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CurAegis ceases operations

CurAegis Technologies Inc., formerly Torvec Inc., said Friday that it would discontinue operations as a result of lack of financing.

In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Mt. Read Boulevard company said it did not have access to sufficient capital or prospects of additional financing to continue operations and meet its contractual obligations, “and is planning a complete and immediate cessation of operations.”

CurAegis previously said in its annual reports from 2016 through 2020 that there was substantial doubt as to the company’s ability to continue as a going concern. As of Sept. 30, 2020, the company reported cash on hand of $87,000, total assets of $284,000, negative working capital of $4.1 million, an accumulated deficit of $93.5 million and a stockholders’ deficiency of $14.8 million.

In addition, the filing stated that CurAegis would not be able to file its annual report for the year ended Dec. 31, 2020, nor its current and periodic reports going forward due to lack of financial and management resources.

The company was incorporated in New York in September 1996 under the name Torvec. Since its inception, the company has sought to design, develop, build and commercialize its technology portfolio, but it has not produced any significant revenue-producing operations. The company’s name was changed to CurAegis Technologies in 2016 in connection with the establishment of two business divisions.

The company’s Aegis division was engaged in the legacy power and hydraulic business. The company completed the sale of its Aegis division assets, including its hydraulic testing equipment, prototypes and other fixed assets, as well as intellectual property, including patents, trademarks and trade secrets relating to the Aegis division business in December 2020.

Agreements entered into in connection with the sale of the Aegis assets entitled the company to earn royalties subject to the successful commercialization of the Aegis assets by the buyer. The filing notes that CurAegis does not expect that any royalties will be forthcoming in the near term or that royalties will be sufficient to fund its operations or discharge its debts.

Five business days after the sale of the Aegis assets, $1.7 million in unpaid principal together with then unpaid and accrued interest and other amounts payable under the 6 percent senior convertible promissory notes issued during 2019 and 2020 became due and payable under the terms of the notes. CurAegis has not repaid the 2019 notes and does not have funds sufficient to do so, officials said in the filing. Continuing non-payment of the outstanding balances is an event of default under the terms of the 2019 notes, and will likely trigger cross-defaults under other of the company’s contractual obligations, the filing stated.

The company’s CURA (Circadian User Risk Assessment) division has been engaged in the fatigue management business and in the provision of solutions for health and fitness application developers. Last month, the CURA division’s lead developer resigned from his position with the company. Due to lack of financial resources, the company does not intend to fill the position. The CURA division is now inactive and would require significant capital and financing to commercialize its product offerings and maintain operations, the filing states.

The company’s quarterly report for the quarter ended Sept. 30, 2020, showed that CurAegis has received a request for arbitration on a total claim of $1.948 million from Ansen Corp. with respect to alleged past due payments and interest. The case (No. 01-20-0015-4394) has been referred to an arbitrator as of March 1, 2021. On Feb. 3, 2021, Emerging I Inc. dba Emerge, filed a complaint in the New York Supreme Court for the County of Monroe, seeking total damages of $108,500, plus interest, from the company for failure to pay invoices.

CurAegis has not responded to the two claims and does not anticipate it will be able to devote resources to defending these or any future claims, according to the filing.

In 2011, while serial entrepreneur Richard Kaplan was at Torvec’s helm, the company raised $6.5 million in a private placement of preferred stock, including a roughly $6.23 million investment by a group of investors led by Thomas Golisano. At one time, former Bausch & Lomb Inc. chairman and CEO Ronald Zarrella; Philip Saunders, owner of Saunders Management Co. and founder of TravelCenters of America Inc.; and Bonadio Group Managing Partner and CEO Thomas Bonadio were key members of the company’s board.

Former Rochester Institute of Technology president William Destler also had served on Torvec’s board at a time when brothers and co-founders James and Keith Gleasman were heading the company. At that time, Torvec had some 300 automotive patents and inventions, including the IsoTorque differential, the Infinitely Variable Transmission and the Full Terrain Vehicle.

Current company CEO James Donnelly did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday afternoon.

[email protected] / 585-653-4021
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Kodak reports full-year net loss

Eastman Kodak Co. after the bell on Tuesday reported full-year financial results that include a steep decline in revenues and a net loss of $196 million for the year.

For the full year ended Dec. 31, the Rochester company reported consolidated revenues of $1 billion, compared with $1.2 billion in 2019. Kodak reported a net loss of $541 million, compared with earnings of $116 million in the prior year.

