Hospital breaks ground on $9.5 million addition

Expansion will double the size of the Emergency Department when completed in 2007 Warwick — It has been in the planning process for five years now. On Monday, there were lots of smiling faces at the ground-breaking for the St. Anthony Community Hospital addition, which will add nearly 13,000 square feet of space to the hospital that has served this community since 1939. “This is one of our most ambitious undertakings,” said Leah Cerkvenik, executive vice president/administrator. “It never ceases to amaze me how far we’ve come.” Cerkvenik noted that Orange County is the fastest growing county in New York State, and the hospital has certainly seen the demand that comes with that growth. Over the last five years, ambulatory surgery procedures have increased 67 percent; inpatient care has increased 31 percent and 45 percent for outpatient services. The hospital last expanded in 1980. Sister Mary Lou Moran of the Sisters of Bon Secours looked to the future of the hospital in the Warwick community. “We are on a mission to build, grow, and serve this community,” said Sister Mary Lou. “Imagine what this team will do with this new facility.” Quoting the Irish poet Yeats, Sister Mary Lou said, “The best is yet to come.” CEO Dominick Stanzione called this project a cornerstone of the hospital’s commitment to the community. “Sister Mary Lou and Leah talked of this as a milestone. To me, it’s a cornerstone to our commitment,” said Stanzione. “We thank the wonderful, wonderful people who make St. Anthony Hospital what it is: the medical staff, the nursing staff. All of you make St. Anthony’s what it is today.” The $9.5 million project will house 19 same-day surgery bays and two endoscopy suites. In addition, the plan calls for doubling the size of the Emergency Room, as well as raising the height of the canopy near the ER. The parking facility at Mt. Alverno will be enlarged and used by employees during the day shift. A plan for shuttle buses to transport employees back to the hospital is also being considered. Much shifting around inside the hospital is necessary to accommodate the proposed changes. There will be changes to nearly 18,000 square feet of the existing hospital, including the lobby, cafeteria, and the lab. It is scheduled to be completed in 2007.