Seven Chautauqua County legislators are expressing gratitude for Gov. Kathy Hochul’s commitment to a new Brooks-TLC Hospital to serve residents of Chautauqua County.

Legislators Bob Bankoski and Marcus Buchanan of Dunkirk, Sandra Lewis of Fredonia and Jamestown Legislators Tom Nelson, Fred Larson, Vince DeJoy and Bob Whitney joined in praising the first governor from upstate in more than 100 years for delivering $74 million to make the new Brooks Hospital possible.

As reported in the OBSERVER on March 17, work has begun on the site “where a state-of-the-art hospital in northern Chautauqua County is to be located.”

“We echo the statement of Don Boyd, president and CEO of Kaleida Health, when he said: ‘We are deeply grateful to Gov. Kathy Hochul for her continued support of this project’.”

“Without the $74 million in state funding the new hospital would not have been possible,” the Legislators said in a statement.

“At a time when nearby Bradford, Pennsylvania is losing its hospital, it is a blessing that we in Chautauqua County have a Governor who would not allow Northern Chautauqua County to be without a hospital and, instead she has secured the availability of health care for our residents for decades to come,” the Legislators said.

“Without a hospital in Northern Chautauqua County, the ability to keep businesses here and to attract new businesses to provide jobs for our people would have been crippled.

“We look forward to a new Brooks Hospital with 15 medical-surgical beds; a 16 bay emergency department; five observation beds; primary care and specialty service clinics; 3 operating rooms; 3 procedure rooms; an imaging suite; a pharmacy, laboratory and other support services.

“This new Brooks Hospital guarantees that good jobs in the health care field will be available right here in Chautauqua County for years to come.

“It is the right thing to do to give our neighbor, Gov. Hochul, the thanks of our entire County for her resolve that Chautauqua County would have a new Brooks Hospital to serve our community for decades to come,” the Legislators concluded.