Schumer, Clinton Announce Key Senate Panel Approves $1.3 Million For Community Projects In The Greater Rochester Region

U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Hillary Rodham Clinton today announced that the full Senate Appropriations Committee has approved the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education FY08 Appropriations Bill which includes $600,000 for the Rochester Area Colleges Center for Excellence in Math and Science; $250,000 for the Rochester General Hospital; and, $250,000 for the Catholic Family Center.  The Appropriations Committee also approved the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies which includes $250,000 for the Seneca Knitting Mill.  The bill will now proceed to the Senate Floor as the next step in the appropriations process.  Schumer and Clinton worked closely with members of the Appropriations Committee to include funding for the project in this year's spending bill.

"This is great news for the Rochester area," said Schumer.  "From the Catholic Family Center to Rochester General, these projects will improve medical services in the area and improve educational and cultural opportunities.  With this funding, Rochester can take their reputation as a center of math and science teaching to a new level. The Center for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching will become the crown jewel in the Rochester education community."

"These are incredible investments in the Greater Rochester Region. The Center for Math and Science will be critical in the promotion of math and science studies, building a new generation of scientists and engineers as the region continues to develop as a center for technology research and development and the MYOVAD units will help a local company doctors treat patients in rural areas," Senator Clinton said. "I have long pushed to secure better support services for kinship caregivers grandparents and other relatives - who are making great personal sacrifices to provide safe and loving homes for the children in their care so I am very pleased that the Catholic Family Center will be receiving these funds to continue their important work. I am particularly pleased that we have secured these funds to support the expansion of the National Women's Hall of Fame and help it realize its incredible potential as a worldclass tribute to women and tourist attraction."

Rochester Area Colleges, which include nineteen institutions like Nazareth, RIT, U of R, St. John Fisher, SUNY Geneseo, SUNY Brockport, Hobart & William Smith, Keuka, will use the $600,000 in federal funding to continue development of the Center for Excellence in Math and Science.  The Center will become a national base for preparing college students in the areas of math and science.  Funds will be used to promote collaborations that contribute to a deeper understanding of the crisis and its possible solutions at the national and local levelsAdditionally, funding will be used to design national and local programs that will increase the number of students who pursue careers in math, science and related fields while increasing the national and local pool of math and science teachers at the K12 levels.  Retention of these teachers will enhance the quality of math and science education at the elementary, secondary, and college levels. Nazareth College played a special role in developing this concept.

Rochester General Hospital (RGH), in partnership with MYOTECH, LLC, will use the $250,000 in federal funds to institute new heart failure treatment technology.  They will bring a new generation of minimallyinvasive cardiac assist devices, called MYOVADs, to patients in rural and community hospitals in the Greater Rochester area.  This new technology has higher success rates with fewer complications than existing devices at onethird of the cost.  RGH will also use the funding in final product development, development of manufacturing and medical support facilities in New York State, and to train New York State rural health care providers in its use.  Existing cardiac assist devices are limited to patients of a few specialized health providers.  The new generation technology can easily and safely be used in virtually every hospital including small rural health care providers.

The Catholic Family Center will use $250,000 in federal funds to support their Kinship Care Resource Center.  The Kinship Care program serves families through the 6agency partnership CFC has created to provide a continuum of services for caregivers who are raising another relative's child.  Services that are provided include: case management; support groups, both educational and therapeutic; selfesteem building workshops for the children; educational workshops for both children and caregivers; counseling; and legal consultation and assistance.

Seneca Knitting Mill will use $250,000 in federal funding for the restoration of the historic Seneca Knitting Mill, the future home of the National Women's Hall of Fame in Seneca.

Now that the bill has been approved by the full Senate Appropriations Committee, it will be sent to the Senate floor. Following approval by the Senate, the bill will move towards Conference with the House and then to the President for signature.