The mission of the Hedges Center is to provide
patients and families with web-based access to current information concerning
mental health conditions, treatments and resources. This will educate and
empower healthcare consumers, and enable them to take a more active role in
their care, together with their clinicians. As such, the Center can
enhance the quality of patient care and improve the service provided to NYPH
patients and families, within the hospital setting and on the internet.
This initiative combines humanistic, medical and high-tech approaches, bringing
relevant information to people who can benefit from it, and who might not
otherwise have access to it. The Center aims to do this in a convenient,
relaxing and uplifting manner and setting. By educating the broader
public, this initiative can also decrease misunderstandings about mental
illnesses, which deserve the same consideration and attention as other
illnesses.