Community service takes many forms at Stony Brook Medicine.

One of the most  unusual is a group that has volunteered for the past two years at the New York City Marathon.

The team from Stony Brook Medicine comes to the aid of runners and walkers who venture through the five boroughs of New York.

This dedicated group of internal medicine residents, nurse practitioners from the Rapid Response Team, Emergency Room residents, nurses and pulmonary critical care fellows has served as medical team volunteers to help keep the thousands of runners on their feet.

The event offers a great opportunity to practice mass casualty situations, including how to triage patients quickly and efficiently.

The Stony Brook Medicine volunteers welcome the opportunity to showcase their talent on one of the largest stages in the sporting world. Their participation in the race serves as a reflection of the health care treatment at Stony Brook University Hospital, where various disciplines come together for the patients’ benefit and a common goal.

The New York City Marathon is a 26.2 mile race with a course that runs through Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island. More than 50,000 runners compete in the annual test of strength and determination.

The Southampton community comes together each year for a different kind of holiday celebration – the traditional Lighting of the Windmill at Stony Brook Southampton.

More than 200 friends, neighbors and local elected officials attend the illuminating festivities held annually in early December on the college campus.

The Windmill at Stony Brook Southampton, a local icon, is decorated for the holidays.

The event features holiday treats and hot chocolate for the guests. Musical performances  of seasonal classics were provided by the Southampton Brass Quartet and the Stony Brook University Pep Band in recent years.

As part of the event, faculty at the campus share their work on current topics with the crowd through presentations in Duke Lecture Hall. The community is also offered guided tours of the windmill and given information about the campus programs.

Volunteers from several campus departments, including the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS) Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy, Student Life and the Masters in Fine Arts (MFA) Program, coordinate the evening’s program.

Constructed in the early 1700s, the windmill has been a fixture on the Southampton campus since it opened in 1963. It has been designated a National Literary Landmark, based on playwright Tennessee Williams (1911-1983) having lived here during the summer of 1957.

Pet therapy programs can bring light to seniors who are now unable to care for their own pet.

Thanks to a local dog therapy program, the residents of the Long Island State Veterans Home  (LISVH) have felt the joy of connecting with a canine companion for years. 

Chris Catalano brings his dog, Andi, to visit residents at the Long Island State Veterans Home.

Interactions with the dogs have a lasting positive impact on the patients. Benefits can include reduced heart rate, blood pressure and stress and helps with loneliness. The dogs bring comfort to the patients and form long-lasting bonds.

One of the therapy dogs is Andi, a golden retriever/labrador mix. Andi has been making veterans, hospital patients and group home residents smile since 2005. 

Stony Brook University staff member Shelley Catalano and her husband, Chris, started training Andi as a puppy with the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind. A couple of years later, Andi was trained as a therapy dog.

Eli Sperber , a patient, has been spending time for Andi for several years. “Dogs pep me up. They are a very good medicine for sick people,” said Sperber.

The dog therapy program is a collaboration between The Guide Dog Foundation, Patchogue Rotary Animal Assisted Therapy, and the Stony Brook University School of Social Welfare.