A heated helipad and a healing garden seem like things that you might see at the home of the latest Hollywood hot shot. But now you can find such luxuries — and more — at the brand-spanking new Orange County Regional Medical Center in Middletown. Set to open early this month, the state-of-the-art center is the first new hospital built in New York State in more than 20 years. ORMC is merging the operations of its two former campuses — Arden Hill and Horton — into the modern, seven-story building, which is located on 61 acres. In an effort to create a soothing environment, the facility features soft colors, hallway carpeting, and lots of windows. A total of 353 private patient rooms, wireless Internet, 1,600 free parking spaces, and an indoor track (for cardiology rehabilitation) help to enhance the patient experience. An ER with 50 treatment rooms, and a soon-to-be-introduced Level Two neonatal intensive care unit are among the highlights of the new facility.
ORMC has also invested $36 million in EPIC, a revolutionary electronic health record system that went live in March at the old hospitals. This system allows the center to maintain a single, up-to-date medical record for each patient. The system alerts physicians, for example, if they have prescribed a drug that could have harmful effects when combined with a medication the patient is currently taking. “We have rave reviews from the staff members about this system,” says Rob Lee, executive director of public relations and marketing for ORMC. “Staff can easily access any patient record anywhere in the hospital, and soon patients will even be able to access their own health records from home.”
And the price tag for all these healthy happenings? Somewhere around $350 million, provided mostly by tax-exempt bonds and an aggressive capital campaign. “We’ve taken the best of the old hospitals and combined it into a brand new efficient hospital with even more services,” Lee says. “The people of Orange County are going to be much better served by this new facility.”
