GREAT NECK, N.Y. — As part of its new $1 billion jobs initiative, the state has awarded a $450,000 matching grant to the North Shore-LIJ Health System to build a green roof on the Steven and Alexandra Cohen Children’s Medical Center that will provide an outdoor healing environment for sick children and their families.
The CCMC roof-top park will provide pediatric patients with the therapeutic benefits of the natural environment. Complete with plantings, grass, green surfacing and fencing and light-emitting diode exterior lighting, the project will be designed to reduce costs and benefit the environment.
The $450,000 grant, to be matched by North Shore-LIJ, is part of the state’s plan to invest in energy efficient improvements in commercial and residential buildings, and upgrade water systems and educational facilities. Trees will be planted not only for their beauty but also to absorb environmental pollutants, and the play area will be built with eco-friendly materials.
“As Cohen Children’s Medical Center continues to renovate essential facilities to meet the needs of our pediatric patients, the green rooftop will be a wonderful new space for children and their families to enjoy,” said Kevin McGeachy , executive director of CCMC. “The goal is to create a holistic healing space and play area for children as well as provide a quiet respite for families and staff members.”
The health system also received $130,000 in additional funds to train unemployed nurses for information technology-related jobs and existing employees for medical-coding positions needed as part of the rollout of electronic health records.
The jobs initiative, announced Dec. 8 by Governor Andrew Cuomo and the state’s legislative leaders, provides $1 billion in grants designed to create employment opportunities throughout the state.
The $130,000 to training funds granted to North Shore-LIJ will be used for two purposes: the health system will target unemployed registered nurses who require up-to-date clinical information technology certification to work in hospital settings. Once certified, the RNs would be eligible for openings in the health system, keeping pace with the federal requirements of electronic health records in all healthcare facilities by 2014.
“North Shore-LIJ is pleased to receive three competitive grants under the state’s new employment initiative,” said Michael J. Dowling , president and chief executive officer of the North Shore-LIJ Health System. “This new funding will help the health system to create new jobs and advance the skills of current staff members as well as make ‘green’ renovations and improvements to our children’s hospital.”
The other program will train existing staff as medical coders whose skill must be upgraded to meet the national ICD-10 coding system for medical billing, which will be revised and implemented in 2013.
