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Date Published: Wednesday, August 28, 2019
Date Updated: Monday, July 18, 2022

Cardinal Dolan Offers Blessing for the New Temporary Emergency Department at Bon Secours Community Hospital

Ceremony Signifies the Latest Development in WMCHealth’s $40 million Hospital Transformation Project

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PORT JERVIS, NY (August 28, 2019) – Bon Secours Community Hospital, a member of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth), welcomed His Eminence Timothy Cardinal Dolan, the Archbishop of New York, to lead a dedication and blessing of the hospital's new temporary Emergency Department that will allow for patient care to continue seamlessly as the hospital continues work on a transformative $40 million multi-phase expansion and enhancement project.

 The Cardinal joined WMCHealth and Bon Secours Community Hospital leadership and staff, along with community leaders and elected officials, for a special ceremony blessing the new space and heralding the completion of the first phase of construction. Patients are being cared for in this new space to allow for demolition of the previous emergency department that will be converted into a new, larger, state-of-the-art emergency department.

 "Bon Secours Community Hospital has a reputation for medical excellence and quality patient care in addition to a warm sense of community," said His Eminence Timothy Cardinal Dolan.  "As the Archbishop of New York, I commend their confident Catholic identity, which is reflected in the Emergency Department and throughout the hospital.  I am honored to be here to celebrate this new space and pleased that Bon Secours Community Hospital conveys God's work in a splendid and radiant way."

 The temporary space features all of the same capabilities and amenities of a permanent emergency department, including 10 private bays, with a separate cardiac treatment area and triage space, all new diagnostic and monitoring equipment, and accessibility from the main lobby ensuring that patient flow is not interrupted.

 "The Cardinal's visit is inspirational for our healthcare system and our Investing in a Healthier Community project. Because of our Catholic heritage, this visit has special meaning and we appreciate the continued support of His Eminence," said Mary P. Leahy, MD, CEO of Bon Secours Charity Health System.

Howard Zucker, MD, Commissioner, New York State Department of Health; His Eminence Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York; Michael D. Israel, President and Chief Executive Officer, WMCHealth; Gary F. Brudnicki, Senior Executive Vice President, WMCHealth; Mary P. Leahy, MD, CEO of Bon Secours Charity Health System. 

 The work is a component of the Investing in a Healthier Community project that is expected to usher in a new era of healthcare in the City of Port Jervis and its surrounding tristate-area community with facility and diagnostic equipment upgrades and the development of a "Medical Village" hub for local residents.

 At its completion, the project will bring to Port Jervis an expanded, state-of-the-art emergency department with 10,000 square feet of space; a new, welcoming entrance and expanded lounge for patients and family members; an upgraded imaging center with advanced diagnostic technologies and a redesigned bariatric center. Also, three-dozen semi-private rooms will be converted to private rooms for increased patient comfort and privacy.

His Eminence Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York; Sophie Crawford-Rosso, Vice President, Hospital Administrator of Bon Secours Community Hospital

 Medical Village – The Heart of a Healthier Community

 At the center of the transformation is the development of 43,000 square feet of space into the core of a Port Jervis "Medical Village" where Bon Secours Community Hospital will collaborate with community partners to provide health, wellness and other community services, such as women's health, mental health, pediatrics and overall wellness, in one convenient destination.

 Early partners in the Medical Village effort include Cornerstone Family Healthcare and the Orange County Department of Mental Health Services.

 The Medical Village in Port Jervis is one of two such projects under way at WMCHealth. The second is a $134.9 million Healthy Neighborhood Initiative in Kingston, which includes the conversion of the entire HealthAlliance Hospital: Broadway Campus into a Health Village, an innovative health, wellness and human services hub for Ulster County and surrounding communities, and the renovation and expansion of HealthAlliance Hospital: Mary's Avenue Campus into a 21st century single-campus model of first-class healthcare delivery.