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Medical services in the Hudson Valley are alive and well, as our biennial review of local hospitals clearly shows. The 28 hospitals and medical centers in the 10-county region continue to expand their services in a number of different areas. No fewer than 11 facilities have recently completed construction on additions to their campuses, or have ambitious new projects currently underway. Some of the stepped-up services now available to Valley residents include hyperbaric chambers for wound care; a state-of-the-art sleep center to treat conditions like insomnia and sleep apnea; and emergency departments that offer treatment more quickly — and in more comfortable surroundings.
As you would expect, all the hospitals are striving to improve patient care. From 3-D ultrasound and robotic surgery to a new vapor-mist sanitizing system, facilities are investing in the latest equipment. But patient comfort and satisfaction are important, too. Several facilities offer staff “navigators” who help guide patients through treatment; others coordinate group activities in everything from yoga to mall-walking. And the number of on-site parking garages is also on the rise. Read on to see what’s new at your local hospital.
Orange County
Orange Regional Medical Center
707 E. Main St., Wallkill
845-294-2135, www.ormc.org
No. of Beds: 450
Orange Regional Medical Center is in the process of constructing the first freestanding hospital built in New York State in two decades. It’s consolidating two existing campuses — Arden Hill and Horton — into a new 61-acre medical center, one of the largest between Westchester and Albany. At more than 600,000 square feet, the approximately $350 million facility is expected to open in 2011.
The new, seven-story ORMC includes 374 beds, with 354 private patient rooms; a 50 treatment-bay emergency room; a Level Two Trauma Center; a surgical suite with 12 operating rooms; an advanced birthing center and neonatal intensive care unit; medical and surgical facilities; and several other services such as cardiac, cancer, orthopedic, and behavioral health centers.
The center is now also the first Orange County hospital to offer elective angioplasty heart procedures, in addition to already performing emergency angioplasties. The hospital’s radiation oncology center has added RapidArc Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT) technology, which precisely targets tumors while limiting radiation to surrounding tissues and organs. And ORMC surgeons are now using the da Vinci Si HD 3D Surgical System, which allows them to perform minimally invasive surgery, enabling patients to recover more quickly and with potentially fewer adverse side effects.
Bon Secours Community Hospital
160 E. Main St., Port Jervis
845-858-7000,
www.bonsecourscommunityhosp.org
No. of Beds: 187
This facility is part of a health network that has the word “giving” right in its name. It’s an affiliate of the Bon Secours Charity Health System — so it’s no surprise that the entire Bon Secours network is contributing to both short- and long-term earthquake relief efforts in Haiti. Bon Secours is partnering with several relief agencies to coordinate aid to Haiti — and donations by hospital employees are being matched by the Maryland-based network’s central facility.
Closer to home, the Port Jervis hospital focuses on a full range of services. Their extensive bariatric center offers LAP-BAND® surgery for cases of extreme obesity, and weight-loss and weight control counseling and support. The hospital’s Center for New Life is a state-of-the-art maternity unit; one of its most popular features is a Maternity Consultant service that helps answer those thousand-and-one pregnancy-related questions, especially for first-time expectant parents.
Throughout the year, Bon Secours offers a host of services for seniors, kids, and the general community. Its diabetes education department, for instance, features programs ranging from yoga and massage to dental health.
St. Anthony Community Hospital
15 Maple Ave., Warwick
845-986-2276,
www.stanthonycommunityhosp.org
No. of Beds: 73
St. Anthony Community Hospital is also part of the Bon Secours Charity Health System, which has announced that its entire philosophy of patient care is evolving. Along with healthcare organizations worldwide, Bon Secours plans gradually to adopt what is known as the “Caritas” philosophy: a set of principles that fully incorporate the patient’s body, mind, feelings, and spirit into the healthcare equation. Caritas has been referred to as “caring science” that helps transform practitioners and healthcare organizations.
In the Valley, Bon Secours plans to create a Community Caritas Council, inviting the public to help shape the program. The organization also plans to roll out the new philosophy with a presentation to more than 300 nurses this year.
