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Nyack Awarded $200,000 Technical Assistant Grant As Part of Pro-Housing Community Participation
The Village of Nyack was awarded $200,000 as part of a $5 million package of technical assistance grants to help certified Pro-Housing Communities undertake activities to increase housing supply. Several Hudson Valley communities, including the cities of New Rochelle and Mount Vernon, as well as the Town of Greenburgh also received awards. The funding was designed to help in municipal efforts to create master plans, conduct market studies and zoning analyses, streamline building permits and assist with implementing similar actions that improve their ability to cultivate a pro-housing environment.
“The Pro-Housing Communities Program is a true partnership between the State and localities that tackles the housing shortage, makes it possible for people to live in the communities of their choice and serves as an effective vehicle for aligning housing and local economic development,” Governor Hochul said. “That’s why we are making additional resources available to the 400-and-counting certified Pro-Housing Communities that will help them succeed in creating the housing New Yorkers want and need.”
Under the Program, which is administered by New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR), local governments that are taking action to support housing growth to address the housing shortage throughout the State can apply to become certified. After becoming certified, localities have exclusive access to up to $750 million in discretionary State funding. Since the launch of the Pro-Housing Communities Program, these state funds support up to 20,000 more homes statewide.
Through this new grant funding, the recipients will also receive assistance that can be used to procure planning, engineering or other professional services that can provide the needed expertise and best practices for a variety of housing growth activities.
Examples of eligible activities include zoning analysis reports; streamlining and accelerating building permitting services; evaluation of publicly-owned properties for development; request for proposals preparation; housing needs assessments; and, impact studies on proposed housing projects.
Rockland Community College Launches Renovation for New Nursing Simulation Lab
Rockland Community College (RCC) has begun construction on a new $3 million Nursing Simulation Lab. The state-of-the-art facility will expand hands-on training opportunities and help prepare the next generation of nurses for in-demand healthcare careers.
College leadership, county officials, and community partners gathered in the Technology Building last month to celebrate the milestone investment. Speakers included Dr. William Mullaney, President of RCC; Michael Hoblin, Deputy County Executive; L’Tanya Watkins, Esq., Chair of the RCC Board of Trustees; Dr. Dana Stilley, Vice Chair of the RCC Board of Trustees; Sara Annunziato, Dean of the School of Nursing, Health, & Wellness; and Donna Chiapperino, District Director for the Office of Congressman Michael Lawler.
When completed, the new lab will be five times the size of the previous space, spanning nearly 5,000 square feet. The renovation converts former lab and classroom areas on the second floor of RCC’s Technology Building into a dedicated simulation wing that mirrors real clinical settings. Students are expected to begin using the new facility in the Fall 2026 semester.
“Our nation is experiencing a critical nursing shortage with nearly 200,000 projected openings for registered nurses every year over the next decade. The need is profound and our responsibility to meet this need is clear. This new lab will allow our students to practice critical decision making, refine their clinical judgment and gain confidence before they ever step foot in a hospital or clinical setting. The skills they gain in this building will ripple out for decades, strengthening hospitals, long-term facilities and community health centers across the region. Together, we’re not only breaking ground, we’re building the future of health care in Rockland County,” said Dr. William Mullaney, president of RCC.
“As nurse educators, our responsibility is to ensure that every graduate meets the highest standards of clinical competence, patient safety and professional practice. This expanded simulation lab allows our faculty to design complex, evidence-based scenarios that strengthen clinical judgment, communication and critical decision making. By integrating advanced simulation throughout the curriculum, we are preparing students to pass licensure exams and enter the workforce as practice‑ready nurses who can deliver safe, high‑quality care from their very first shift,” said Sara Annunziato, dean of Nursing, Health and Wellness.
Hospital-Lifelike Training on Campus
The lab will feature high-fidelity, lifelike simulators that can replicate complex patient conditions and physiological responses, such as childbirth, seizures, and medical emergencies. One featured simulator, “MamaAnne,” simulates labor and delivery scenarios, including complications that nurses must learn to recognize and manage. With more than 515 nursing students currently enrolled in the nursing program at Rockland Community College, the expanded simulation capacity will allow the college to run multiple scenarios back-to-back, helping more students gain repeated, skill-building practice in a safe environment.
NY State DOH’s Helen Hayes Hospital Completes Updated Shabbos Room
The New York State Department of Health’s Helen Hayes Hospital has completed renovations to its Shabbos Room, a dedicated space for patients and families of the Jewish faith. The updated room provides a private, welcoming environment for prayer, kosher meals, and observing Shabbat if desired.
The Shabbos Room has been fully refreshed to enhance comfort and usability, featuring a new floor, freshly painted walls, and updated seating and tables. The space now includes a dedicated private entrance for added convenience, and a kosher refrigerator remains available to support patients and families.
“Achieving health equity involves providing unique services and comforting spaces so those in our care can thrive. I congratulate Helen Hayes on this thoughtful and compassionate expansion as this dedicated space will be an asset for patients and their families,” said State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald.
“Our goal with this renovation was to create a space that is both functional and inviting for our Jewish community,” said Chief Executive Officer of Helen Hayes Hospital Scott Guevin. “We are proud to provide a private, calming environment where families can come together for religious observance and connection.”
Helen Hayes Hospital is committed to honoring the cultural and spiritual needs of the communities it serves. By providing welcoming spaces and services that foster comfort and connection—such as the hospital’s Shabbos Room, Chapel, and Quiet Rooms—the hospital supports these vital aspects of healing and reaffirms its mission to deliver compassionate, patient-centered rehabilitation care.
For more information about the Shabbos Room and other patient services at Helen Hayes Hospital, contact the hospital’s Patient Relations Department at 845-786-4210.
