LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commending the Brooklyn Hospital Foundation upon
the occasion of hosting its 2009 Founders Ball on June 3, 2009

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize that the
quality and character of life in the communities across New York State
are reflective of the concerned and dedicated efforts of those organiza-
tions and individuals who would devote themselves to the welfare of the
community and its citizenry; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commend
the Brooklyn Hospital Foundation upon the occasion of hosting its 2009
Founders Ball on Wednesday, June 3, 2009, at Stage 6 at Steiner Studios
in the Brooklyn Navy Yard; and
WHEREAS, The year was 1839 when a gentleman from Buffalo broke a leg
on Fulton Street, near Brooklyn City Hall, and it soon became clear that
there was no place to take the stranger, except the infamous almshouse
four miles away; Mayor Cyrus P. Smith, who witnessed the accident, had
the man taken to a private house nearby and cared for him at his own
expense; and
WHEREAS, Six years later, Mayor Smith convened a public meeting to
discuss the establishment of a hospital in Brooklyn; the meeting was
held in February 1845, and in May of that year, Brooklyn City Hospital
(later renamed the Brooklyn Hospital) was incorporated by the state
legislature; Mayor Smith later would become the president of the first
board of trustees; and
WHEREAS, On June 11, 1851, the cornerstone was laid by Mrs. Augustus
Graham, whose husband, by then deceased, had contributed the significant
amount of funds required to build the 160-bed hospital that has become
The Brooklyn Hospital Center; some 60 years later, in 1910, a group of
immigrant Scotsmen led by Donald G. C. Sinclair, similarly motivated by
the spirit of volunteerism and service to their community, resolved to
construct a hospital, Caledonian Hospital, to provide basic healthcare
in Flatbush and central Brooklyn, where none existed at the time; and
WHEREAS, In 1982, The Brooklyn Hospital and Caledonian Hospital merged
to become one hospital, and in 1990, it officially became The Brooklyn
Hospital Center; for 160 years, successive generations of Brooklyn lead-
ers have acted to address the ever-changing healthcare needs of the
people of their borough; through the decades, they have extended the
frontiers of medicine, kept pace with advancing technologies, built and
enhanced facilities, merged existing institutions to expand services,
and developed new programs to serve their neighbors; and
WHEREAS, Today, The Brooklyn Hospital Center has undergone significant
change over the past few years and is committed to remaining econom-
ically viable with a promising future addressing the healthcare needs of
the communities of Brooklyn; it continues to modernize with investments
in facility renovation and technology, including the installation of
ECLYPSIS electronic medical record system; and
WHEREAS, In addition, many new services are being initiated, new
physicians are being recruited and relationships with surrounding nurs-
ing homes are being developed to strengthen its growing geriatrics
service; cardiology, nephrology and HIV services continue to be major
strengths as well as women's health and bariatric surgery; it continues
to serve the community with the highest-quality healthcare, making The
Brooklyn Hospital Center a leading clinical facility and the borough's
first choice for medical care; and
WHEREAS, The Brooklyn Hospital Foundation exists to support the vision
and mission of the Hospital Center through a charitable organization

committed to the Brooklyn community; the mission of the Foundation is to
improve the lives of individuals in the communities served by the Hospi-
tal Center and its network; and
WHEREAS, The Foundation is committed to pursuing clinical excellence
through research and education and to improving access to healthcare
through community service and outreach programs; it is also committed to
improving health status through community development and collaboration;
and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when organiza-
tions of such noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our atten-
tion, they should be celebrated and recognized by all the citizens of
the great State of New York; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commend the Brooklyn Hospital Foundation upon the occasion of hosting
its 2009 Founders Ball; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the Brooklyn Hospital Foundation.