Above: Frank J. Piccoli of Kingston receives dialysis in one of the HealthAlliance Dialysis Center’s new medical recliners.
Kingston, N.Y. – March 27, 2015 – Patients at the HealthAlliance Dialysis Center can now look forward to a more comfortable experience. Thirty-four brand-new medical recliners, purchased with a generous gift from the Klock Kingston Foundation and support from the HealthAlliance Foundation, await those who come to the center at 37 Albany Ave. in Kingston for treatment several times each week.
“We are so grateful for the new chairs,” said certified registered nurse and Dialysis Center Director Cheryl Ostrander. According to Ostrander, the Dialysis Center serves 140 people who receive treatment for about 12 hours each week. After 14 years of heavy use, the old chairs were no longer comfortable for patients required to sit for 3 to 4 hours at a time.
The Klock Kingston Foundation contributed $25,000 toward the replacement of the recliners.
“This is right after my own heart,” said Mary Ellen Cologero of the Klock Kingston Foundation, recalling the experience of a family member who underwent dialysis. “When you have to go [to treatment] so many times per week, it is great to have a center that is so accommodating and responsive to patients’ needs.”
Added Steffen T. Kraehmer, Executive Director of the HealthAlliance Foundation, which funded the remaining cost of the chairs: “The Dialysis Center provides a great service to our community. We are pleased to partner with the Klock Kingston Foundation to enhance the experience of our patients.”
Ostrander confirmed that patients approve of the new chairs: “Every patient I talked to said, ‘Wow! Really comfortable!’”
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About The Klock Kingston Foundation
The Klock Kingston Foundation supports nonprofit organizations in Ulster County to advance education, literacy, the arts, public health and the sciences.
About The HealthAlliance Foundation
The HealthAlliance Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization supporting HealthAlliance of the Hudson Valley’s mission, healthcare programs, services and facilities. The HealthAlliance Foundation continues its development efforts for the HealthAlliance Hospitals on Broadway and Mary’s Avenue, as well as the Woodland Pond CCRC in New Paltz. For further information about The HealthAlliance Foundation, please visit FoundationUpdate.org or contact Steffen T. Kraehmer, CFRE, Executive Director, at (845)334-2760.
About HealthAlliance of the Hudson Valley®
HealthAlliance of the Hudson Valley® is the alignment of HealthAlliance Hospital: Mary’s Avenue Campus and Broadway Campus, as well as Margaretville Hospital, Mountainside Residential Care Center and Woodland Pond at New Paltz. As the parent organization with a unified governance structure, the goal of HealthAlliance is to strengthen the quality of care and bring forward enhanced technology to serve the present and future healthcare needs in the Hudson Valley. HealthAlliance and its affiliate facilities are committed to providing compassionate, patient-centered care and ensuring patient safety, privacy and dignity to all. For further information about HealthAlliance visit our web site at www.HAHV.org.
From left, certified registered nurse and HealthAlliance Dialysis Center Director Cheryl Ostrander and dialysis registered nurse Pam Mills stand behind one of the center’s new medical recliners with Mary Ellen Cologero of the Klock Kingston Foundation.