New Patient Pharmacy possible through $1.7 Million Commitment by Variety Kids Telethon

BUFFALO, NY – Women & Children’s Hospital, will officially open a new in-patient pharmacy made possible through a $1.7 million commitment from Variety, the Children’s Charity of Buffalo and Western New York. The donation funded construction of a new 4,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art pediatric pharmacy that dispenses all medications for patients receiving care the hospital. Tuesday December 18, 2007 at 10:00 a.m.

Robert Hall, past Variety international president, Cheryl Klass, RN, MBA, president, Women & Children’s Hospital, Variety Kids Telethon representatives and staff and friends of Women & Children’s Hospital will be on hand to officially open this great addition to the hospital.

“So many patients at Women & Children’s Hospital regardless of their condition are touched by the pharmacy, which dispenses all forms of medication prescribed by medical staff when providing care for our patients,” said Cheryl Klass, RN, President, Women & Children’s Hospital of Buffalo. “Just as Variety has been vital in funding many of the hospital’s programs and services throughout it’s history, this new commitment to a core service will directly benefit countless children and their families from throughout Western New York and beyond for many years to come.”

The new Variety Kids Telethon Pharmacy will accommodate the increasing patient volumes, advances in technology and requirements including those that are regulated to ensure patient safety and accuracy. This state-of-the-art pharmacy will also improve workflow efficiencies and support clinical pharmacist recruitment and retention efforts.

“We are proud to be able to present this brand new state of the art Variety Kids Telethon Pharmacy to the hospital. The pharmacy is a tribute to the hard working men and women of Variety and the people of Western New York who donate to the annual Variety Kids Telethon,” according to Kenneth E. Scibetta, Chief Barker, Variety, the Children’s Charity of Buffalo and Western New York.

The Variety Kids Telethon Pharmacy will allow for advances in technologies as they develop to further enhance patient safety measures. For example, “clean” rooms where medications are prepared are required to be sterile such as operating rooms, to prevent contamination. Also, bar code and carousel technology will help better document and track medications to help ensure patient safety and track inventory levels so appropriate amounts of necessary medications are in stock at all times.

The new location of the pharmacy on the 5th floor in the center of the Variety Tower that contains inpatient units is more centrally located for improved access to patients and medical staff. Thereby, pharmacy services will be provided in a more efficient and effective manner. New state-of-the-art facilities and the improved working environment will also support ongoing efforts to recruit and retain the best pharmacy specialists.

The Variety Kids Telethon Pharmacy will accommodate for increasing patient volumes, including the increasing number of women and their obstetricians who are choosing to deliver their babies at Women & Children’s Hospital as well as the emergency department that receives in excess of 45,000 patients annually. Currently, the pharmacy at Women & Children’s Hospital dispenses approximately 600,000 doses annually to patients receiving care at the hospital.

Women & Children’s Hospital of Buffalo, a Kaleida Health facility, is the regional center for comprehensive and state-of-the-art pediatric, neonatal, perinatal and obstetrical services in Western New York and beyond.

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Women & Children’s Hospital of Buffalo,

a Kaleida Health facility

219 Bryant Street

Buffalo, NY 14222

(716) 878-7000

www.wchob.org