St. Anthony Community Hospital continues to provide a full range of medical services to residents of the Warwick and mid-Valley region, from same-day surgery to women’s health, diabetes education to senior care, plus nearly two dozen support and educational outreach programs for the community.
St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital
19 Laurel Ave., Cornwall
845-534-7711,
70 Dubois St., Newburgh
845-561-4400,
www.stlukescornwallhospital.org
No. of Beds: Cornwall: 125, Newburgh: 242
The TomoTherapy radiation equipment at
St. Luke’s Cornwall Radiation Oncology department.
Guided by CT scan technology, the machine delivers “slice-by-slice” radiation to cancerous tumors, minimizing exposure to healthy tissue
With campuses in Newburgh and Cornwall, St. Luke’s Hospital has been busily expanding its services in the mid-Valley. Last fall, the $23 million Littman Cancer Center opened in Cornwall. The first phase of the addition brought in the Cornwall Radiation Oncology Service. The department offers advanced TomoTherapy cancer treatment, which delivers radiation in sections (unlike standard practice, in which the entire site is treated at once).
The second phase — renovation of St. Luke’s Infusion Center — is expected to be finished this spring. The center provides myriad services, including chemotherapy, blood transfusions, and antibiotics injections; plus treatments for Lyme disease, osteoporosis, and Crohn’s disease. St. Luke’s overall cancer program features complementary services such as “patient navigators”: beginning at diagnosis, these hospital staffers act as liaisons, guiding patients through the treatment process.
Another new facility, the Center for Physical Therapy, recently launched in Fishkill inside a fitness center. The hospital’s sixth center of this type, it provides advanced rehabilitation treatments for patients in southern Dutchess County. Orthopedic conditions, sprains and strains, workplace-related injuries, motor-vehicle and sports incidents, as well as neurological conditions and back or neck pain — all can be treated at the center.
Hospital projects planned for later this year include construction of physicians’ offices and treatment spaces, as well as the Gathering Place, where patients and their loved ones can obtain information and support all under one roof.
Putnam County
Putnam Hospital Center
670 Stoneleigh Ave., Carmel
845-279-5711,
www.health-quest.org
No. of Beds: 164
With the recent opening of a new cancer infusion center, this Carmel hospital significantly expanded its patient services. The facility also introduced a new special-procedures radiology room; equipped with the latest high-tech equipment, the room provides a variety of imaging services.
The 164-bed hospital has begun a blood management program for so-called “bloodless” medicine and surgery — a medical approach that’s growing in popularity. The program aims to reduce or prevent the need for blood transfusions and use of blood products during surgery by employing various medical techniques and medications that help eliminate blood loss.
Plans for 2010 at Putnam Hospital Center include a new cardiovascular step-down unit, in which heart surgery and other cardiac patients receive comprehensive care and monitoring. The new unit features services such as state-of-the-art telemetry monitoring equipment and private patient rooms.
Rockland County
Good Samaritan Hospital
255 Lafayette Ave., Suffern
845-368-5000,
www.goodsamhosp.org
No. of Beds: 370
Healthcare-rating company Health Grades® recently ranked this Suffern-based hospital as the top-rated cardiac facility in the New York City/White Plains/Wayne, N.J. area. This year, it also received Health Grades’ kudos for ranking among the top five percent of hospitals nationwide for cardiac surgery, earning its highest five-star rating.
Good Samaritan, the third mid-Hudson hospital that is part of the Bon Secours Charity Health System, launched its award-winning Cardiovascular Institute in 2007. The institute offers state-of-the-art cardiac procedures, such as open-heart surgery, emergency angioplasty for heart-attack patients, elective angioplasty to relieve potential blockages to the heart, and heart valve replacement.
In February, just three years after the institute opened, its surgeons reached a milestone, performing the 800th open-heart surgery procedure. “Our cardiac team has quickly shown that, as a cohesive unit, we are dedicated to providing the finest care anywhere,” says chief of cardiac surgery Edward Lundy, MD.
Nyack Hospital
160 N. Midland Ave., Nyack
845-348-2000,
www.nyackhospital.org
No. of Beds: 375
Renovations have been a large part of Nyack Hospital’s focus. The facility recently revamped its ExpressCare department, designed for patients with minor injuries or illnesses. The service offers extended hours (9 a.m.-1 a.m.) every day. With seven patient rooms, as well as areas for orthopedic, ophthalmology, and suturing treatments, plus an OB/GYN suite, the department provides faster emergency care.
