A New Way Of Operating: State-of-the-Art ICU and Surgical Units Planned

“This will give us 10, brand new, state of the art operating rooms and an ICU with larger more modern rooms and private baths,” said Ronayne. “We are very excited about the project.”
The project will be built in two stages, with the surgical unit, which will replace where the Cramer House is and the mental health offices. The mental health offices, along with the alcohol services across from the hospital on Church Street and the Friendship House on Geyser, are moving into new facilities on South Broadway. Project one, the new ICU, will be built above the existing emergency room in already existing unused space. The 20,000-square-foot space will feature 19 larger and more modern ICU rooms than now in the existing ICU.

Ronayne explained that the existing rooms in the present ICU tend to be somewhat small, making it difficult for both loved ones of the patient and care givers to be in the same space at the same time.

“The ICU we have now has some private rooms and some separated by a draw curtain,” explained Ronayne. “The new rooms will be larger and have a family area for seating. There will be a lot more room so that patient care can be performed and the family remain with their love ones.”

The new ICU will also have a waiting area separate from the rooms so that family of the patient can get a little rest outside of the patient’s room and will be brighter and more airy.

The three-story surgical unit will provide the hospital with a 34,000-square-foot addition on the site of the Cramer house and the outpatient mental health office.

Work on the site can begin as soon as the Cramer House is empty, which Ronayne expects to be as early as next month.

“We hope to get started in November,” said Ronayne, adding that the entire project, because it has to be done in phases, will take at least two to three years. The Cramer House was originally built as a school for nurses. Ronayne said it is not considered to be historically significant.

The new ICU will be named for Marylou Whitney and Desmond DelGiacco, MD in recognition of Whitney’s unwavering philanthropic support and Dr. DelGiacco’s 30 years of service to ICU patients and their families.

The $34 million new ICU and surgical units are being partially funded with $30 million in bonds. A Certificate of Need was filed with the New York State Department of Health to replace and modernize the existing seven operating rooms and ICU.

“We looked at a lot of different options of where to build the facility and it seemed the most logical because the new surgical unit will attach to the current one,” said Ronayne.

The project will also need final approval of the Design Review Committee, which Ronayne said he expected would pass this week.