KINGSTON, N.Y. (June 12, 2019) – After a thorough review of plans to transform healthcare delivery in Ulster County and surrounding Hudson Valley communities, the New York State Department of Health (DOH) has granted full project approval to HealthAlliance of the Hudson Valley (HealthAlliance), a member of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth), for the significant expansion and enhancement of its hospital on Mary's Avenue in the City of Kingston.
The DOH approval of HealthAlliance's Certificate of Need application is the latest and final administrative milestone for the $92.9 million project.
"On behalf of HealthAlliance and WMCHealth, I would like to thank New York State for its support of this important project," said Michael D. Israel, President and CEO, WMCHealth. "When completed, the transformation of the HealthAlliance Hospital on Mary's Avenue will enable HealthAlliance to deliver an even higher level of care, locally, through enhanced facilities and services, world-leading healthcare technologies and new programs. We're glad New York State shares our vision for a healthier community."
An Advanced Community Hospital for the Region
The new HealthAlliance Hospital will feature the addition of a new, two-story, 79,000-square-foot building adjoining the current facility, as well as a full renovation of 48,000 square feet of space within the existing hospital.
Key components of the new 175-bed facility will include a newly constructed 25,000-square-foot emergency care center that will incorporate special services for cardiac observation and behavioral health; a newly constructed 10-bed intensive care unit, along with a six-bed medical "stepdown" unit, providing an intermediate level of care between the ICU and the new hospital's medical-surgical wards. Nearly all of the patient rooms will be private.
The new HealthAlliance Hospital will also feature a newly constructed birthing center with ultramodern labor, delivery and postpartum rooms. The building will have a new imaging department and fully remodeled centers for ambulatory surgery, infusion therapy and endoscopy.
A new, welcoming hospital lobby with central registration and admitting, financial counseling, family support services, a retail pharmacy, a gift shop and comfortable waiting areas is another of the hospital's planned amenities.
"The design of the new, high-tech HealthAlliance Hospital will focus on patients and families. In short, practically every design feature furthers the goal of providing the highest-quality medical treatment for patients and a highly functional environment for our medical providers and support staff," said Robert S. Ross, Executive Vice President, Northern Region, WMCHealth. "We are excited by the potential of this project and the positive impact it will have on our community."
Preparations for the Mary's Avenue project are already underway, with a construction start date to be determined.
The Future: Medical Village Project to Deliver More Healthcare Resources
"New York State's endorsement of the Mary's Avenue project puts Kingston and Ulster County on a course for an exciting healthcare future. This final approval of our plans will permit HealthAlliance to transform our community hospitals, currently on two campuses, into a 21st century single-campus model of first-class healthcare delivery," Ross said.
The current HealthAlliance Hospital on Broadway in Kingston will be converted into a medical or "health village" — an innovative focal point for the area's outpatient healthcare and related needs — after patient care services at Broadway are relocated to the new Mary's Avenue site. On the reimagined Broadway campus, in the heart of Kingston, HealthAlliance will collaborate with community partners in the "health village" to provide preventative and primary care services in one convenient destination.
The combined projects on Mary's Avenue and Broadway, known as the Healthy Neighborhood Initiative, are expected to cost $134.9 million, with $88.8 million of the completion cost stemming from the New York State Capital Restructuring Financing Program. The balance will from come from WMCHealth, HealthAlliance and a capital fundraising campaign.
Investing in the Health of the Hudson Valley
The HealthAlliance Hospital project is just one of several significant investments by WMCHealth into the health and well-being of Hudson Valley residents. For example, a $40 million expansion and enhancement of Bon Secours Community Hospital, a member of WMCHealth, in Port Jervis is already underway, and last month Westchester Medical Center, the flagship of WMCHealth, cared for its first patients in the adjacent, 280,000-square-foot Ambulatory Care Pavilion. The Ambulatory Care Pavilion represents a $230 million investment in outpatient care for the region.
