Health Quest Plans New Inpatient Pavilion
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. — Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie is preparing to build a seven-story inpatient pavilion, with a groundbreaking scheduled for May 2016.
The medical center is part of Health Quest, a health care organization based in Lagrangeville, N.Y. The new pavilion will include almost 700,000 square feet of space, which will hosue 264 private medical/surgical patient rooms and 30 critical care rooms.
A certificate of need for constructing the new $466 million inpatient pavilion has been filed with the New York State Department of Health (DOH). Contingent upon DOH’s expected approval by the end of 2015, the building will welcome its first patient in January of 2019. If all plans are approved, the pavilion is believed to be the largest construction project in the city’s history.
“Vassar Brothers Medical Center will transform patient care and the patient and family experience in the Hudson Valley with this project,” said Robert Friedberg, medical center president, in a statement. “Making that transformation requires state-of-the art facilities to provide patients with the privacy and healing environment they deserve.”
Washington, D.C.-based architect RTKL Associates is designing the new pavilion. The building’s shape follows the aesthetic of the Hudson River, with curving lines incorporated into the façade. The new private rooms will offer more than double the space per patient than the current semiprivate rooms, with added space for families and visitors. The facility will also incorporate sustainable design and is expected to receive LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
Other plans for the new pavilion include an emergency department with 66 treatment rooms; a loading dock with 12 bays for materials management; a conference center with three large rooms for use by the public and service groups; additional parking with 265 spaces; a gift shop; a 240-seat cafeteria with an outdoor veranda; a green roof; and a rooftop helipad.
“The new pavilion will serve all of us fortunate enough to call the Hudson Valley our home,” Gregory Rakow, chairman of the board for Health Quest, said in a statement. “It will become a landmark and asset for the community, a site known for excellent patient care, cutting-edge services and a home for our top-level medical staff.”
The new medical center will be adjacent to Route 9 and the Hudson River will connect to the existing facility.
“One of the guiding principles in the design of the new building is that the quality of space should match the quality of care at the Medical Center,” said Steve Stokes, principal architect of the project from RTKL, in a statement.
An estimated 300 to 400 construction jobs will be created at the peak of the project., which will be partially financed through private hospital funds and hospital bonds. The Foundation for Vassar Brothers Medical Center will also conduct a fundraising campaign to help support the project.
“This project will serve as a catalyst for economic development and provide a stabilizing environment for businesses and homeowners in Poughkeepsie. It will play a major role in community revitalization and allow residents access to high-quality health care they deserve right here in our community,” Poughkeepsie Mayor John Tkazyik said in a statement.