A South Buffalo anchor is expanding with a little help from the federal government. Congressman Brian Higgins announced Congress secured $195,000 for Buffalo’s Mercy Hospital. The funding, authorized in the Omnibus Appropriations bill approved this week, will be used toward a new emergency department at the hospital. With groundbreaking for the new $30 million facility planned for 2008, the new emergency department will triple the size of the current unit. The approved federal funding, also supported by Senators Clinton and Schumer, will be used toward the purchase of imaging technologies which will enable health care providers to deliver enhanced and more cost-effective health care.
“Mercy Hospital provides emergency services to more patients than any other hospital in Western New York and provides outstanding care to all it serves,” said Congressman Higgins. “These federal funds will play a role in a larger effort to provide emergency patients with the best and newest equipment and technology available.”
The new emergency department is expected to literally and figuratively change the face of Mercy Hospital. “We want to thank Congressman Higgins for securing the funding to help equip this state-of-the-art facility, which will enable us to provide more high-quality services for more people,” said C.J. Urlaub, President & CEO of Mercy Hospital. “We hope to receive final approval from the State Health Department in the coming months so we can move ahead with this much-needed project for our community.”
With more than 20,000 admissions annually, Mercy Hospital is the busiest hospital in the region. Mercy Hospital already offers among the most advanced cardiac and surgical procedures available. Now, it is focused on one of its most significant new construction projects to date – the addition of a brand new emergency department along the front of the hospital facing Abbott Road.
The 54,000 sq.ft. addition is in its final design phase, the new ED at Mercy Hospital will feature all-private exam rooms, including 30 “universal” treatment rooms, two airborne isolation rooms, and two cardiac/trauma resuscitation rooms, along with expanded space for nursing and support services.
The outside exterior of the building will feature a row of windows to allow for natural light in the treatment rooms. Other features of the new Mercy facility include a main lobby with reception area, vestibule, offices and support space, and a connecting corridor to the current main entrance of the hospital. The building will also include a roof level helipad with connecting elevator for air transport of emergency cases.
Between its 24/7 Urgent Care Center at the Mercy Ambulatory Care Center (MACC) in Orchard Park and its hospital-based Emergency Department, Mercy is the largest emergency service provider in Western New York. Part of the Catholic Health System (CHS), the hospital is estimated to have an annual regional economic impact of nearly $500 million. It is a cornerstone for Buffalo’s future growth and vitality.