The first young adult caring center of its kind in New York will soon rise in White Plains, serving adults ages 18 to 35 with complex medical needs at the Elizabeth Seton Young Adult Center.
These young adults are part of the first generation to age out of long-term pediatric care, a milestone made possible by advances in medicine and treatment technology.
Long-term care center in White Plains to serve unique population
The $156 million center will be among the first facilities in the country designed to serve this unique group of residents. Expected to open in 2028, the five-story building will include 96 beds and provide 24-hour skilled nursing, respiratory and medical care, rehabilitation therapies, palliative care, social work, on-site specialty clinics.
Pat Tursi, CEO of Elizabeth Seton Children’s, said the project has been ten years in the making and is intended to better meet the needs of young adults who otherwise would be transferred to a geriatric nursing home that may not be equipped to provide the highly specialized medical and emotional care they require.
About 3 million children and young adults nationwide are considered medically fragile, a population that is growing by about 5% each year, according to Elizabeth Seton Children’s Center.
In New York, about 37,000 children and young adults from birth to age 35 fall into that category and are eligible to receive full medical coverage through Medicaid. Previously, however, state law limited long-term care coverage once patients turned 21. As medical treatment and technology have advanced, many medically fragile children are now living longer into adulthood.
“About 30% of the kids we discharged died within three to 18 months. That was crushing for us,” Tursi said. “It was a pivotal moment when we realized we needed a change ten years ago.”
A young adult center has been ten years in the making
As financing came together and a potential location was identified, special legislation passed by the state in 2021 cleared a key hurdle by allowing long-term care coverage for eligible patients over age 21. The Elizabeth Seton Young Adult Center would become one of the first facilities in the country to serve the unprecedented population.
About 46% of the 169 residents at the Elizabeth Seton Children’s Rehabilitation Center are expected to be over age 21 by the time the young adult center opens.
The center is an expansion of the Elizabeth Seton Children’s Rehabilitation Center and Children’s School in Yonkers that serves children from birth to age 21 years with complex medical needs.
It will include 96 beds in single and double rooms, cafe, activity room, art and music room and aquarium. Residents will be assigned rooms with personalized color designs.
The facility is expected to hire 500 employees, including physicians, therapists and nurses. The organization is still seeking to raise $22 million to complete funding for the project.
Helu Wang covers economic growth, real estate and education for The Journal News/lohud and USA Today Network. Reach her at hwang@gannett.com and follow her @helu.wangny on Instagram.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: First-ever center for medically fragile young adults coming to NY
Reporting by Helu Wang, Rockland/Westchester Journal News / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
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By Helu Wang, Rockland/Westchester Journal News | USA TODAY Network
