“Dreams are so important. You need to have big goals and expect a lot of yourself, but you have to enjoy the ride, too.”
-Sidney Crosby
That quote from the captain now adorns one wall of the recreation and wellness center at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital, which had its grand re-opening on Monday following a $114,000 grant from the Penguins Foundation.
The contribution helped transform the gymnasium area into a “best-in-class” space that offers a variety of activities for all ages with themed décor, additional equipment, sound system, and Pittsburgh Penguins branding.
It was an emotional afternoon seeing the changes unveiled, and Penguins President of Business Operations Kevin Acklin got choked up as he spoke to those assembled, calling the staff “true heroes.”
“You're there at times when families are in crisis; at times of intense difficulty, trouble and danger; when people are feeling hopeless and disconnected; when they feel they have the weight of the world on their shoulders,” Acklin said. “You're on the front lines of this mental health crisis we're having in this country, and you provide services for a disease that still carries a stigma.
“That’s why we’re here today – to support all of you, to call attention to the great work being done at this facility, and to provide some hope to those feeling the most hopeless... we care about you, and we want you to have a brighter future.”
The Penguins feel so strongly about lending their support to the pursuit of wellness, one of the Foundation’s pillars. Forward Sam Poulin has spoken about how much the team helped him after taking a break to focus on his mental health, saying, “in pro sports, you might expect people to treat you more like a business, almost. But the Pittsburgh Penguins have really been really good to me, and they've treated me like a human being, and I'll be forever grateful for that because it means a lot.”
This grant validates how much the organization recognizes the importance of sports and exercise as it relates to mental health, and that the affiliation with the Penguins and the visibility within the hospital can help reduce the stigma that Acklin brought up.
“What's fabulous about this project is that not only do we have a beautiful new gym and wellness facility for our patients to use – because it's the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation that is joining with us, it's a wonderful way to demonstrate to our patients, their families and also to our staff that they matter, that this matters,” said Deborah Brodine, President of UPMC Western Psychiatric. “They're not isolated, that there are people and organizations that care about them, and remember that they're part of the fabric that makes our larger community.”
It's been a passion project at least a year in the making for Yvonne Maher, Executive Director of the Penguins Foundation, as she lost a brother to depression and mental unwellness.
“I don't think that there's a family out there that hasn't been touched in some way by somebody who's experiencing stress or anxiety or depression or some form of mental health issue, and so this is for all of them,” Maher said. “Yes, it's personal, and yes, I'm passionate about it, but it's also really important to the Foundation.”
Maher had toured the facility early in her tenure, and was struck by the gymnasium space. Since UPMC Western Psychiatric is focused on making sure the hospital is a more patient-friendly environment, transforming the area made perfect sense.
“The idea was that we need to have an area where patients, while they're in the hospital, could work out, could do aerobic exercise, listen to music, or play volleyball or basketball,” said Dr. Ken Nash, Chief of Clinical Services for UPMC Western Psychiatric. “So, this area was redone, and now it's very nice facility for patients that are in the hospital. They can come on a regular basis, on a daily basis, to come over and get some physical activity. So, I think it's a great thing for the environment here, and for the patients.
“‘It’s a great day for hockey’ is one of my favorite sayings. Today was a great day for Western, because I think that this does so much for the patients individually. It also decreases the stigma, that the Penguins would help support this.”
