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remains as uninterrupted as possible. And for children being treated for cancer and blood disorders, Stony Brook Children's School Intervention and Re-Entry Program provides services and support to the patient, family and school to help ease the transition back to the classroom. PEDIATRIC PALLIATIVE CARE TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE For young patients with more complex or advanced medical conditions, the hospital offers comprehensive pediatric pallia- tive care services. Designed to reduce suffering and maintain dignity, this care includes symptom management, psychosocial and spiritual care, family and sibling support groups, relaxation techniques, bereavement resources, memorial services, and hospital-to-community transition coordination and follow up. FREE INJURY PREVENTION INITIATIVES Services available through Stony Brook Children's also extend well beyond the walls of the hospital and outpatient offices. Their injury prevention team goes out to local schools and other community organizations to provide information related to safety. Among the many no-cost resources they offer are Car Seat Fittings, Teddy Bear Clinics, Teen Safe Driving Initiatives, Sports Safety Clinics, Parent Information Sessions and more. "It's important for anyone who treats sick or injured children to be an advocate for prevention," Dr. Kaplan says. "Through programs like our injury prevention program, as well as Stop the Bleed, we can help to train first responders and lay people in the community to reduce the need for such a high level of health care." WHAT'S AHEAD FOR STONY BROOK CHILDREN'S One yea r af ter opening the doors to the new Stony Brook Children's, hospital leaders have lofty goals for the future — ones that include expanding services beyond the hospital itself. As part of that mission, the hospital has been dedicated to broadening its footprint of outpatient offices into communities across Suffolk County. "Even though our hospital is pretty centrally located, you still don't want to have to drive for basic outpatient care," Dr. Milana says. "Rather than being doctor-centric and centrally located, we're trying to be family-centric and spread out to provide services close to where patients are. Each of our offices has primary care providers, while subspecialists are also present in those offices on some days each week. This allows kids and families to access the care they need without having to travel far. That makes a big difference." As the population in Suffolk County continues to grow, hos- pital programs will also grow in response. The expansions will include the addition of new surgical specialties and a reimagined Emergency Department to double its current bed count. n For more information, visit stonybrookchildrens.org. In November 2019, Stony Brook Children's Hospital, the only children's hospital on Long Island, opened its beautiful, brand-new, all-private-room facility. This state-of-the-art hospital further expands Stony Brook's ability to meet the growing healthcare needs of children and their families across Long Island. 1 0❱❱❱❱❱ C O V E R F E A T U R E