Kodak reported a cash balance of $196 million at year-end.

On March 1, 2021, the company announced a series of financial transactions that provide access to new capital, address maturing obligations and strengthen the company’s ability to invest in strategic growth opportunities in its core businesses. Included in those transactions is a $100 million investment by Grand Oaks Capital, an investment firm started by Paychex founder Tom Golisano. Kodak officials said the additional liquidity provided by the financial transactions “eliminates the substantial doubt about Kodak’s ability to continue as a going concern.”

“Kodak successfully managed through 2020 despite the challenges of the pandemic,” said Kodak CEO and Executive Chairman Jim Continenza. “We mitigated the impact of COVID with cost-saving initiatives, launched several innovative print-business products and generated cash in the third and fourth quarters. More recently, we announced a series of financial transactions which significantly strengthened our balance sheet and set the stage for growth through investments in our core businesses in print and advanced materials and chemicals, and new initiatives.”

The company’s loss for the year included a charge of $416 million to reflect the increased value of the derivative liability embedded in the convertible notes immediately prior to conversion during the third quarter 2020, as well as expenses of $167 million related to the increase in deferred tax valuation allowances for locations outside the U.S. during the first quarter of 2020. Operational EBITDA was negative $1 million for the year, compared with $13 million in 2019.

“Kodak increased its cash balance in the third and fourth quarters by $16 million and ended the year at $196 million in cash,” said CFO David Bullwinkle. “During 2020 the company improved its financial health by removing legacy liabilities and reducing costs, and the recently announced transactions put Kodak in a strong financial position and provide incremental liquidity to drive growth.”

Shares of company stock (NYSE: KODK) closed Tuesday at $8.75 and were down more than 5 percent midday Wednesday to $8.24.

[email protected] / 585-653-4021
Follow Velvet Spicer on Twitter: @Velvet_Spicer

Golisano completes third-round COVID-19 Response Grants

The Golisano Foundation has awarded some $416,000 to 11 organizations in Western New York and Southwest Florida in its third round of COVID-19 Response Grants. The foundation has given more than $1.1 million in COVID-19 grants to date.

Third-round grants will help the following organizations serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities with urgent needs stemming from the coronavirus pandemic:
• Arc of Erie – $42,000
• Arc of Ontario – $41,000
• Arc of Genesee Orleans – $61,000
• Arc of Wayne – $75,000
• Gavras Center- $15,000
• Lifespan – $18,000
• Lifetime Assistance Inc. – $50,000
• Mozaic – $20,000
• People Inc. $10,000
• LARC (Southwest Florida) – $39,000
• STARability (Southwest Florida) – $45,000

“The most recent round of applications has signaled a change from emergency preparedness to careful planning for reopening programs and services according to New York state guidelines,” said Golisano Foundation Executive Director Ann Costello. “As much as everyone would like things to get back to normal, agencies are proceeding with caution given the vulnerability of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and the reality that the COVID-19 virus is still with us. The foundation is pleased to be able provide financial assistance during this difficult time.”

Through the end of October, the foundation is redirecting roughly $2 million in grant funding to help organizations in Western New York and Southwest Florida due to the coronavirus crisis.

Funds may help cover items such as short-term operating expenses for essential programs, safety net and specialty services; the purchase of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other supplies/equipment; new technology and technical assistance for virtual commuting and telemedicine; cleaning supplies for health and hygiene; efforts to ensure safe distancing in group homes and facilities among others, officials said.

[email protected] / 585-653-4021
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Golisano Foundation awards COVID-19 grants

The Golisano Foundation has awarded nearly $430,000 in its first round of COVID-19 Response Grants.

Grants totaling $403,000 will help organizations serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities with urgent needs stemming from the coronavirus pandemic. Grants totaling $23,300 from the foundation’s new Bailey and Friends Fund will go to organizations dedicated to animal welfare that are experiencing unexpected costs due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The foundation will redirect roughly $2 million in grant funding to assist organizations in Western New York and Southwest Florida due to the coronavirus crisis.

The grant application process was announced and opened on April 24, and the first round of grants was turned around in 10 days from application receipt to checks in the mail, officials said. Some 50 organizations that the foundation has supported over the last three years were invited to submit applications. Since the agencies are known to the Foundation, due diligence had already been done, allowing the process to be streamlined and as fast as possible.

