St. John’s Episcopal Hospital on the Rockaway Peninsula has received a $500,000 grant from New York State Representative Stacey Pheffer Amato to advance the hospital’s efforts to improve health care for women.

The funds will be used to finance the construction of the hospital’s new maternity, recovery and postnatal unit. The project promises to provide the community with state-of-the-art obstetric care.

The check presentation took place on August 6, where Pheffer Amato expressed her continued commitment to the hospital’s growth and development. “It is my pleasure to donate $500,000 to ensure this unit meets all of your needs,” said Pheffer Amato. “This is a great healthcare facility and I am so proud to continue to support every inch of its growth.”

Construction of the LDRP unit began in May, and once completed, it is designed to provide mothers and babies with greater comfort, privacy and continuity of care. The new facility, expected to be completed in late 2025, will also provide specialized services for those who need extra support during labor and delivery.

“We are incredibly grateful to NYS Representative Stacey Pheffer Amato for her continued support of EHS and the construction of St. John’s Episcopal Hospital’s new state-of-the-art LDRP unit,” said Donald T. Morrish, MD, MMM, Chief Executive Officer of Episcopal Health Services. “This generous donation will significantly support EHS’ ongoing efforts to improve women’s healthcare and meet the most pressing needs on the Rockaway Peninsula and beyond.”

The donation is an important milestone in the hospital’s ongoing efforts to provide world-class health care to the local community. It’s a sentiment shared by Jacqueline Marecheau, MD, FACOG, Chief of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at EHS. “With construction of our LDRP unit now underway, this donation is an important milestone in our ongoing commitment to improving health care for women and families in the Rockaways,” she said. “We deeply appreciate the continued efforts and contributions of Assemblyman Pheffer Amato, our community, government partners and private donors.”