Honor Sisters of Mercy

Senate Resolution No. 226 BY: Senator LITTLE HONORING The Sisters of Mercy in New York for special recognition at a 50th Anniversary Celebration on September 12, 2018, hosted by Elderwood of Uihlein at Lake Placid WHEREAS, The spiritual guidance and nurturing of the citizens of the State of New York is of great importance to the vitality and well-being of our communities; and WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to bring full recognition and just tribute to those individuals of religious commitment who accept the responsibility of moral leadership and render the wisdom of human understanding; and WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor The Sisters of Mercy in New York for special recognition at a 50th Anniversary Celebration on September 12, 2018, hosted by Elderwood of Uihlein at Lake Placid; and WHEREAS, Established in 1978, Elderwood of Uihlein at Lake Placid provides comprehensive, personalized care through a variety of programs such as skilled nursing, respite care, Seasons Memory Program and therapy and rehabilitation services; and WHEREAS, The Religious Sisters of Mercy (R.S.M.) are members of a religious institute of Catholic women founded in 1831 in Dublin, Ireland by Catherine McAuley; today, the institute has approximately 6,200 sisters worldwide, organized into a number of independent congregations; they have been instrumental in initiating many education and health care facilities around the globe; and WHEREAS, Early in 1895, Mother Mary Perpetual Help Kiernan and Sister Mary McAuley Connelly, Sisters of Mercy, stepped off a lumber train in Gabriels, New York, with the mission to open a tuberculosis hospital; and WHEREAS, A freight house, loaned to them by Paul Smith, was their first home and Dynamo, a little gray donkey, was their first transportation; from this humble start, Sanatorium Gabriels grew to become a renowned hospital; and WHEREAS, With the decline of tuberculosis in the mid-1950s, Sanatorium Gabriels became respected for its treatment of other chronic illnesses so, by 1962, the Sisters of Mercy directed their dedication towards solving the new 20th century need for more personal methods and systems to deliver health care to aging citizens; and WHEREAS, Sister Mary Michele Ayotte, administrator of Sanatorium Gabriels at the time, developed the "personalized nursing care" theory, a nursing approach which recognizes that every individual is made in God's image, with an inherent dignity and which age cannot destroy; this new nursing care approach led to the creation of a novel architectural design, octagonal "clusters" of patient rooms surrounding a large communal lounge; and WHEREAS, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Uihlein took the initiative and offered the Sisters of Mercy land upon which to build a facility to carry out this new concept of care; Henry Uihlein's vision and drive stimulated the necessary community support for the project, subsequently named the Uihlein Mercy Center; and WHEREAS, Operated by the Sisters of Mercy, the Uihlein Mercy Center opened with its first 96 beds in September of 1968; this skilled nursing facility was the prototype for institutions planned and built specifically for a geriatric clientele; and WHEREAS, Located on Old Military Road in Lake Placid, New York, this modern facility is staffed with a Medical Director, registered and practical nurses and nursing assistants who provide round the clock long term care; full time professional staff includes: two social workers, a physical therapist, and dietician and activity director; and WHEREAS, The central core of the building houses services such as administration, physical therapy, dentistry, podiatry, main dining room, and main chapel; the Jones Pavilion consists of two floors, unit I and II, each composed of three octagonal clusters with all rooms being private and include a half bath; each octagon has 14 rooms and opens in a lounge where socialization can take place; there are also two additional octagonal clusters, units III and IV; and WHEREAS, In 1987, new construction of 60 additional skilled nursing beds and a large auditorium and other offices and services was completed; Beauty and Barbershop, volunteers' office and In-Service suite are located in this wing; the design of the new wing is the same as in the existing building and one of the octagonal clusters has been designated to the care of Alzheimer's patients; and WHEREAS, In 1993, a new service was added, short-term care, formally known as Respite Care; located on unit IV, this bed is available for a period up to 30 days for a person being cared for at home who will return to the home setting, but needs temporary care to allow the family to take a vacation, attend a family reunion or simply to get a much needed rest; and WHEREAS, As of January 1, 2007, Uihlein Mercy Center is owned and operated by Adirondack Medical Center and is now known as AMC-Uihlein; certified for Medicare and Medicaid patients, currently its total long term care capacity is 156; and WHEREAS, In 1913, a bell was erected on Sunrise Hill at Sanatorium Gabriels in honor of the Brady Farrell Family, the earliest benefactors of the Sisters of Mercy; today, the angelus bell is at the entrance of AMC-Uihlein in gratitude of the Farrell Family's generosity; and WHEREAS, These distinguished women of God have always given enlightenment, guidance and wisdom to the many entrusted to their care and have administered abundantly and unstintingly to the spiritual and physical needs of all; and WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when individuals of such noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our attention, they should be celebrated and recognized by all the citizens of this great Empire State; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to honor The Sisters of Mercy in New York for special recognition at a 50th Anniversary Celebration on September 12, 2018, hosted by Elderwood of Uihlein at Lake Placid; and be it further RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to The Sisters of Mercy in New York, and Elderwood of Uihlein at Lake Placid.