“These organizations are supporting some of our most vulnerable citizens and are experiencing tremendous pressures,” said Ann Costello, executive director of the foundation. “As we launched this grant process, our objective was to be flexible, give some peace of mind and pay some very needed expenses. We are so impressed with the creativity being used to keep as many services as possible going, to maintain safety and quality of services, stay in touch with people and put programs online and in homes. We appreciate and admire their commitment, dedication and creativity as they work hard under new and difficult circumstances to continue to help those in need.”

The next round of grant decisions will be made by May 27 and may help cover items such as short-term operating expenses for essential programs, safety net and specialty services; the purchase of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other supplies/equipment; new technology and technical assistance for virtual commuting and telemedicine; cleaning supplies for health and hygiene; efforts to ensure safe distancing in group homes and facilities, among others.

Golisano Foundation first-round grant recipients were:
• The Arc of Steuben – $50,000
• AutismUp – $100,000
• Best Buddies WNY – $20,000
• Best Buddies South West Florida – $30,000
• Heritage Christian Services – $75,000
• Mary Cariola Children’s Center – $64,000
• Special Olympics New York – $64,000

Bailey and Fiends first-round grant recipients included:
• Beverly Animal Shelter – $5,000
• The Humane Society of Yates County – $1,000
• Mr. Grey’s Strays Inc. – $2,000
• Pet Pride of NY – $4,800
• Rochester Hope for Pets – $3,000
• SNIP Collier – $5,000
• Wyoming County SPCA – $2,500

“The Golisano Foundation has consistently been here for Special Olympics New York. We are so grateful for their continuing partnership and dedication to our athletes,” said Special Olympics New York President and CEO Stacey Hengsterman. “This funding is going to help ensure that when we are able to bring back live training and programs, our athletes, coaches and volunteers will have everything they need to compete in a safe and healthy environment.”

Founded in 1985 by philanthropist and Paychex Inc. founder Tom Golisano, the foundation “imagines the possibilities,” advocating for families, fighting for their dignity and giving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities the opportunity to thrive in their communities. With more than $45 million in gross assets, the foundation awards roughly $2 million annually to non-profit organizations in Western New York and Southwest Florida.

[email protected] / 585-653-4021
Follow Velvet Spicer on Twitter: @Velvet_Spicer

First Festival of Inclusion planned for March 1

The Golisano Training Center at Nazareth College of Rochester will host the inaugural Festival of Inclusion, an event sponsored by the Golisano Foundation, Special Olympics New York and Best Buddies International.

festival-of-inclusion-resizedThe March 1 event will feature free fun and games to kick off the annual Spread the Word Inclusion campaign.

“We are proud to build on our annual Spread the Word Inclusion campaign, making an even bigger impact to stop all types of discrimination against people including those with intellectual disabilities,” said Golisano Foundation Executive Director Ann Costello in a statement. “This new Festival of Inclusion will celebrate the impressive shifts we have made over the last decade and promote what still needs to be done.”

Costello said the agency is asking organizations to get involved and for people to take the pledge to show how they will be more inclusive in their schools, workplaces and community.

“Working together we can inspire acceptance and advocate for respectful words and actions in all aspects of our lives,” Costello said.

The festival will feature sports activities including an “East vs. West” unified basketball tournament, pickleball, cheerleading and tennis; music and dance; a photo booth; community inclusion stations featuring interactive and creative activities and demonstrations; a pep rally; food trucks; and more.

“I live my life each day to make an impact in the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities by promoting the power of friendship,” said David Quilleon, Best Buddies senior vice president and Festival of Inclusion emcee. “Inclusion is important in this idea as it cultivates friendship and diversity while creating a more empathetic and welcoming culture. Inclusion unites the authenticity of all of us.”

Best Buddies is a nonprofit dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development and inclusive living for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

“Special Olympics New York athletes and Unified partners have emerged as the leaders of a global movement to inclusion, one that is supported by community events such as the Festival of Inclusion and the annual Spread the Word campaign,” said Stacey Hengsterman, Special Olympics New York president and CEO. “We are proud to partner with the Golisano Foundation and Best Buddies once again to share the Special Olympics message of inclusion and continue our work to make New York the most inclusive state in the country.”

