PRESS RELEASE
Massachusetts State Senator Thomas P. Kennedy Speaks at New England Sinai Hospital Ed Wilkinson Memorial Lecture
STOUGHTON, MA —New England Sinai Hospital’s Sixth Annual Ed Wilkinson Memorial Lecture, was given by Massachusetts State Senator Thomas P. Kennedy on May 4, 2009. Speaking on "The Influence of Nurses: A Personal and Political Perspective,” Kennedy paid tribute to Sinai nurses for their dedication and exceptional warmth and caring, discussed the current shortage of nurses in the Commonwealth and other legislative issues on nursing and health care. The Ed Wilkinson Lecture recognizes the contributions that Sinai nurses make in the lives of patients and families and honors the memory of Edward Charles “Ed” Wilkinson who became a patient at Sinai following a traumatic head injury accident and met with his untimely death shortly after discharge on November 17, 2001. He was 30 years old.
Dr. Harold and Alice Wilkinson of Wellesley established the Ed Wilkinson Memorial Lecture as a tribute to their son and to express their gratitude to the Sinai nursing staff for providing excellent and compassionate care for their son. Their generosity allows the Ed Wilkinson Memorial Lecture to be offered annually at Sinai for many years to come and serves to recognize the contribution that Sinai nurses make in the lives of patients and families. The lecture is held as the first event of several during Nurses Week, which coincides with the birthday of Florence Nightingale on May 12.
Alice and Harold Wilkinson of Wellesley, Vivian Seide Sternweiler, MS, RN, CWCN, Sinai Wound Program Coordinator, and Massachusetts State Senator Thomas P. Kennedy
Ed Wilkinson received dedicated, compassionate and exceptional care from his nurses and physicians during the months he stayed at Sinai. A graduate of Skidmore College, he was working two jobs and attending graduate school at the time of his accident. He was a marathon runner, avid skier and eclectic reader. His parents described him as “a gentle and vibrant young man who had a positive influence on many lives.” The fund, which makes the annual lecture possible, was established by his family, many of his devoted friends and friends of his family.
A lifelong Brocktonian active in politics since 1978, Senator Thomas P. Kennedy represents the city of Brockton, and the towns of East Bridgewater, Easton, Halifax, Hanover, Hanson and Whitman. A graduate of Stonehill College, he received his Master’s Degree from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. Senator Kennedy was a patient at Sinai after a tragic accident in 1971 left him a quadriplegic and confined to a wheelchair. He has often praised the care he received at Sinai, noting the intense dedication and caring of Sinai nursing staff.
New England Sinai Hospital is a 212-bed, non-sectarian, not-for-profit, long-term acute-care hospital with its main campus in Stoughton, MA and inpatient satellite units in Boston and Dorchester. Recognized as a regional leader in pulmonary, medically complex and acute rehabilitation care, Sinai also offers a wide range of outpatient programs and services. Sinai is a teaching affiliate of Tufts University School of Medicine.
Contact:
Carole Herrup
Public Relations Director
New England Sinai Hospital
150 York Street
Stoughton, MA 02072
Tel. 781-297-1329
FAX: 781-297-7509