The hospital is also renovating its Breast Center, aiming to improve patient flow and enhance privacy and comfort. The new look features upgraded waiting areas, changing rooms, exam areas, and imaging-reading rooms. State-of-the-art breast ultrasound equipment — including the new GE LOGIQ E9 — will result in enhanced imaging and speedier exam time for patients.
Nyack Hospital has also kicked off a multiyear process to transition from paper medical records to electronic files. The project will standardize record-keeping processes for better quality and consistency of care, and for improved communications.
Ulster County
Ellenville Regional Hospital
10 Healthy Way, Ellenville
845-647-6400,
www.ellenvilleregional.org
No. of Beds: 15
Groundbreaking took place last fall for phase two of a 42-unit rental apartment complex for seniors adjacent to Ellenville Regional Hospital. Copartnered by the hospital, funding for the affordable-housing project was provided by the state, and the facility is decidedly green: All apartments feature Energy Star-rated appliances, heating, air-conditioning and lighting. The first phase was launched in 2008, furnishing 55 units in a three-story elevator building.
Ellenville Regional’s pharmacy recently garnered four awards from the Federal Health Resources and Services Administration as part of a national program involving clinical pharmacy services. The hospital’s pharmacy participates in a national initiative that offers special assessments to patients who take five or more medications, vitamins, or herbal remedies daily, especially if they have diabetes or high blood pressure. The initiative helps to ensure drug dosages are safe, and to avoid accidental omissions or duplications of drugs.
The department reaches out to the community, too. A hospital pharmacist visits an Ellenville drugstore twice a month, answering questions from the public and offering free blood pressure and diabetes monitoring. The hospital also functions as a 2010 training site for pharmacy students from the Albany College of Pharmacy, who serve 10-week rotations.
Top-notch diagnostic capabilities are also available at the hospital: A recently purchased, state-of-the-art ultrasound unit provides a variety of imaging services.
Ellenville Regional partners with the Albany-based Center for Donation and Transplant, which coordinates organ donation and retrieval in 30 counties in New York and Vermont. Each time a donation is facilitated at Ellenville Regional in 2010, the hospital will fly a flag to honor the patient and his or her family. The flag will later be given to the patient’s family in gratitude for choosing to give the gift of life through organ or tissue donation.
Benedictine Hospital
105 Mary’s Ave., Kingston
845-338-2500, www.benedictine.org
No. of Beds: 222
The hospital’s sleep center celebrated its first anniversary in 2009, moving from nearby Kingston Hospital to the Benedictine campus as part of the integration of services between the two facilities. New equipment was added in February, enhancing the center’s state-of-the-art treatment of snoring, insomnia, sleep apnea, narcolepsy, and other common sleep problems.
Benedictine’s radiology department expanded, too. A new 3-D ultrasound system allows experts to see medical images in width, height, and depth — much like a 3-D movie. Primarily used to monitor pregnancies, the equipment can be applied in a variety of medical tests.
In 2009, the hospital’s foundation received a generous $1.2 million gift from the estate of the late Raymond A. Rich, former owner of the 60-acre riverfront Payne Mansion in Esopus — who bequeathed that property to Marist College.
Also, the hospital’s breast center recently was designated an imaging center of excellence by the Commission on Quality and Safety and the Commission on Breast Imaging. And as a result of a recent survey that evaluated staff qualifications and equipment quality, the hospital was acknowledged by the American College of Radiology with accreditation credentials.
Kingston Hospital
396 Broadway, Kingston
845-331-3131,
www.kingstonregionalhealth.org
No. of Beds: 150
Wireless technology is springing up everywhere. For the first time in the Valley, Kingston Hospital is using it to help heart patients. Last summer, the hospital began incorporating wireless communication for use with pacemakers (electrical devices implanted in the chest to help maintain a uniform heartbeat). Going wireless permits a medical team to monitor and adjust an individual’s pacemaker — even while the patient is miles away at home.
