PORT JERVIS, NY—The Westchester Medical Center Health Network and the Bon Secours Health System report today that the New York State Department of Health has approved its Certificate of Need for a more than $40-million project at the Bon Secours Community Hospital here.

The project named “Investing in a Healthier Community” will expand the existing emergency department at Bon Secours Community Hospital in Orange County to 10,000 square feet. It will also include a new entrance and expanded lounge for patients and family members; an upgraded imaging center with world-leading diagnostic technologies such as ventilators and cardiac Holter monitors; a redesigned bariatric center; a centrally-located pharmacy and the conversion of 36 semi-private rooms to private.

The new project increases Westchester Medical Center Health Network's capital projects that are either under development or on the drawing boards at four of its 10 Hudson Valley hospitals to nearly $412 million.

Hospital officials say the center of the transformation is the development of 43,000 square feet of space into a “medical village” where Bon Secours Community Hospital will collaborate with community partners to provide health, wellness and other community services, such as women's health, mental health, pediatrics and overall wellness in one convenient destination.

“Hospitals are community anchors that are expected to lead the way when it comes to healthcare innovation,” says Mary P. Leahy, MD, CEO of Bon Secours Charity Health System. “The Bon Secours Community Hospital project will be a beacon for a healthier Port Jervis. We are thrilled to have received this approval and look forward to collaborations with our community partners.”

Among some of the partners in the medical village effort thus far include Cornerstone Care and the Orange County Department of Mental Health Services.

Michael D. Israel, president and CEO of Bon Secours Community Hospital parent Westchester Medical Center Health Network, adds, “This reinforces WMCHealth's commitment to investing in Hudson Valley communities like Port Jervis and others like it around the region, not only from a healthcare perspective but also from an economic development perspective. By investing in these organizations, we are investing in healthier communities, with expanded healthcare offerings, as well as financial stability for the organizations and the communities they serve.”

Other WMCHealth capital projects in the Hudson Valley include an $8-million renovation of MidHudson Regional Hospital in Poughkeepsie that is currently underway and a planned $133.6-million project in Kingston that includes the expansion and enhancement of HealthAlliance Hospital: Mary's Avenue Campus, as well as a medical village hub at HealthAlliance Hospital: Broadway Campus in Kingston. WMCHealth is also constructing a $230-million 280,000-square-foot Ambulatory Care Pavilion at its flagship complex at the Grasslands campus in Valhalla.

The Bon Secours Community Hospital project will be developed in three phases. Phase one, which is scheduled to begin in May, will include the renovation and expansion of the emergency department and the bariatric unit. A groundbreaking ceremony is expected to take place in April. Phase two will follow in the fall and includes a FastTrack area of the emergency department and lab. Phase three includes Radiology; and phase four will be the Wellness area, Pharmacy and further expansion of the emergency department.

The renovations are being funded in part by a $24.5-million grant from New York State. The Westchester Medical Center Health Network and Bon Secours Charity Health System have agreed to fund the rest of the construction costs, estimated at $20 million.

Instant Insights /

New York State Approves $40M Hospital Project

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