Stony Brook Southampton Hospital is honoring LGBTQ rights activist Edie Windsor, whose landmark case granted same-sex married couples federal recognition, by renaming the David E. Rogers, M.D. Center in Windsor’s honor.
“By celebrating Edie’s life and work, we will heighten awareness of the Center’s current mission, as well raise funds for program expansion and a move to Hampton Bays,” said Steven M. Bernstein, Chief Development Officer and President of the Southampton Hospital Association.
Currently, the David E. Rogers, M.D. Center serves the East End by providing the community with wide-ranging HIV medical and mental health care. With the renaming, which will take effect in 2019, the Hospital plans to expand The Edith Windsor Center’s reach through a variety of initiatives.
“Edie was a beloved activist within the LGBTQ+ community and dedicated her life to advocating for social justice,” Bernstein added.
The Center will also launch an annual award, with the initial recipient being fêted at the 2019 Edie’s Backyard BBQ, a Hamptons Memorial Day weekend fundraiser that marks the official “start” of the summer. Selected by a prestigious committee of appointed leaders and influencers that are committed to ending discrimination, the honoree will be someone, who like Windsor, is dedicated to battling oppression.
The Center’s primary focus, The Rose Walton Care Services, will continue to provide widespread outpatient medical and mental health care and support services to those living with HIV/AIDS. The Center also offers HIV testing and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) services to those at risk, as well as education and outreach to the community. Led by a team of credentialed HIV specialists, the Center provides state-of-the-art care and no one is ever turned away because of a lack of financial resources.