The hospital was recognized by the American Heart and American Stroke Associations for consistently following the “Get with the Guidelines” program in order to provide quality heart disease and stroke care. And the Chest Pain Center at the facility recently received accreditation — making it the only accredited center of its kind in the Valley. Located in the emergency room, the center provides immediate evaluation for patients who complain of chest discomfort.
The hospital’s Wound Healing Center opened its new hyperbaric oxygen therapy service last summer. The procedure uses a special chamber to boost oxygen levels in the blood for patients with certain conditions, such as diabetic or other types of wounds that are slow to heal.
As part of its integration of services with Benedictine Hospital, Kingston plans to open its new, 16,000-square-foot emergency room this spring. The ER at Benedictine will close, and all ER services — expected to be used by 50,000 patients each year — will relocate to Kingston Hospital.
Albany County
Albany Medical Center
43 New Scotland Ave., Albany
518-262-3125, www.amc.edu
No. of Beds: 651
In 2009, the Albany Medical College — a part of the medical center — received a $4.6 million federal stimulus grant to continue its biodefense research. Among other projects, the college is working to develop a vaccine to prevent tularemia, a usually lethal condition caused by bacteria that is considered a top bioterrorism threat.
Albany Medical Center is the first in the region to introduce a new, noninvasive technique to treat precancerous reflux disease. The procedure uses high-frequency radio waves to remove unhealthy cells from the esophagus safely and effectively.
The medical center is also first in the state to use a new vapor-misting system to sanitize rooms and kill drug-resistant organisms. The hospital has added the three-hour process — during which a machine emits a spray of a special hydrogen peroxide/water mixture — to its standard cleaning procedure. The highly disinfectant concoction reaches hard-to-get-at places in empty hospital rooms.
Albany Memorial
600 Northern Blvd., Albany
518-471-3221,
www.nehealth.com
No. of Beds: 165
Albany Memorial, a member of Northeast Health — a Troy-based not-for-profit — unveiled a renovated and expanded emergency department in 2009. The high-tech, 30,000-square-foot ED is nearly triple its original size, offering 31 patient rooms. The $14 million facility can accommodate 40,000 patient visits each year. The hospital is also currently in negotiations with St. Peter’s Health Care Services in Albany and Seton Health/St. Mary’s Hospital in Troy for a possible three-hospital affiliation.
St. Peter’s Hospital
315 S. Manning Blvd., Albany
518-525-1550, www.sphcs.org
No. of Beds: 442
As part of its $258 million, five-year expansion and renovation plan, St. Peter’s added four new operating suites; renovated its Cancer Care Center; and opened a new Breast Center. The hospital also launched the region’s newest, state-of-the-art neonatal intensive care unit for premature infants.
St. Peter’s was named one of the nation’s Top 100 cardiovascular hospitals for the 10th time, the most of any hospital in the state, and in the northeastern U.S., according to the health research organization Thomson Reuters.
Wrist angiography is one of the new technology procedures being utilized by the hospital’s Cardiac and Vascular Center. A new twist on standard cardiac catheterizations (which use a tiny wire inserted into an artery, usually going up through the groin), wrist angiography instead enters the body through an artery in the arm, reducing bleeding risks, and making the procedure more comfortable for patients.
For the second time, St. Peter’s earned the prestigious designation as a Magnet Hospital for nursing excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Fewer than seven percent of all hospitals nationwide are Magnet facilities, and St. Peter’s is the region’s first to be redesignated under new, tougher standards.
Columbia County
Columbia Memorial Hospital
71 Prospect Ave., Hudson
518-828-7601,
www.columbiamemorial.com
No. of Beds: 312
Located within its Emergency Department, Columbia Memorial Hospital’s new Prompt Care area is a win-win arrangement: Waiting time is slashed for patients who arrive at the ED with nonacute health problems (think bumps, bruises, minor cuts, and mild flu cases); they get treated at Prompt Care. Meanwhile, patients who are sicker or need immediate care can be channeled directly into the ED.
The updated trafficking system was put in place by ED Director Barbara Brady, RN; and hospital Medical Director Norm Chapin, MD. Chapin says the ultimate goal is a one-hour “door-to-door” turnaround time for patients. “We’re even trying to get it down to 45 minutes,” he says.
