On 01-17-2005 , 09:47 AM (by tim123) Are there any plans yet for the old hospital facilities, especially the Horton campus?
Response from Jeff Hirsch [ADMINISTRATOR] at 01-17-2005, 09:58 AM
As previously mentioned, we are working very closely with the City of Middletown to determine an appropriate use of the current Horton campus. Possible uses for the facility include Senior Housing, assisted living, student housing/dormitory space, etc.
Potentially, another possibility includes maintaining ownership of one of the facilities to be used for our non-patient care operations, like the business office, computer systems, etc.
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On 01-17-2005 , 09:35 AM (by onlooker) Mr. Hirsch, Can you elaborate on the timeframe for the new hospital? Will there be any impact on local taxes? Will you continue to strive for excellence as you expand into a large facility? Concerned in Middletown
Response from Jeff Hirsch [ADMINISTRATOR] at 01-17-2005, 09:54 AM
Although it is not possible to provide a more specific time frame at this point, we have taken an important next step through the assembly of a special committee of the Board of Directors whose sole focus will be on the pursuit of the preliminary design and development of the new facility. We will also begin to construct what we call "user" groups, comprised of the various disciplines of professionals in our organization who will be advising the Board's committee as to what they would like to see the new hospital facilitites include.
As for any impact on local taxes, the answer would be no. Unlike facilities that are driven by local government and community planning, most healthcare facilities in New York State operate as not-for-profit organizations that must finance their operations on their own.
On the issue of excellence, Orange Regional initiated the merger between the former Arden Hill Hospital and Horton Medical Center solely for the pursuit of expanding the array of services to be offered to members of our community. And, for this expansion of services to be meaningful, excellence is the only standard worth pursuing.
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On 01-17-2005 , 09:26 AM (by hvphoto) When is the new hospital expected to be completed? What will happen to the two existing campuses?
Response from Jeff Hirsch [ADMINISTRATOR] at 01-17-2005, 09:42 AM
We are currently working with our Board of Directors to revisit our time frame for completion of the new hospital. We originally anticipated that the new hospital would be ready for occupancy in approximately 8 to 9 years. Now we are exploring ways to expedite the process so that we can move into the new hospital as quickly as possible.
With regards to the existing campuses, we expect to work closely with both municipalities in which our hospital campuses reside to determine appropriate alternative uses. We are looking toward potential uses such as senior housing, assisted living, student dormitories or the like.
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On 01-17-2005 , 09:12 AM (by hvphoto) When will the Pavilion expansion be completed and what new services will it bring?
Response from Jeff Hirsch [ADMINISTRATOR] at 01-17-2005, 09:22 AM
The pavilion expansion is the first step in the development of a new hospital. There are two major reasons for this, first the additional 80,000 sq ft that will be constructed is square footage that will not have to be built in the new hospital and secondarily, it will allow us to bring necessary services to the community before the new hospital is built. Included in this regard: urgi-care Center and open MRI as well as expanded diagnostic and treatment services. We expect the pavilion to be completed by the end of '05.
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