Together Again, Bravo Bradley Raises a Record $900,000!

For the first time in more than 700 days, Bradley Hospital was able to hold its popular Bravo Bradley fundraiser, where the hospital’s incredible donor community took its generosity to new heights. After a more than two-year hiatus, supporters took to the Roger Williams Park Botanical Center on Friday, July 30, raising a Bravo record $900,000. Of the total, $318,325 will support the hospital’s Healing Arts Program.

“It was indescribable to witness such an amazing display of generosity on behalf of the kids and families who turn to us to heal their hearts and minds,” said Henry Sachs, MD, Bradley Hospital’s president.

Donors Make Playground Makeover Possible

This summer, kids being treated on Bradley’s inpatient units had a much nicer option for getting outside to play in the fresh air.

The interior courtyard space created when the “new” acute care units were built back in 2009 have received a much-needed facelift thanks to wonderful support from our philanthropic community. With a leading gift from Joseph L. Dowling III and Diana Dowling, the space has been renamed the Dowling Courtyard in honor of the gift and the extraordinary service of Joseph L. Dowling, Jr., MD, a member of the Bradley Hospital Foundation board of trustees and past recipient of the Bradley Hospital Humanitarian Award.

Specialty Spotlight: What is Psychiatric Nursing?

With its focus on mental and behavioral health, psychiatric nursing is unique within the field. Unlike a typical med-surge hospital unit, a psychiatric unit is an interactive milieu. An inpatient unit at Bradley Hospital can have as many as 18 children or adolescents at any one time, many with very challenging behaviors.

“Our nurses are charged with managing a dynamic and complex social environment,” explains Chief Nursing Officer Mary Sullivan, PhD, MA, BSN. “They must offer a therapeutic atmosphere while maintaining safety for both children and staff. The children in their care are not confined to a room or a bed. It’s hard work." Continue story

We Are Grateful for Your Support

Bradley Hospital Foundation is proud to recognize its generous supporters whose philanthropy enables Bradley Hospital to provide expert, family-focused care to children and adolescents with psychological, developmental, and behavioral problems, through a wide range of inpatient, outpatient, residential and partial hospital programs. Many thanks for your generosity!

Going Back to School:
How to Help Children Feel Safe During the Pandemic

By Mary Sullivan, PhD, MA, BSN

Many of us have spent the last 18 months training children to avoid COVID-19 risk within the safety of our homes. Now, children are returning to classes in a school setting that probably won't look like the one they left.

There will be masks, distancing between friends and plexiglass dividers. It will be made even more difficult as COVID rules at home may be different than those at school. While some children will welcome a hug from friends, others will find the same gesture alarming. This is going to be a challenge, so we should plan ways to help our children get comfortable venturing out of their comfort zones and reengaging with others, again.

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra
Tours Bradley Hospital

During a “Build Back Better” tour of Rhode Island, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra visited Bradley Hospital to learn more about the history of the nation’s first psychiatric hospital exclusively for children, and the behavioral health programs and services available to patients.

A Small Gift Can Make a Big Difference

When you give monthly, you ensure that your generosity helps the patients and families of Bradley Hospital each and every day. It is easy and convenient. You will not need to write a check every time you make a donation.

Centers and Services: The Verrecchia Clinic

Bradley Hospital offers a unique and comprehensive program for children and young adults ages 5 to 18 who have behavioral or emotional challenges, as well as a developmental condition such as autism or intellectual disability. It provides therapy to help solve problems related to behavioral health.

Bradley Hospital Social Worker Receives Top Honor
for Her Work During the Pandemic

Pam Riley, a social worker with Bradley's Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities, or CADD, has been awarded the sixth annual Irena B. Smith Award for Excellence in Clinical Social Work and Counseling at Bradley for her exemplary work. The award is given each year to a counselor or clinical social worker at the hospital who goes above and beyond.