Hudson-based Columbia Memorial broke ground in January for Kaaterskill Manor, a $4.5 million senior housing complex being built adjacent to the hospital’s Kaaterskill Care Nursing and Rehabilitation facility in Catskill.
The 21-unit Kaaterskill Manor project began with a $3.2 million grant from the federal government, plus added funding from the state. The complex will combine affordable, “aging in place” housing with full-service medical care nearby. “This is a way to centralize services for the elderly close to medical services such as dialysis and rehabilitation,” explains Jay Cahalan, chief operating officer of Columbia Memorial.
Rensselaer County
Seton Health/St. Mary’s Hospital
1300 Massachusetts Ave., Troy
518-268-5000, www.setonhealth.org
No. of Beds: 175
Surgeon Steven Goldstein, MD, in the operating room at Seton Health/St. Mary’s Hospital in Troy. The hospital is equipped to handle all types of general and ambulatory surgeries, including laparoscopic and laser procedures
St. Mary’s is home to the Capital Region’s only multi-patient hyperbaric oxygen therapy chamber. The unit furnishes high doses of oxygen to patients with hard-to-heal wounds. “Our new state-of-the-art hyperbaric center is designed with seats where up to 10 patients can sit in a comfortable setting, watch a good movie on the big-screen TV, read a book, or talk to other patients,” says Cindy Monaghan, director of Seton Health’s Speciality Services.
The hospital opened a new Urgent Care Center in its East Greenbush facility for treating minor illnesses and emergencies; it offers on-site X-ray capability, and shorter waiting times than are often encountered in standard emergency rooms.
A short-term rehabilitation program has been developed, too. Its primary goal is to help patients regain their independence after an illness or accident. The service is located at Seton Health’s Schuyler Ridge facility.
Future plans for St. Mary’s include a new, freestanding emergency department that would be built adjacent to its existing family health center. The proposed $1.2 million facility — the first of its kind in southern Saratoga County — would add 10,750 square feet of space to the ED, with 10 additional patient beds, and community access 24/7.
Samaritan Hospital
2215 Burdett Ave., Troy
518-271-3300, www.nehealth.com
No. of Beds: 238
Samaritan Hospital — an affiliate of the regional nonprofit Northeast Health — recently launched a patient navigator program at its Cancer Treatment Center. The program pairs a specially trained oncology nurse with each patient; the nurse acts as the patient’s advocate and guide, serving as liaison between the patient and the oncology team throughout treatment.
The American Medical Association gave a 2009 grant to Samaritan’s sexual assault and crime victims’ assistance program in support of a local initiative with an unusual but important message: It aims to reach out to young people to discourage bullying — a growing problem that can have severe psychological, and sometimes physical, effects on children.
Dutchess County
Northern Dutchess Hospital
6511 Springbrook Ave., Rhinebeck
845-876-3001, www.health-quest.org
No. of Beds: 68
This West Wing isn’t in Washington, D.C. — it’s a newly renovated section of Northern Dutchess Hospital. The West Wing is a conveniently located medical office space, coupled with imaging, physical therapy, laboratory, and nutritional counseling services; it offers “one-stop-shopping” for patients.
A laparoscopic, single-incision surgical process for gallbladder-removal surgery is now available at NDH, making the operation quicker, safer, and minimally invasive. Surgery is done through a tiny opening made into the belly button, so there’s no visible scar.
The Rhinebeck hospital’s Neugarten Family Birth Center is tossing a big birthday bash of its own, celebrating its 25th anniversary. The first birth center of its kind in the state, its staff has delivered more than 17,000 bouncing babies in those two-and-a-half decades. The birth center is nationally recognized by Health Grades®, winning its top five-star rating for the third year in a row.
St. Francis Hospital
and Health Centers
241 North Rd., Poughkeepsie
845-483-5000, www.sfhhc.org
No. of Beds: 400
Saint Francis recently put its new state-of-the-art interventional radiology suite into service. The facility offers an alternative to surgery for many health conditions, and can often eliminate the need for hospitalization.