[email protected] / 585-653-4021
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Golisano Foundation awards grant for training in specialized Alzheimer’s care

The Golisano Foundation plans to fund a pilot program to train providers who serve seniors with intellectual and developmental disabilities on how to care for those with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. The two-year, $100,000 grant will be implemented by two chapters of the Alzheimer’s Association, Rochester & Finger Lakes and Western New York.

“Both chapters of the Alzheimer’s Association have a long history of conducting training for IDD agencies with a proven track record of improvement in quality of life and care for individuals with disabilities living with dementia,” said Golisano Foundation Director Ann Costello. “We are proud to support their efforts in developing an innovative training program in partnership with four of our most trusted development disabilities providers.”

Some 400,000 New Yorkers live with Alzheimer’s disease. By 2025, it is estimated the number of people with Alzheimer’s statewide will grow by 15 percent as the population over 65 expands. Studies show that the prevalence of dementia among people with IDD is the same as for those without disabilities, but the risk of developing Alzheimer’s is higher among adults with Down syndrome.

In the 17 upstate counties served by the two Alzheimer’s Associations, more than 6,700 adults age 50 and older live with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Each chapter will deliver a train-the-trainer program to two IDD providers within their territories. The local chapter will work with the Arc of Monroe and Lifetime Assistance Inc., while the Western New York chapter will partner with Aspire of WNY and People Inc.

“With this grant award we will build upon our past successes and partner with the developmental disabilities system to train a dementia-capable workforce,” said Teresa Galbier, president and CEO of the Rochester & Finger Lakes chapter. “I’m confident our pilot will inspire similar efforts in other communities.”

Both Rochester-based agencies already work with the Alzheimer’s Association to meet specific care needs of IDD seniors who live with dementia, officials said.

“Dementia-capable professionals will be able to provide more adequate care and allow individuals with dementia live in their familiar environment in group homes longer, without having to move to a skilled nursing facility,” Arc of Monroe President and CEO Barbara Wale said.

Started by Rochester entrepreneur and philanthropist Thomas Golisano, the Golisano Foundation is one of the largest private foundations in the nation devoted exclusively to opening doors to opportunity, changing negative perceptions and stereotypes and forging partnerships to ensure individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities have pathways to personal dignity and independence. With more than $40 million in gross assets, the Golisano Foundation has awarded more than $26 million in grants and $2 million annually to nonprofit organizations in the Finger Lakes Region and Southwest Florida.

[email protected] / 585-653-4021
Follow Velvet Spicer on Twitter: @Velvet_Spicer

Construction begins on Golisano Autism Center and new pediatric facility

The long-awaited Golisano Autism Center and University of Rochester Medicine’s Golisano Pediatric Behavioral Health & Wellness Building have broken ground on the Al Sigl Schwartz Family Campus at 50 Science Parkway.

When the autism center opens in September, it will be home to more than a dozen community providers, including two of its founding agencies, AutismUp and CP Rochester. (rendering provided)
When the autism center opens in September, it will be home to more than a dozen community providers, including two of its founding agencies, AutismUp and CP Rochester. (Rendering provided)

“We are thrilled to be able to support this much-needed effort that addresses the profound need to expand and enhance autism and pediatric mental health services in our region,” Golisano Foundation Director Ann Costello said. “The innovative and collaborative approach, along with co-locating the Golisano Autism Center and URMC’s Golisano Pediatric Behavior Health & Wellness Building will generate many synergies and have a long-lasting impact on our region.”

The campus will be home to a combined 72,000 square feet of program, clinical, school and gathering space. The new centers will share a connection building, symbolic of the collaboration that the construction will make possible. Philanthropist and Paychex Inc. Founder Tom Golisano and the Golisano Foundation provided the lead gifts of $3 million for the autism center and $5 million for the pediatric health building to launch the projects.

The autism center was the brainchild of Mary Walsh Boatfield, president and CEO of CP Rochester and chairperson of the Golisano Autism Center, who collaborated with AutismUp and Al Sigl Community of Agencies on the center’s concept.

“The founder’s vision of the center is that every individual with autism in our community and their family have an accessible, comprehensive array of autism services available for their lifespan,” Walsh Boatfield said. “Our heartfelt thanks to Tom Golisano, Ann Costello and the Golisano Foundation board of trustees for believing in our vision to support the enhancement and expansion of autism services in our community.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that autism prevalence rose to one in 59 children last year. And often families living with autism also have the need for behavioral health services, hence the decision to build both facilities on the same site.

