Breaks Ground on New Emergency and Trauma Center at Staten Island University Hospital; Cuts Ribbon on Community Heath Center of Richmond

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today broke ground on a new emergency and trauma center at Staten Island University Hospital (SIUH) and cut the ribbon at the Community Health Center of Richmond. The Community Health Center of Richmond, which serves patients regardless of ability to pay, is Staten Island's first community owned and operated primary health care clinic.

The 40,000 square foot Staten Island University Hospital Emergency and Trauma center will add 56 patient treatment modules and will include the Regina M. McGinn, M.D. Education Center, named after a Staten Island University Hospital physician who died of cancer. Nearly 100,000 patients visit Staten Island University Hospital each year for urgent and emergency care.

"We will continue to do all we can for the health of Staten Islanders," Mayor Bloomberg said. "Both the Community Health Center of Richmond and the new Emergency and Trauma Center at Staten Island University Hospital fill a great need and are investments in the future of Staten Island residents."

Cuts Ribbon on Community Health Center of Richmond

The Mayor first cut the ribbon at the Community Health Center of Richmond (CHCR), Staten Island's first community owned and operated primary health care clinic on the island's north shore. The Center, which opened its doors in July of this year, provides affordable health care to Staten Island residents regardless of ability to pay. The Mayor was joined at the opening by Congressman Vito Fossella, Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn, Staten Island Borough President James Molinaro, State Senator Diane Savino, Council Members Michael McMahon and James Oddo, Staten Island District Attorney Dan Donovan, Health and Hospital Corporation (HHC) President Alan Aviles, Staten Island University Hospital President and CEO Anthony Ferreri, Health Center of Richmond President Maribel Sansone, and Health Center of Richmond Executive Director Jack Essex.

"This health center fills a critical need for primary care health care on Staten Island," Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn said. "I am so pleased that the Council's Child Health Working Group contributed to the pursuit of this clinic and that Staten Islanders, especially those in the Port Richmond area, will now have access to the high quality preventive and clinical services they need."

Health services at the center include: pre-natal care, OB-GYN, pediatric care, and adult primary care. All services are available in English and Spanish and a translation service is available for other languages. To further facilitate access the Center is open days, evenings, and weekends. The City made a contribution of $3.9 million towards capital construction and operational support.

Breaks Ground on New Emergency and Trauma Center at Staten Island University Hospital

The Mayor then traveled to Staten Island's south shore to Staten Island University Hospital. The 40,000 square foot emergency facility, with 56 patient treatment modules, will allow the hospital to deliver trauma, behavioral, urgent and emergent care to more adult and pediatric patients in a more modern and spacious environment.

The Emergency and Trauma Center, as well as the Regina M. McGinn, M.D., Education Center will enhance patient comfort and have state-of-the-art computer systems for patient management and patient documentation. The new facility will double the space of the current Emergency Room. The mayor was joined at the announcement by Congressman Vito J. Fossella, Staten Island University Hospital President and Chief Executive Officer Anthony C. Ferreri, North Shore Long Island Jewish Health System President and Chief Executive Officer Michael J. Dowling, Staten Island University Hospital Board of Trustees Chairman Patrick F. McDermott, and JoAnna McGinn, daughter of Regina M. McGinn, M.D.,and Joseph T. McGinn, Jr., M.D.

"The surge in population on Staten Island over the past two decades has placed enormous demand on our emergency rooms," Congressman Fossella said. "In addition, in the absence of a public hospital on Staten Island, many of the 32,000 uninsured residents go to the emergency room seeking primary care. As too many of us know first hand, it is all too common for patients to wait hours for their care. Modernization and expansion of the emergency room at Staten Island University Hospital is essential to ensure Staten Islanders continue to have access to the highest level of emergency medicine possible. Staten Islanders realize only too well that tragedy is no stranger to our community as we challenge ourselves and our neighbors to work together in support of our new and expanded Emergency and Trauma Center," Staten Island University Hospital President and CEO Anthony Ferreri said.

That Center includes 56 patient treatment modules, 24 of them private; four isolation rooms; three trauma treatment rooms; two triage rooms; a resuscitation room; a decontamination area; a psychiatric unit; the Urgent Care Center; a Pediatric Care Center; a radiology center respiratory room; a new laboratory; and an expanded EMS service area. The total cost of the new Emergency and Trauma Center and the Regina M. McGinn, M.D., Education Center is $30 million. Twenty million dollars of the total has been raised so far and a fundraising campaign will contribute the difference. Funding for the center comes from the Mayor; Congressman Vito Fossella; State Senator Marchi; Councilmembers Oddo, Lanza, and McMahon; the SIUH Medical/Dental Staff; the Staten Island Bank and Trust Foundation; the Richmond County Savings Bank Foundation; and the Service Auxiliary of Staten Island University Hospital; and others.Regina M. McGinn, a Staten Island University Hospital physician who died in 2001, had an exceptional commitment to medical education.

In her time at the hospital, Dr. McGinn led a mentoring effort for low-income high school students who had a career interest in healthcare. The Regina M. McGinn, M.D., Education Center will serve as hub for hospital and community continuing medical education programs; as home for regional meetings, seminars and workshops; as headquarters for a more spacious medical library; and a new health literacy program for medical professionals and residents of Staten Island communities.

Contact:
Stu Loeser
Jason Post
(212) 788-2958

Arleen Ryback (SIUH)
(718) 226-2483

Jack Essex (CHCR)
(718) 876-1732