Patients have given St. Francis their vote of confidence: The hospital was rated tops in a number of categories in the most recent patient-satisfaction survey conducted by the Northern Metropolitan Hospital Association.
The hospital’s noted Level Two Trauma Center continues to offer emergency services to the mid-Hudson region — it treated more than 7,500 patients last year, with more than 34,000 added visits to its Emergency Department.
Vassar Brothers Medical Center
45 Reade Pl., Poughkeepsie
845-454-8500, www.health-quest.org
No. of Beds: 365
Vassar Brothers introduced more high-tech equipment to its extensive medical and surgical offerings. Among their purchases: a multimillion-dollar imaging system that allows doctors to perform intricate stereotaxic surgery using real-time 3-D images. Primarily used in cardiac cases, Vassar Brothers is one of only a handful of hospitals in New York State using the equipment.
Another innovation: Vassar Brothers has begun offering therapeutic hypothermia. When patients experience cardiac arrest, the heart stops beating and blood flow stops; revived cardiac-arrest patients can be at risk for brain damage. The hypothermia procedure uses a special catheter which quickly lowers the body’s internal temperature to 91.5 degrees, helping to prevent complications.
The hospital’s Wound Care Center now contains three state-of-the-art hyperbaric oxygen chambers to treat patients with wounds that won’t heal. During the procedure, a patient relaxes in a large, pressurized chamber, breathing 100 percent oxygen, which helps the body’s cells repair more quickly.
Westchester County
Phelps Memorial Hospital Center
701 N. Broadway, Sleepy Hollow
914-366-3000,
www.phelpshospital.org
No. of Beds: 235
Phelps Memorial Hospital Center launched two new facilities, a Thoracic Center and the Vascular Institute, in 2009. The Thoracic Center is headed by renowned surgeon Avraham Merav, MD, who performed pioneering lung transplants in the 1980s. The center specializes in treating disorders inside the chest cavity (excluding the heart) involving the lungs, chest wall, and esophagus. More than 100 thoracic surgeries were performed in the first year. “What makes the Thoracic Center at Phelps unique is that we have a thoracic surgeon on site full-time, which is highly unusual — especially for a community hospital,” says Dr. Merav. “Patients don’t need to wait for weeks to get an appointment, or to travel between hospitals for diagnosis and treatment. Everything is done in one place.”
Physicians at the Vascular Institute treat diseases of the arteries and veins other than those related to the heart and brain. Conditions ranging from aneurysm to peripheral vascular disease are cared for; stroke prevention treatments are offered as well.
Orthopedic services at Phelps have been expanded, too, with the number of orthopedic surgeons on staff doubling in the past year. Specialists handle everything from sports injuries to joint replacements and pediatric orthopedic cases.
Phelps began an affiliation with the New York Medical College in 2009. Second-year medical students from the college, located in Valhalla, learn how to interview and examine patients at the Sleepy Hollow facility.
The hospital’s renowned emergency-medicine training center, the Frank and Lisina Hoch Center for Emergency Education, has offered more than 30,000 educational sessions for first responders. But they don’t just train EMTs and others who work in the Valley. The center has taught students from across the U.S., and as far away as Iceland and New Zealand. Last year, six health-care professionals came to Phelps from the nation of Bhutan in the Himalayas to learn emergency medicine — and then took their new skills back to teach others in their homeland.
Hudson Valley Hospital Center
1980 Crompond Rd., Cortlandt Manor
914-737-9000, www.hvhc.org
No. of Beds: 128
Hudson Valley Hospital Center is nearing completion of a $100 million renovation and expansion project — one of the biggest underway in the Valley. The cornerstone is a new four-story patient tower, featuring 84 private patient rooms, an expanded No-Wait Emergency Department, and a new lobby and gift shop. It’s slated to open in June. This spring, two new operating rooms, plus an attractive post-anesthesia-care recovery area, begin serving patients. And a new 450-space parking garage — offering no-cost parking — opens.
The hospital intends to soon begin work on another major project — an 18,600-square-foot medical office building, with a comprehensive cancer center. It is slated to be completed in late 2011.