The pediatric behavioral building, scheduled to open in early 2020, will more than double the clinic space for outpatient and partial hospitalization, early intervention approaches that help ensure timely care. (Rendering provided)
The pediatric behavioral building, scheduled to open in early 2020, will more than double the clinic space for early intervention approaches that help ensure timely care. (Rendering provided)

Kathy Frank, whose son, Mason, was diagnosed with autism prior to his third birthday, said her son wasn’t meeting milestones. He was non-verbal, did not make eye contact and wasn’t playing with his toys. The Frank family toured CP Rochester and enrolled their son in preschool. Frank said he showed growth almost immediately.

“Mason was in his own world,” Frank said of her son’s behavior prior to joining CP Rochester. “When he finished the year he was part of our world.”

Frank said she is eager for the opening of the new autism center because it will provide families like hers all of the services they need under one roof.

The need for pediatric mental health services also is on the rise. UR Medicine’s Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry conducted 40,000 outpatient visits in 2018, up from 12,000 visits 20 years ago.

“The Golisano Pediatric Behavioral Health and Wellness Building will greatly expand our ability to provide urgently needed services such as outpatient behavioral health care, partial hospitalization services, crisis services for children and their families and much more,” said Michael Scharf M.D., chief of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Golisano Children’s Hospital. “We thank Tom Golisano and the Golisano Foundation for their generosity that has made this project possible, and look forward to partnering with the Golisano Autism Center to provide services and support to children and their families.”

When the autism center opens in September, it will be home to more than a dozen community providers, including two of its founding agencies, AutismUp and CP Rochester. Supports and services will include evaluation, education, physical and mental health, employment, housing referrals, recreation, fitness, care management and more. A 5,400-square-foot multi-sensory area will be designed to allow ready access to a wide variety of sensory regulation activities.

The pediatric behavioral building, scheduled to open in early 2020, will more than double the clinic space for outpatient and partial hospitalization, early intervention approaches that help ensure timely care. Services will include outpatient behavioral health services, a new intensive outpatient service and partial hospitalization.

[email protected] / 585-653-4021
Follow Velvet Spicer on Twitter: @Velvet_Spicer

Golisano fighting geese, school taxes

Thomas Golisano
Thomas Golisano

Thomas Golisano is known for his generosity. But the Paychex Inc. founder and Rochester philanthropist is not feeling very charitable toward the 200 geese who have taken up residence at his Canandaigua Lake home.

And he’s prepared to withhold his $90,000 school taxes until the problem is resolved.

Golisano, in a press gathering Monday, said his lakefront property has become unusable as intended due to the extreme amount of waste produced by the geese. His landscape crew has tried to hose down or blow off the lawn, but that presents a health hazard to people using the lawn or the lake.

“What does it mean? Can you invite your grandchildren over to play in your yard? No, because you can’t take two steps without stepping in something,” Golisano said. “Can you have a picnic? Well, if you stay in the house you can.”

Golisano’s home is roughly 2,900 square feet and the property has 850 feet of lake frontage. He has owned the property and adjacent lots since 1999. His annual taxes are $132,000.

Golisano has asked the town of South Bristol and the state Department of Environmental Conservation for help and received a number of suggestions, none of which worked, he said. Town assessor Valary Muscarella said she could not comment on the situation and town supervisor Daniel Marshall did not immediately return a call for comment Monday.

“So, reaching a level of frustration, I decided I was not going to pay my school taxes,” Golisano said. “They’re approximately $90,000. They’re covered, believe me, they’re just not going to be delivered.”

Golisano said Marshall and Muscarella sympathized with his problem and Marshall referred him to county and state agencies for help.

“After 10 days, neither one of them had called me,” Golisano recalled. “I said great, they really care about this problem.”

Golisano is no stranger to tax issues.

“As you know, I’ve had a little experience with tax assessors, in Monroe County and Ontario County, and I had two major battles,” Golisano acknowledged.

One of his battles centered on his primary residence in Mendon, which had been assessed at $6 million and carried a $200,000 annual tax burden. After two court cases—and $200,000 in legal fees—the property was reassessed at $1.9 million and the taxes reduced to $60,000 annually.

A second fight was over a home he had built in Victor for his daughter. The property was assessed at more than $4 million and it was eventually lowered to $1.3 million.

As far as his lakefront property, Golisano said he does not get much for his taxes.

