Facility to modernize while keeping its architectural history
Without losing sight of the Bellevue Woman’s Center’s heritage, Ellis Medicine is looking to modernize and expand the facility to better serve patients.
Ellis targeted Bellevue for a $15 million investment to update the women’s care facility, which focuses on women’s health, from maternity to breast care, at the Neil and Jane Golub Breast Care Center.
The Niskayuna Town Board approved the project with a negative declaration for the State Environmental Quality Review at the Tuesday, April 26, meeting. The addition will be larger than the current facility, at 32,000 square feet, but is planned to stay largely within the current footprint.
We are committed to honoring Bellevue’s rich history and to reflect the unique character and charm of the past through thoughtful design and architecture of the new building, said Donna Evans, spokeswoman for Ellis Medicine. `Some of the architectural elements of the new facility, interior and exterior, will reflect the mansion’s unique elements, such as the roof line and modeling.`
Project highlights include adding additional private patient rooms to total 28 private and six semi-private rooms, a three-bay labor-delivery-recovery triage room, expanding the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, relocating the Breast Care Center to a larger space and redesigning the lobby.
`The modernization and expansion project is about meeting the needs of women and families in our community,` said Evans. `The facility needs to be modernized in part to provide patients with privacy and enhancements they expect and deserve.`
Niskayuna Supervisor Joe Landry said the project is a good investment for the town and will benefit residents. With the project remaining on the current site, it won’t affect the neighboring residents greatly. Councilman Jonathan McKinney abstained from voting because he lives close to Bellevue.
As part of the renovation project, the mansion, which currently houses administration offices and a physician office, will be deconstructed to prepare for patient care, said Evans. Both offices inside the mansion will be relocated. Features of the mansion will be preserved in the new building, such as fireplaces, mantels, wood paneling and stair rails, said Evans.
Ellis has looked to update the facility to make it more efficient since the Berger Commission mandated Bellevue and St. Clare’s Hospital to close and be taken over by Ellis in 2007.
`As part of the whole consolidation, it has been the goal to reconfigure services and make sense of where those services are,` said Evans. `When three hospitals became one, it was an opportunity to look at the services and how are we going to reconfigure them.`
Evans said Ellis has been involved with Niskayuna for around a year and wanted to make sure residents could be informed of the progress.
`We started this community outreach and updates when we consolidated our three hospitals into one,` said Evans. `We felt that it was really important to reach out to the community.`
For the project, Ellis has received a certificate of need from the state and the state historical preservation office endorsed the project. The mansion was constructed in the 1920s as a private home, and in 1942 it was converted for hospital usage.
`As part of this project, we are committed to honoring Bellevue’s rich history and reflect the unique character and tradition of the hospital and we are going to do that through thoughtful design of the new building,` said Evans.
Work on the project is expected to begin in the fall with a completion date scheduled for spring 2013.
In July, Ellis medicine launched a new OB/GYN Hospitalist program, which includes a team of experienced, board-certified obstetricians on-site 24/7 at Bellevue to deliver babies if a patient’s own physician can’t be present. Also, they could handle any emergencies that might arise.“