Last year, Hudson Valley Hospital Center expanded its Center for Rehabilitation to twice its original size, with easy patient access. The facility also opened a new Institute for Wound Care & Hyperbaric Medicine to address the needs of patients with chronic, non-healing wounds.
An innovative Art for Health program displays more than 200 artworks in 11 galleries throughout the hospital. Community outreach is a key part of the center, too; HVHC presents new Wellness Workshops on a variety of subjects ranging from diabetes care, to sign-language for babies, to “Grandparents 101.”
Lawrence Hospital Center
55 Palmer Ave., Bronxville
914-787-1000,
www.lawrencehealth.org
No. of Beds: 291
It’s been a happy 100th birthday for Lawrence Hospital Center, which celebrated its centennial in May 2009. The 291-bed facility provides a wide range of services, including widely recognized cardiology, oncology, obstetrics, and orthopedics departments. Its Center for Advanced Surgery partners with New York Presbyterian/Columbia University for specialized surgical options.
In keeping with its state-of-the-art approach to medical technology, Lawrence Hospital Center is introducing new equipment this year, such as a high-definition magnetic resonance system and a low-dose CT scan (which reduces radiation by as much as 40 percent).
The hospital inaugurated a new center for sleep medicine, offering four hotel-like rooms where patients can undergo studies for a variety of sleep-related disorders in comfort and privacy.
Westchester Medical Center
100 Woods Rd., Valhalla
914-493-7000,
www.worldclassmedicine.com
No. of Beds: 643
Westchester Medical Center, based in Valhalla, continues expanding its extensive medical care, teaching, and research services for the Hudson Valley community.
The medical center recently opened a new OB/GYN suite, which employs the latest technology in comfortable surroundings. Also new is WMC’s completely remodeled oncology unit, with a full range of services for cancer patients. An 11-bed Medical Intensive Care Unit — large, single-occupancy rooms with flat-screen TVs and video patient monitoring — is yet another new addition.
In 2010, WMC received certification for its Mechanical Circulatory Support program. High-tech equipment gives short-term cardiac support to patients whose hearts can’t provide adequate circulation for the body (for example, after a heart attack or heart surgery, or while awaiting a heart transplant). Certification permits WMC to implant devices for long-term support, too, allowing more patients to be treated.
The center has been recognized by the American Heart Association with its Triple Gold Award. The citation is given for successfully implementing guidelines for coronary heart disease, stroke, and heart failure, ensuring that patients receive quality care throughout their treatment.
In 2009, the medical center’s noted Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital — which provides top-quality, advanced pediatric care — celebrated its fifth birthday.
St. John’s Riverside Hospital
967 N. Broadway, Yonkers
914-964-4444,
www.riversidehealth.org
No. of Beds: 273 (in Andrus Pavillion)
A new, state-of-the-art cardiac catheterization lab now is used to perform diagnostic heart procedures at St. John’s Riverside Hospital. The lab is one of only two in Westchester, and is affiliated with Mt. Sinai Heart Center, offering St. John’s patients access to Mt. Sinai’s clinical research programs.
The hospital also recently inaugurated a new Maternity Unit, which boasts comfortable private suites for moms-to-be and their loved ones. A new infusion therapy center has been added, too — and the breast center recently received designation as a Breast Center of Excellence.
St. John’s, along with its Dobbs Ferry Pavilion affiliate, recently launched patient navigator programs. Cosponsored by the American Cancer Society, the program provides resources, information, and personal assistance to newly diagnosed patients and their caregivers.
Dobbs Ferry Pavilion
(of St. John’s Riverside Hospital)
128 Ashford Ave., Dobbs Ferry
914-693-0700, www.riversidehealth.org
No. of Beds: 50
Expansion is on tap at the Dobbs Ferry Pavilion of St. John’s Riverside Hospital. Plans are underway to add two more operating rooms to its surgical suite; its sleep diagnostic lab now has two additional beds for patient evaluations; and a brand-new diagnostic imaging suite — including a state-of-the-art MRI — is due to open soon.
