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.