The Angelica Patient Assistance Program has received the following awards:

New York State Therapeutic Recreation Association’s Organization of the Year Award

The New York State Therapeutic Recreation Association (NYSTRA) selected Angelica Patient Assistance Program (Angelica) as their Organization of the Year for 2008. The award was presented at NYSTRA’s annual conference in Saratoga Springs, New York, on April 6, 2008. The award recognizes an organization that supports and promotes Therapeutic Recreation, in particular for underserved populations, in the state of New York.

Angelica won the award due to the positive patient outcomes that have resulted from its programs and special events at Coler-Goldwater Specialty Hospital and Nursing Facility in New York City. Programs ranging from The Duet Bicycle and Healthy Starts Cooking Programs to Horticultural Therapy and the Coler Art Studio have led to improvement in cognition, social skills, mood, sense of self, physical functioning and opportunities for creative expression. Empowering the residents by giving them the opportunity to coordinate events for themselves was also a strong factor in winning the award.

Ronald Becker, the Director of Therapeutic Recreation Services at Coler-Goldwater Hospital, presented workshops describing two Angelica-funded programs, the Duet Bicycle and Hip Hop programs, at the conference. Becker said “It has been my pleasure to work with Angelica for the last two and a half years. Through the commitment and support of Angelica, my staff is able to provide new and beneficial programming that produces therapeutic outcomes, truly fulfilling their mission."

Goldwater Auxiliary Volunteer Award

On April 24th, 2008, Angelica received the Goldwater Auxiliary Volunteer Award for consistently supporting programming efforts as well as building strong community relationships through volunteering. The Goldwater Auxiliary is a nonprofit body that raises funds for special projects at Goldwater Hospital on Roosevelt Island in New York City. Angelica Board member Nicole Breck accepted the award on behalf of Angelica.

Christi Fallon, President of Angelica, said “We are thrilled to win these two awards while Angelica is still such a young organization. The honor and recognition inspires us to keep up the pace and strive to do more for the patients and the hospital.”