for family members to pharmacies, doctor appointments and other transportation hubs.

Stony Brook officials present at the unveiling said that pediatric medical outcomes are better when the families are able to stay close together during children's care.

"This is their refuge. This is their place to feel they have a home here at Stony Brook, a place where they can watch their children and work with us," said Dr. L. Reuven Pasternak, CEO of Stony Brook University Hospital and a former pediatric anesthesiologist.

The family room came as the result of a partnership with the Ronald McDonald House of Long Island as well as private donors who provided goods and services, and took a few years to come to fruition.

"We have come such a long way in that particular partnership ... The beauty of this space is something that is quite captivating," said Matthew Campo, executive director of the Ronald McDonald House of Long Island.

Kim Ragone of Manorville, whose daughter Rachel, 16, is an oncology patient at Stony Brook Children's, called the new family room "a blessing."

"This lounge will allow us to shower, heat up a meal, even wash laundry," Ragone said. "It gives us a sense of normalcy – something as simple as a dining room table to eat on will never be taken for granted."