Mount Vernon Project Begins

MOUNT VERNON, N.Y. — A $30 million renovation project will soon be under way to bring the 119-year old Mount Vernon Hospital up to the 21st century, and assure its long-term future and stability.

 

Restoration of the 358,000-square-foot facility, which has expanded in stages since 1891, will include substantial reconstruction. The hospital, which is one of the most significant structures in the city and a major fixture downtown, has been struggling financially for more than 25 years. The restoration plan will bring a series of modernizations and new facilities to position the vulnerable hospital to meet the growing community and area needs.

 

Among the major steps that have been announced are plans for the construction of a new emergency department and an enhanced 35-bed medical/surgical unit. Several portions of the building will also be converted to create a senior care facility with 147 assisted living beds.

 

John Spicer, president and CEO of Sound Shore Health System, says that implementing the plan will involve over $23 million in grant funding through the New York State Department of Health under its HEAL NY program. The budget includes $5.9 million to pay down bank debt, $3.5 million to rebuild the Emergency Department as well as funding for new heating and air conditioning systems and numerous repairs to the aging facility.

 

“A great deal of time and thought has gone into the evaluation of how best to assure that Mount Vernon Hospital’s long-term viability and we believe the approaches we are now launching will accomplish that goal,” says Spicer.

 

Under the revitalization plan, there will be renovation of most of the facility with limited demolition and new construction. The hospital’s nursing school, located in a separate building, will continue in its current facility.

 

Other services that will continue to be provided by the hospital include a 20-bed psychiatric unit and a special unit that provides medical services to the New York State and Westchester County Departments of Corrections that can handle up to 20 patients.

Edited 11-19-10