Putnam Hospital Breaks Ground on Expanded ER Project
One of the most important institutes in Putnam County, Putnam Hospital Center, broke ground on a project meant to expand and refurbish its emergency department last Thursday.
The $9 million expansion will add 8,4000 square feet of space including 11 additional treatment bays, a new nurses station and separate ambulance and pedestrian entrances to improve safety and flow. The emergency department will also have enhanced triage treatment areas, a new results-pending room, enlarged ambulance bays, interior modifications and parking improvements.
Putnam Hospital Center (PHC) president Peter Kelly said the renovations and expansion would allow for more rapid and higher quality emergency care for patients. The new project would basically double the size of the emergency room, Kelly said.
“We have some of the finest clinicians, nurses, technicians, and support staff that I have ever seen in my 44 years in this business,” Kelly said. “We intend to expand those services and become a more complex provider of services that we can provide to the patients in the area.”
PHC board chairwoman Karen Fleming said the expansion would elevate emergency services at the hospital. Innovation and improvements are critical, Fleming said, to keep patient care at the forefront.
Health Quest president and CEO Robert Friedberg said the new emergency room would lead to more “privacy and dignity” for patients. The expansion is important because the clinical aspect isn’t just supported, but the personal aspect as well, Friedberg said.
“This really is monumental day for us,” Friedberg said. “We look forward to making sure this is a great project and great asset for this community.”
PHC and Health Quest board of trustees were on hand, as well as members of the PHC Foundation and PHC Auxiliary. Some PHC staff also took time to observe the groundbreaking. More than 27,000 patients were treated at PHC’s emergency room last year.
“I am proud and excited to be involved with the expansion,” emergency department medical director Dr. Keyur Ajbani, a PHC doctor since 2007, said in a press release. “The commitment of resources this endeavor requires truly signifies the hospital’s commitment to providing Putnam County residents and neighboring communities with state-of-the-art medical facilities so they can experience medical care at its best. We strive for excellence in our emergency department, and this expansion will provide us with the platform to deliver that care.”
Several elected officials attended including County Executive MaryEllen Odell, state Senator Terrence Murphy, state Assemblyman Kevin Byrne, Judge James Reitz, Sheriff Don Smith, and Putnam Valley Councilwoman Jackie Annabi, who represented state Senator Sue Serino. Acting county health commissioner Michael Neshiewat and emergency services commissioner Ken Clair also attended.
Odell stressed the hospital holds a social importance and is fiscally one of the biggest employers in the county.
“This hospital is a cornerstone of our community,” Odell said. “It has so
