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Brooks Hospital narrows list to six potential sites

Brooks Memorial Hospital in Dunkirk is looking at six sites for the potential relocation of its facility and is hoping to have a final decision by late March or early April.

That’s the word from Michael Hughes, Kaleida senior vice president for public affairs and marketing, on Friday. Due to the large number of potential sites across Chautauqua County, the decision on relocation has taken longer than expected, a news release stated. The specific sites were not mentioned.

Hughes noted the Brooks board of directors along with its hospital relocation specialists, Clark Patterson Lee Engineers, Stroudwater Associates and Turner Associates in Lakewood, have now reviewed 24 potential sites, all in an effort to find the best location to build a new facility.

In reviewing the 24 sites, the committee studied specific selection criteria, which included:

¯ Infrastructure: utilities, environmental review, storm water management;

¯ Access: for patients, staff, visitors, emergency services;

¯ Convenience: proximity as well as impact on community;

¯ Regulatory: local, state and federal issues.

Over the past few months, the hospital’s board subcommittee for the new hospital narrowed the list to six potential sites. The next step is to reduce the list to two final sites and begin negotiations with respective property owners, with the goal of having a final preferred site in the next four to six weeks.

Included in the detailed analysis of the final sites are the cost of acquisition, soil testing, traffic studies and environmental reviews.

In 2017, Brooks Memorial Hospital, TLC Health Network and Kaleida Health announced their intentions to affiliate. This was done to help coordinate care, enhance clinical partnerships and secure the respective hospital’s presence in the region, ensuring that the health care needs of the community are met.

The vision of the three parties is to form an integrated delivery system with the Dunkirk campus taking the lead in delivering traditional, inpatient hospital services and the Irving campus becoming more of an ambulatory location with an array of specialty inpatient and complementary outpatient services. Both campuses would have emergency rooms (ER’s).

TLC Health will renovate their campus focusing on ambulatory surgery, imaging, and specialty services including mental health, chemical dependency, neurobehavioral, and a new musculoskeletal department.

Brooks Hospital is focusing on building a new facility (including surgical suites, imaging, labs, support services, etc.) with the joint $57 million grant that was secured through New York State’s Essential Healthcare Provider Support Program earlier this year.

Comments on this article may be sent to editorial@observertoday.com

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