News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 17, 2014 

Newborns at HHC Bellevue Receive 129 Pairs of Handmade Booties

HHC Bellevue Hospital Center’s Tiniest Patients Don’t Have Cold Feet, Thanks to Baby Bootie Donation from Local Knitting Club

New York, NY - New moms at HHC Bellevue Hospital Center and their newborns were visited by some knitting elves on Tuesday, December 16th. Four members of the Stein Senior Center knitting club presented 129 pairs of handmade booties to Bellevue’s Maternal Newborn/Postpartum Mother-Baby unit, to be distributed to newborn babies. The booties were the handiwork of more than a dozen women—members of a knitting group at the senior center located in Kips Bay and started by social worker Sandy Daniels more than two decades ago.

"Babies are made out of love, and so were these precious handmade gifts. It was wonderful to witness the joy on the faces of the moms and also on the faces of the gracious volunteer knitters as they presented our new moms with tiny booties for their newborns. This is exactly what the holiday season is about—giving," said Rohnie D. Williams HN, SAFE, CLC, Head Nurse, Postpartum-Mother Baby, Bellevue Hospital Center.

The idea to support Bellevue’s tiniest patients came from Gloria Barker, another member of the knitting club and former member of Bellevue’s Community Advisory Board. She said the knitting group worked on the bootie project for about two months and all the ladies got involved in it, making dozens of booties each.

“All of us in the knitting club are very blessed,” stated Daniels. “Every year we believe it’s important to give back to those who might not be as blessed. It was so special that we got to actually distribute our handmade creations and see some of the new moms and their precious new babies enjoying them.”

The Stein Senior Center knitting club meets Tuesdays from 10:00-11:30 AM.

 

Contact:
Amy Di Leo Bellevue Public Affairs, (212) 562-4516, amy.dileo@nychhc.org

About HHC Bellevue Hospital Center

Bellevue is a member of the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) and is America's oldest hospital, established in 1736. Affiliated with the NYU School of Medicine, Bellevue is a major referral center for highly complex cases. The 828-bed hospital has more than 4,000 employees and works closely with interdisciplinary staff throughout the hospital. Its emergency room sees more than 125,000 visits every year. Clinical centers of excellence include: Emergency Medicine and Trauma Care; Cardiovascular Services; Designated Regional Perinatal Center and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (ICU); Comprehensive Children's Psychiatric Emergency Program; and Cancer Services. For more information, visit www.nyc.gov/bellevue or find us on twitter.com/BellevueHosp.

About HHC

The New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) is a $6.7 billion integrated healthcare delivery system, the largest municipal healthcare organization in the country, and one of the New York area's largest providers of government-sponsored health insurance, MetroPlus Health Plan, the plan of choice for nearly half a million New Yorkers. HHC serves 1.4 million New Yorkers every year and more than 475,000 are uninsured. HHC provides medical, mental health and substance abuse services through its 11 acute care hospitals, five skilled nursing facilities, six large diagnostic and treatment centers and more than 70 community based clinics. HHC Health and Home Care also provides in-home services for New Yorkers. HHC was the 2008 recipient of the National Quality Forum and The Joint Commission's John M. Eisenberg Award for Innovation in Patient Safety and Quality. For more information, visit www.nyc.gov/hhc or find us on facebook.com/nycHHC or twitter.com/HHCnyc.