Parents have a place to stay
while children are in hospital
FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP — Centra-State Medical Center and Ronald McDonald House celebrated the opening of the new Ronald McDonald House Pediatric Hospitality Suite in the hospital’s pediatric unit on Aug. 18 at the Zwerling Auditorium of CentraState Medical Center.
According to a press release, the suite offers families of hospitalized children access to the comforts of home, including a large-screen TV, a computer with Internet access, a telephone and leather sofas. Now, families who must deal with the trauma of an ill child will be able to take a break from the hospital environment without leaving the Pediatric Department.
"Families of children who are ill and staying in the hospital are going through a difficult time and often spend many hours here," said Linda Geisler, vice president, Patient Care Services. "The hospitality suite gives them a place to relax or take care of other obligations. We thank Ronald McDonald House for its contribution to our pediatric unit to help our young patients and their families."
"Thanks to the generous support from the Stillman Trust, Wachovia Bank, we were able to expand the services of the Ronald McDonald House to include this pediatric hospitality suite at CentraState Medical Center," said Mary Ann Martin, chairwoman, Ronald McDonald House Board of Trustees.
The Ronald McDonald House of Long Branch was founded in 1987 to provide a "home away from home" for the families of seriously ill children who are undergoing medical treatment in area hospitals. The house is a safe, comfortable, loving haven for families during a time of uncertainty, stress and difficulty, according to the press release.
CentraState Healthcare System is a nonprofit community health organization consisting of an acute-care hospital, three senior living centers, a health education and activities center, a family medicine center and a charitable foundation. It is a member of the Robert Wood Johnson Health Network and a clinical research affiliate of The Cancer Institute of New Jersey.