46.0°,
A Few Clouds A grand and golden evening
Hundreds turn out to celebrate 50th anniversary of Franklin Hospital
Franklin Hospital rolled out the red carpet — literally — for the hundreds of guests who came to the Woodmere Club on Oct. 5 to celebrate the North Valley Stream medical center’s golden anniversary.
Doctors, nurses, hospital administrators, support staff, community members and leaders from the North Shore-LIJ health system turned out to celebrate Franklin’s 50th anniversary in grand style. The hospital opened on April 1, 1963, growing from 146 beds to 305.
The evening’s honorees were Gary and Marlene Walter, and Drs. Shashi and Pushpa Shah. They were recognized for their decades of service and commitment to the hospital.
Gary Walter started as a volunteer at the hospital 42 years ago. He continues in that role today by regularly visiting hospital patients and their families, and is known for putting a smile on the face of Franklin’s staffers. Additionally, he advocates for the hospital as a member of the North Shore-LIJ Board of Trustees.
His wife, Marlene Walter, also is a volunteer at Franklin and has chaired the planning committees for two gala events. She said her greatest memories of the hospital are from April 29, 1995, and Feb. 26, 1997, the days her two granddaughters were born there.
Together, the Walters have raised more than $1.5 million for the hospital. They live in West Hempstead.
Dr. Shashi Shah has worked for Franklin Hospital for 37 years, starting out in the Emergency Department. He is board certified in urology and has served as president of the hospital’s medical staff, and a member of the Board of Trustees and Community Advisory Board. Currently, Shah is the chief of urology and chairman of the Medical Executive Committee.
Both Shah and his wife were born in India but moved to the United States to pursue medical careers. Dr. Pushpa Shah is retired after a career in medicine that began in 1975.
Michael Dowling, the president and CEO of North Shore-LIJ, said that the four honorees were people who represent what the hospital and the health system stand for.
In addition to the honorees, Dowling also took the time to recognize one person in attendance, Bob Blakeman.
Blakeman, former president of the hospital’s Board of Trustees, strongly pushed for North Shore-LIJ to take over the facility. Dowling recalled how the two of them would talk in Blakeman’s garage, while Blakeman was working on his classic cars, about the financial struggles of the hospital.
Franklin and North Shore-LIJ became partners in 1995, with the health system taking ownership of the hospital in 2002. Gary Walter noted that the takeover has led to significant improvements at the facility.
The anniversary dinner raised about $70,000 for improvements to the Emergency Department. Executive Director Catherine Hottendorf said the multi-million dollar project is still in the planning stages. There are plans to redesign the facility’s interior to provide better flow, including the possible relocation of the psychiatric room.
Hottendorf said there are also plans to reconfigure the driveway and parking lot outside of the emergency room. Many of the renovations will be funded through pledges from the Franklin Club.
The dinner, to which guests arrived on a red carpet, featured a live band, numerous raffles and a photo booth. Hottendorf said the Walters and the Shahs were very touched by the outpouring of support for them.
“I thought it was a big success,” she said of the dinner. “Everyone commented how nice it was.”
