WINDBER —
Construction of a new, $6.5 million emergency department is expected to begin next year at Windber Medical Center.
Administrators said the project, for which they’re still raising money, will ease growing pressures on a facility that was designed for 5,000 patients annually but treats more than 14,000.
The expanded emergency room also will create about 25 new health-care jobs.
“I believe that we will be breaking ground and starting construction next year,” said Linda Fanale, the hospital’s chief financial officer.
Hospital leaders listed the emergency-room expansion as one of their top three priorities during a meeting Monday with U.S. Rep. Mark Critz, D-Johnstown.
Barbara Cliff, Windber Medical Center’s president and chief executive officer, said hospital staff have been able to keep wait times relatively short for emergency visits.
“We monitor that very closely,” Cliff said, adding that the current emergency-room wait is posted on the home page of the hospital’s Web site, www.windbercare.org.
But Cliff said that, without a significantly upgraded emergency facility, that level of service likely cannot be maintained.
“That emergency room is very, very important to our future,” Cliff said.
The project has been in the works for years, with administrators having publicly launched a fundraising campaign in 2008. They’ve collected about $2.5 million, and another
$1 million is included in a capital fund in the state budget.
Fundraising continues, including a golf outing that was held Friday. More information is available at www.windbershare.org.
Administrators asked for Critz’s help in getting the state funding released.
Critz said he also could attempt to find federal funding. But he noted that several hospitals in the district had requested money for emergency services, and none made the cut in the House of Representatives’ fiscal 2011 spending bills.
“We weren’t able to get any of them,” Critz said. “This was not a good year for hospital funding.”
It’s not necessary to have all funding in place before construction begins, Cliff said.
“We don’t need it all in hand,” Cliff said. “But we want to make sure we have enough in hand that we’re being good stewards of our limited resources.”
Hospital leaders have purchased property. But Cliff said it remains unclear whether that parcel will be used for emergency-room expansion or for some other purpose.
“We’re not sure yet,” she said.
“We’ve got some architects here now, drawing up some options for us.”
Another priority discussed at Monday’s meeting is the medical center’s ongoing computer-system enhancements. Officials said they’ve devoted about
$5 million to technology upgrades over the last several years.
Administrators also talked with Critz about the long-term financial sustainability of the Joyce Murtha Breast Care Center.
“A big portion of (the breast care center’s) budget is federally funded,” Fanale said.
Local News
Related Photos
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Cliff File Photo/The Tribune-Democrat
Discussion
Easing ER waits
Windber’s $6.5M expansion set to begin next year
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