The Ashikari Breast Center at Dobbs Ferry unveiled a new radiation approach to breast-cancer treatment — it’s one of only two in New York State offering the new therapy. The typical course of radiation treatment usually starts a few weeks after surgery, and lasts several weeks. With the new approach, doctors administer a 30 to 50-minute concentrated radiation treatment right to the surgical site at the time of surgery, while the patient is still under anesthesia in the operating room. The breast center is one of a handful of centers in the nation currently evaluating the use of this technique on its own, without any post-op radiation. And it’s also one of only four breast centers in New York State — and one of only about 80 in the U.S. — to receive national accreditation by the American College of Surgeons.
A clinically proven, minimally invasive treatment for chronic sinus inflammation is available at Dobbs Ferry. Two of the hospital’s physicians are among the region’s first to use the balloon sinuplasty technique. A small catheter and tiny balloon are gently inserted into a nostril to open and expand blocked sinuses, allowing them to drain naturally and eliminating the need for surgery.
Sound Shore Medical Center
of Westchester
16 Guion Pl., New Rochelle
914-632-5000, www.ssmc.org
No. of Beds: 252
Sound Shore’s Level Three Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is a state-designated perinatal hospital; one of only two in southern Westchester. The staff receives advanced training in order to treat infants with low birth weight and other medical problems
Sound Shore Medical Center unveiled the Jacee Lynn Cappelli Diabetes Center — Westchester’s only facility dedicated to treatment and education of adult and juvenile diabetes that’s all under one roof. Their award-winning diabetes program features certified diabetes educators and endocrinologists and is recognized by the American Diabetes Association.
In February, the 252-bed teaching hospital began performing single-incision laparoscopic surgery, dubbed the “hidden scar” technique: Only one small incision, made through the belly button, is needed. The procedure is often used in gall bladder and appendix removal, to repair hernias, and in colon surgery. “In addition to the cosmetic benefits, it reduces the risk of infection, and involves less pain and faster recovery,” says Madhu Rangraj, MD, Sound Shore’s acting director of surgery and chief of laparoscopic surgery.
Designated an Area Trauma Center, South Shore provides other extensive services. More than 700 surgical weight-loss procedures have been performed there; maternal and neonatal intensive care, stroke care, cancer treatment, orthopedics, and sleep medicine are also offered. Their Center for Sound Aging even provides house calls by geriatric experts to eligible seniors who live in the region.
Northern Westchester Hospital
400 E. Main St., Mt. Kisco
914-666-1200, www.nwhc.net
No. of Beds: 233
Plans for construction of an expanded and enhanced state-of-the-art emergency department are in the works at Northern Westchester Hospital. The 25,000-square-foot ED, slated to open in the winter of 2011, will feature an environmentally “green” design, 25 private patients rooms, and an added plus — a new parking garage. “It’s going to be twice as big and have separate treatment areas for adults, kids, and behavioral health patients,” says Robert Marcus, MD, the emergency department’s director.
Northern Westchester, which performs a high number of orthopedic and spine surgeries, plans to further support its expertise in this area by launching an Orthopedic and Spine Institute.
The hospital’s existing emergency department has received national attention — it recently reached the top one percent nationwide in patient-satisfaction scores, according to the Press Ganey performance measurement survey.
White Plains Hospital Center
42 E. Post Rd., White Plains
94-681-0600,
www.wphospital.org
No. of Beds: 292
New to the hospital this year: a 26,390-square-foot Emergency Department that doubles its former treatment capacity. The two-level facility features updates such as private rooms with walls (not curtains) and flat-screen TVs; a separate area for treating children; bedside registration and rapid triage to reduce waiting time; and high-tech equipment. The new ED will serve an estimated 60,000 patients each year.
White Plains Hospital Center recently became the only hospital in Westchester to provide both elective and emergency angioplasty procedures for heart patients — a technique frequently used to restore blood flow in blocked or clogged arteries.
The hospital continues its commitment to community outreach. The entire month of May, for instance, is devoted to “wellness through prevention.” Numerous classes, events, and support groups at WPHC throughout the year include everything from yoga classes to workshops for anxiety and phobia sufferers (as well as many other conditions and situations). It even coordinates mall-walking groups.
The future is now: An artist’s rendering the new Orange Regional Medical Center, the first hospital built in the state in 20 years. It is slated for completion in 2011
