Vassar Brothers to expand emergency department

Vassar Brothers Medical Center is expanding its emergency department.

The planned $2 million expansion is due to an increased demand for emergency room services. It includes the addition of 15 bays, or treatment areas, and renovations and upgrades to the existing emergency room, main lobby, first floor corridor and cafeteria, the hospital said.

The emergency department was designed for about 55,000 visits annually, but will see well over 65,000 patients this year, said John Nelson, a spokesman for its parent company, Health Quest.

This demand echos a larger national trend as the population ages, in particular baby boomers, said Vassar Brothers President Robert Friedberg.

"One of the largest drivers of emergency department utilization is age. As people get older, they tend to use emergency services more. The population in the Poughkeepsie area is also aging," he said.

Funding comes from the hospital's capital budget, he said.

"We're not borrowing any money for this," he said.

Friedberg said it's difficult to gauge the profitability of the emergency department because the hospital is reimbursed differently depending on what it is treating. But well over 50 percent of people admitted to the hospital come to the emergency room first, and about one in five people who come to the ER are admitted.

"It's our front door," he said.

The project will start this summer with the addition of a modular, or prefabricated, expansion system that will increase the treatment space by 7,000 feet and 15 bays, to a total of 59 bays. This extra space should be available for patients' use by September, said Nelson.

Vassar Brothers will next upgrade its existing emergency department, which will remain operational. The construction will affect some parking spaces in the lot next to the emergency department; the hospital will designate some additional parking areas for emergency department patients and families, and increase its valet coverage, said Nelson.

Enhancements will continue with the renovation of the first floor corridors, the main lobby and the cafeteria, he said.

The hospital does not have immediate plans to hire additional staff but will add more people to match demand, said Friedberg.

"As we see the volume go up, we're going to have to add staff," he said.

Emily Stewart: 845-437-4882; estewart@poughkeepsiejournal.com; Twitter: @estwrt