Mother Cabrini Health Foundation provides $250,000 to support RUMC’s Gerontology Institute
Richmond University Medical Center (RUMC) has been awarded $250,000 from The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation to expand the hospital’s geriatric services. RUMC will create a multidisciplinary Gerontology Institute dedicated to caring for Staten Island’s growing older adult population, their families, and caregivers.
“True to our mission of partnering with patients and families for better health, our Gerontology Institute will fill an existing gap here on Staten Island in regard to services for our older adult population by improving access to medical professionals and service lines laser focused on their unique needs,” RUMC President and Chief Executive Officer Daniel J. Messina, PhD, MPA, FACHE, said. “Thank you to the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation for their continued support of our hospital and our borough’s older adult community.”
At the heart of RUMC’s new Institute will be a dedicated geriatric care team, led by a full-time geriatrician and supported by a gerontologist and program coordinator. This expert team will serve as the foundation of a newly established senior primary care practice based at RUMC’s New Springville Center for Family Health and Specialty Services, located at the Staten Island Mall. The center, which opened this past December, offers comprehensive primary care for patients of all ages alongside a range of specialty services. The Institute’s geriatric services will open to the community this spring.
“One of our main objectives will be to help establish or re-establish consistent outpatient primary care relationships for seniors who at higher risk for readmission to the hospital or adverse outcomes,” Messina said.
The Institute will also serve as a catalyst for strengthening and expanding care for older adults across Staten Island by creating a fully coordinated network that connects hospital services, physician practices, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, community organizations, and home‑based supports. By building comprehensive community and family support pathways, the Institute will close gaps between care settings—ensuring smoother transitions, clearer communication, and more continuous, person‑centered care throughout hospital, outpatient, post‑discharge, and home environments.
“Throughout our country and city, there are serious limitations on customized programs of care for our older population,” said Jeffrey Lieto, executive vice president of the Richmond Health Network and RUMC’s chief strategy officer. “With Staten Island seeing a substantial increase in the 65 and older population over the past decade, RUMC and the Richmond Health Network are actively responding by creating expanded programs of care that are specifically designed to address the unique and substantial needs of the older adult and their families.”
“Our grantee partners are navigating an incredibly challenging landscape and yet their commitment to serving their communities continues to deepen,” said Msgr. Gregory Mustaciuolo, chief executive officer of the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation. “These grants demonstrate our resolve to stand with them by addressing urgent needs today, while strengthening the systems and workforce that will support New Yorker’s health for years to come.”
Richmond University Medical Center (RUMC), is a not-for-profit healthcare provider serving the ethnically diverse community of Staten Island and its neighbors. We provide premier-quality patient care through a full spectrum of emergent, acute, primary, behavioral health and educational services. We do this in an environment that promotes the highest satisfaction among patients, families, physicians, and staff. For more information call 1-718-818-1234 or visit www.rumcsi.org. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation is a private, nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve the health and well-being of New Yorkers, bolster the health outcomes of vulnerable communities, eliminate barriers to care, and bridge gaps in health services. Named after a tireless advocate for immigrants, children, and the poor, the Foundation funds programs and initiatives across New York State, including many that reflect a variety of religions and faiths. The grantees provide either direct healthcare services or address the social determinants of health. For more information, visit https://www.cabrinihealth.org/.
