Watertown, New York ----- At its quarterly meeting yesterday, the allocations committee of Children’s Miracle Network of Northern New York at Samaritan approved a gift of $1 million to support Samaritan Medical Center’s expansion and modernization project. Consistent with the mission of Children’s Miracle Network (CMN), the funds will be earmarked for expansion/renovation of the hospital’s child-centered areas, such as the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, emergency department, surgical suites, and pediatric specialty clinics.

“Not only is this a gift from Children’s Miracle Network, it is a gift from the businesses, organizations and individuals who have supported CMN throughout its 17 years in the North Country,” stated Jocelyn D. Mejias, Children’s Miracle Network Director. “It is because of the support from our local and national CMN sponsors, such as Kinney Drugs, DealMaker Auto Group and Wal*Mart, that we are able to achieve our mission. Their collective commitment to kids has positioned CMN to be able to give a gift of this magnitude to this historic project that will advance healthcare close to home.”

The Children’s Miracle Network gift is the third million-dollar plus commitment made in support of Samaritan’s expansion and renovation project. In March, the Northern New York Community Foundation’s commitment of $1.5 million was announced, and in early July, a one million pledge from Kinney Drugs and Kinney Drugs Foundation was announced.

“Being a Children’s Miracle Network hospital is a special designation, and one that is vital to the health and well-being of our local children,” stated Thomas H. Carman, President and CEO of Samaritan Medical Center. “Our sponsors recognize their important role in caring for North Country children. And with this gift, they ensure the continued availability of high quality healthcare services and technology for the youngest members of our community for many years to come.”

Several child-centered areas of the hospital will be included in the expansion and modernization project. The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit will double in size; a new emergency department, where over 1/3 of the 48,000 visits are children, will be constructed; one floor of the new Patient Pavilion will serve as the surgical center, including Ambulatory Surgery, where many patients are children; and outpatient services, which include pediatric specialty clinics, will be centralized.

Since 1990, Children’s Miracle Network of Northern New York at Samaritan has raised over two million dollars to help thousands of local children. As one of only five CMN hospitals that provides direct assistance to families with children in a medical crisis, CMN of Northern New York at Samaritan enables these families to concentrate on the health of their child, rather than being burdened by medical bills, travel expenses and unexpected costs.

The new Emergency Department will be named in recognition of the generosity of Children’s Miracle Network, its donors and sponsors, who continuously have supported the CMN mission through the years.

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