Westchester Medical Center Breaks Ground on $220M Critical Care Tower
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A groundbreaking ceremony was held last week for a $220 million Critical Care Tower that will enable Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla to provide private rooms to all patients.
With a projected completion in the second quarter of 2026, the five-story structure that will be adjacent to the existing tower will contain 162,000 square feet and 128 state-of-the-art patient rooms.
“That is really a big deal,” said Michael Israel, president and CEO of Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMC Health), at the July 24 event of the all-private room upgrade. “Advanced care is Westchester Medical Center’s bedrock service, and as we break ground on the Critical Care Tower, we reaffirm Westchester Medical Center’s enduring legacy as the region’s unquestioned leader in advanced care. This project is not just about bricks and mortar, it’s about our unwavering commitment to the health and well-being of our community.”
Currently, 70 percent of patient rooms at the medical center, the only Level 1 adult and pediatric trauma center in the Hudson Valley region, are semi-private.
Israel, who is retiring at the end of 2025, said last year there were more than 12,000 critical care transfers to the medical center. Twenty years ago, when he first arrived, there were 4,500 transfers.
“This will help us take care of those patients,” Israel said.
The Critical Care Tower will house several specialized services, including advanced cardiac, neuroscience, oncology and surgical care. It will also allow other services on the campus to expand, such as pediatric emergency medicine at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital and women’s health services at the medical center.
The project received a significant financial boost from the Westchester County Local Development Corporation, which issued $195 million in tax-exempt bonds to support it.
“It took many things to happen for this project to happen,” said Westchester County Executive George Latimer. “We all saw what happened in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and realized that having the ability to surge in capacity at a moment’s notice was critical. It is our hope that this new facility will provide the highest quality critical care to the patients that need it.”
Other dignitaries who attended the ceremony included New York’s Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado and Assemblywoman Amy Paulin (D-Scarsdale), chair of the Assembly’s Health Committee.
“It’s a big day in Westchester County. It’s a big day in the Hudson Valley,” Delgado said. “What a security blanket this place is for critical care patients. I have a deep appreciation for the care provided.”
“This project is such a big win for our Westchester residents. We are so truly lucky to have the Westchester Medical Center in our county,” Paulin said.
“There are a number of reasons why we need to move to the single-room model. Chief among these are infection risk, patient satisfaction and privacy. For patients, it’s about dignity and respect at a low point in their lives. It’s about families and their ability to be present in a comfortable setting. At this new tower, wounds will be healed, medical knowledge will be advanced and lives will be rebuilt.”
Building the Critical Care Tower is projected to create more than 770 construction jobs and 127 new full-time jobs. It is also expected to generate more than $3.5 million in economic benefits to the county.
Rick has more than 40 years’ experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, running the gamut from politics and crime to sports and human interest. He has been an editor at Examiner Media since 2012. Read more from Rick’s editor-author bio here. Read Rick’s work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/pezzullo_rick-writer/