“Well, we have to use lake water, no community water; no sewers, (just) septic tanks; no natural gas; and the one I love, no trash pickup,” Golisano lamented. “We have to drive five miles down the road and pay by the bag to deliver your trash to the down dump. So, with all that money, we don’t get much.”

The billionaire acknowledged he might not get much sympathy from others who hear his plight.

“I don’t think a lot of people will have a ton of sympathy. Here he is with his financial status and he’s not paying his real estate taxes,” Golisano said. “On the other side of the coin, I think I’ve done a lot for this community and these small towns have continued to stick it to me. And I think it’s time that changed. I understand there’s a risk involved, that people are going to think this is kind of cheap of me. I don’t care. I think it’s a real cause and a real battle that needs to be fought and I’m going to fight it.”

Geese dilemma aside, Golisano wants others to know that they can and should talk to their legislators, to their school districts, to those who determine the level of property taxation about the New York’s high tax burden. And they do not have to hire attorneys to get things done, he said.

“Why wouldn’t you talk to them? If you get enough people talking to them, complaining about it, maybe something would be done,” he said. “If our real estate taxes were lower our property values would be higher.”

In New York State, failure to pay property taxes can lead to a tax lien, which can be foreclosed on. And while Golisano said he likely would not let the issue go that far, he said the real crime was to charge $132,000 a year for taxes on a 2,900-square-foot home that is unable to be used for its intended purpose.

“I think I’ve done my share of paying taxes in this state, in this community and in this country,” Golisano said. “I don’t feel guilty about holding back $90,000.”
Follow Velvet Spicer on Twitter: @Velvet_Spicer

(c) 2017 Rochester Business Journal. To obtain permission to reprint this article, call 585-363-7269 or email [email protected].

Golisano donation will help build Pediatric Behavioral Health & Wellness Center

Golisano Pediatric Behavioral Health & Wellness Center (Photo courtesy of Hanlon Architects)
Golisano Pediatric Behavioral Health & Wellness Center (Photo courtesy of Hanlon Architects)

University of Rochester Medicine will build a new Pediatric Behavioral Health & Wellness Center, thanks in part to a $5 million pledge from philanthropist Thomas Golisano.

The new building will be the primary outpatient location for the Golisano Children’s Hospital’s pediatric behavior health and wellness program, which treats children with depression, anxiety, psychosis, substance abuse and other behavioral and emotional conditions.

“We have known for some time that pediatric behavioral and mental health services are a critical area of need in our community,” UR President and CEO Joel Seligman said in a statement. “And once again, we’ve been overwhelmed by the generosity of Tom Golisano, who has stepped up to help fill this need.”

The $10 million, 30,000-square-foot building will be located near the intersection of South Avenue and Science Parkway, adjacent to the planned location of the Golisano Autism Center. Construction on both buildings is expected to begin next spring, with completion of the pediatric center slated for 2019.

“Rochester—like much of the country—has seen a serious dearth of services and providers in this area,” URMC CEO Mark Taubman M.D. said in a statement. “But this gift will allow us to essentially double the space that we have to care for children with emotional or behavioral needs.”

The new facility will enable the introduction of one new service for the Rochester region and expansion of two existing services. The new Intensive Outpatient Service Line will allow youth to receive a higher level of care than traditional outpatient services, while staying home and attending their regular schools.

An outpatient program serving children and adolescents battling depression, anxiety and a number of other conditions will be enhanced, as will a partial hospitalization program that serves children aged 12 to 18 who require intensive services throughout the day but are able to stay home with their families.

In response to growing demand for pediatric behavioral health services, URMC has more than doubled its child psychiatry staffing in recent years, but facility space remained in short supply. The new center addresses this need and makes it possible for URMC to offer educational events for families and community agencies it partners with for pediatric care.

“I am pleased to partner with URMC to build the new Golisano Pediatric Behavioral Health & Wellness Center, which will address gaps in care and accommodate more clinical staff to help reduce the number of children on the wait list for services,” Golisano said in a statement. “Now, when we talk about providing comprehensive care to children and their families, we can include expanded and enhanced behavioral health services. I’m confident that Golisano Children’s Hospital will become a leader in this field.”

With the gift, Golisano—UR’s most generous living donor—has given nearly $41 million in support of the children’s hospital.

Follow Velvet Spicer on Twitter: @Velvet_Spicer

(c) 2017 Rochester Business Journal. To obtain permission to reprint this article, call 585-363-7269 or email [email protected].