New Valerie Fund Center at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital

MAPLEWOOD, NJ, December 9, 2022 — The Valerie Fund is excited to announce its newest Valerie Fund Center at Stony Brook Children's Hospital in Stony Brook, New York. With the addition of Stony Brook Children's Hospital to its network of centers, The Valerie Fund is extending its footprint from metro Philadelphia to Eastern Long Island, the most densely populated region in the United States. Stony Brook Children's Hospital, a national leader in children's health care offering one of the most advanced pediatric specialty care programs in the region, has a dedicated team of specialists in the Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Program providing services to benefit the children of Suffolk and Nassau Counties. The hospital cares for 60 new oncology patients per year and sees 5,000 oncology and hematology outpatient visits annually.

Because of the growth in patient volume, Stony Brook Children's Hospital will benefit from the expanded psychological support services provided by The Valerie Fund. The Valerie Fund is providing grant funding to ensure that the children and families treated at Stony Brook Children's Hospital have access to a full-time social worker, child life specialist, psychologist, educational liaison, and survivorship coordinator. More than 500 patients will benefit from this new psychosocial partnership, not only medically but also emotionally, socially, and developmentally.

"Stony Brook Children's Hospital is delighted about our new relationship with The Valerie Fund," says Carolyn Milana, MD, Physician-in-Chief at Stony Brook Children's Hospital. "We are grateful to be partnering with an organization that is so closely aligned with our mission of providing individualized care to children close to home."
"It is an honor to have the opportunity to work directly with The Valerie Fund," says Laura Hogan, MD, Chief of Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Stony Brook Children's Hospital. "My team and I are beyond grateful for the generous and strategic commitment to enhance the psychosocial support for our pediatric hematology/oncology patients and their families. We are excited about what we can accomplish together."
"We are thrilled to welcome Stony Brook Children's Hospital as our newest Valerie Fund Center," says Neil Yaris, The Valerie Fund Board Chair. "In doing so, an additional 500 children each year will have access to the full range of psychosocial care that our other seven VF centers currently provide. We look forward to a long relationship with Dr. Laura Hogan and her entire team."

ABOUT THE VALERIE FUND: After their nine-year-old daughter Valerie succumbed to cancer in 1976, Sue and Ed Goldstein were determined that no family should have to travel great distances to receive superior medical care. Along with a group of close friends, they began fundraising efforts from their living room---tireless work that would lead to the 1977 opening of New Jersey's first pediatric oncology facility at Summit's Overlook Hospital. Forty-five years later, The Valerie Fund's mission remains that of supporting comprehensive health care for children battling cancer and blood disorders.

About Stony Brook Children's Hospital:
With 104 beds, Stony Brook Children's Hospital is Suffolk County's only children's hospital. Part of Stony Brook Medicine, Stony Brook Children's has more than 180 pediatric specialists in 30 specialties. The hospital is Suffolk County's only Level 4 Regional Perinatal Center and Level 1 Regional Pediatric Trauma Center. It is home to the nation's first Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Center and also offers a Level 3 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Center, Celiac Disease and Gluten Sensitivity Center, Healthy Weight and Wellness Center, Cystic Fibrosis Center, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Program, Pediatric Cardiology Program, Pediatric HIV and AIDS Center. To learn more, visit www.stonybrookchildrens.org.