$133.6M Hospital-Improvement Project Announced

KINGSTON – Westchester Medical Center Health Network and HealthAlliance of the Hudson Valley (HealthAlliance), a member of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth), unveiled plans for a five-year, $133.6 million project that includes a 110,000 square-foot expansion – highlighted by a new, four-story tower addition – and 70,000 square-foot renovation of the HealthAlliance Hospital on Mary’s Avenue, as well as a medical village hub at HealthAlliance Hospital: Broadway Campus, that will transform the delivery of healthcare in Ulster County.

“The new HealthAlliance Hospital is a fundamental component of WMCHealth’s vision to expand and enhance the healthcare options in the region,” said David Scarpino, President and CEO, HealthAlliance of the Hudson Valley. “Plans for the hospital have grown in scope and size from original discussions, with $112 million now earmarked for this expansion project. When the renovation is complete, Kingston will be home to one of the most impressive and technologically advanced community hospitals in the nation.”

“Our goal is for HealthAlliance to be here for the community for generations to come, so we need to remain at the top of our field and continue to evolve,” said Michael D. Israel, President and CEO, Westchester Medical Center Health Network. “The new HealthAlliance Hospital will be a bold embodiment of WMCHealth’s commitment to technological sophistication in healthcare, coupled with high standards of service, patient safety and clinical quality.”

The new, 437,000-square-foot HealthAlliance Hospital will boast 141 all-private patient rooms (201 total) and a nearly 25,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art emergency center, along with a new surgical concentration that will include an advanced medical imaging center, two computer-enhanced inpatient surgical suites, a same-day surgery unit, an expanded postsurgical recovery unit and an advanced endoscopy services center, along with a new birthing center and a pharmacy. WMCHealth’s eHealth program, which uses the latest technologies provided by strategic partner Philips to bring medical experts stationed far away to the bedside, also will be featured in the new HealthAlliance Hospital.

Additionally, the energy-efficient concrete and steel building – with a special design that will bounce diffused sunlight into the rooms, increasing natural light and reducing electrical demand while keeping heat out – will also feature a two-story main entrance and lobby.
“With a soaring lobby and cheerful, light-filled patient rooms, the new hospital will provide a welcoming and caring environment to advance the healing process,” Scarpino said.

The new HealthAlliance Hospital effort on Mary’s Avenue and the resulting consolidation of all HealthAlliance inpatient and emergency services in that hospital are the first part of a five-year, $133.6 million “Healthy Neighborhood Initiative” project. The project will also redevelop the current HealthAlliance Hospital: Broadway Campus into a “medical village” – an innovative focal point for the city’s health and related needs. Of the $133.6 million total, $88.8 million of the multiphased project’s funding will come from the New York State Capital Restructuring Financing Program, with the balance coming from WMCHealth, HealthAlliance and a capital fundraising campaign.

Next steps include the submission of a certificate of need to the New York State Department of Health and a presentation to the City of Kingston planning board this fall. After all city and state approvals, construction is expected to start in the second half of 2017 with a target completion two years later. Details surrounding the development of the medical village on the campus of the current HealthAlliance Hospital: Broadway Campus will be announced in the near future.