The Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance Corps hauled a truckload of toys, games, stuffed animals and other gifts to Cohen Children’s Hospital yesterday afternoon at the conclusion of its first toy drive for hospitalized kids during the holiday season.
“We wanted to do something to give back to Northwell Health, because Northwell has done so much for us and our community and this just seemed like a great way to say thank you,” RVAC Chief Rod Richardson said yesterday.
Richardson cited the health system’s investment in Peconic Bay Medical Center, particularly the establishment of a cardiac catheterization suite at the Riverhead hospital, as important steps forward in the health of the local community. Before the new suite opened in October, cardiac patients suffering a heart attack caused by a blockage in a cardiac artery had to be transported to Stony Brook University Hospital for life-saving catheterization and stenting. A delay in treatment can result in more significant damage to the heart muscle or even death. Since the cath lab opened, cardiologists have saved the lives of five patients, according to PBMC president and CEO Andrew Mitchell.
Having a cath lab in Riverhead also saves the busy ambulance corps personnel a lot of time since they don’t have to transport those patients to Stony Brook and it keeps the ambulance rig in the district, Richardson said.
These improvements mean a great deal to the community and the corps, he said.
Northwell also provides two first responder vehicles to help RVAC respond to emergencies and that’s a big help to the ambulance corps, he said.
The toy drive was spearheaded and organized by RVAC Assistant Chief Amanda Zilnicki. Corps members set up a tent outside their Osborn Avenue headquarters this weekend for the collection of donations for the children’s hospital. They took the donations to the hospital in New Hyde Park yesterday afternoon.
“We really appreciate the great community response to this effort on such short notice,” Richardson said.
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