HHC Gouverneur Health Completes Modernization to Add More Nursing Home Beds
Modernization project transforms 5 star-rated nursing facility for improved patient and family experiences
Apr 02, 2015
New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) President Ram Raju, MD, today announced the completion of a $257 million expansion and modernization project at HHC Gouverneur Health, a unique healthcare facility that includes a 5-star nursing home and a community health center serving Manhattan’s Lower East Side. The last phase of construction creates a larger, modern 295-bed nursing home designed with a home-like environment and a focus on sub-acute and rehabilitative medicine. The modernization also included a new ambulatory care pavilion that opened in 2011 to expand primary care and preventive health services, and improved the physical and therapeutic environments.
Dr. Raju was joined by HHC Gouverneur Health officials, U.S. Rep. Nydia Velazquez, State Assembly Member Sheldon Silver, State Senator Daniel Squadron, NYC Council Members Rosie Mendez, Margaret Chin and community representatives to mark the completion of the nursing home phase of the project at a ribbon cutting ceremony today on the HHC Gouverneur Health campus on Manhattan’s Lower East Side.
“For more than a century, HHC’s Gouverneur Health has taken care of the ever-changing, diverse population of New York City’s Lower East Side,” said Dr. Raju. “The new design and expansion, supported with state-of-the-art technology, will enable us to render even better care with a focus on safety, comfort and quality for our patients.”
“This investment in the health of City residents demonstrates the commitment by HHC to provide high-quality healthcare services to all New Yorkers,” said HHC Gouverneur Executive Director Martha Sullivan, DSW. “This was a very complex construction project. Expanding and improving a large healthcare center while it continued to operate and continued to house residents was a logistical challenge. But our patients and nursing home residents will receive the best care possible in a modern, patient-centered setting.”
HHC Gouverneur Health, at 227 Madison Street, primarily serves the communities of the Lower East Side and Chinatown. The modernization project expanded the skilled nursing facility and also included the construction of a new 13-story building that houses a five-story ambulatory care pavilion and an eight-story tower that rises above the pavilion. The total space grew from 330,000 to 450,000 square feet. Pun Yin, a Master of Feng Shui, provided consultation throughout the design process to enhance the environment through use of color and light.
A 5-Star Nursing Home That Feels Like Home
The last phase of construction marks the opening of an additional 85 new beds to the skilled nursing facility, which recently received the top “5 star” rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The nursing facility can now accommodate 295 residents. It embraces a design that moves toward a more homelike environment, with private bedrooms in single and double-room suites, large, open dining areas, and comfortable community spaces, some featuring fireplaces. The new design also includes a private entrance to the nursing facility to enhance the experience of patients and their family.
A typical skilled nursing facility floor is made up of four “communities” of 10 patients each to foster relationships with other residents and the care team. The public spaces are specially designed to allow residents to host visitors, family and friends in comfortable, cheerful settings, and creates a physical environment that supports smaller communities of residents on each floor.
A Focus on Primary Care For a Healthy Community
The ambulatory care center is projected to accommodate more than 250,000 outpatient visits a year. A comprehensive array of services is provided on-site, including adult medicine, Women’s Health, pediatrics, behavioral health, dental, podiatry and ophthalmology. The ambulatory care center now features a 30,000-square-foot Women and Children’s Center, as well as a state of the art digital imaging center with a new CT scanner. The new center also features an expanded entrance, and four-story atrium with more comfortable public seating and waiting areas. HHC Gouverneur Health was the first facility within HHC to be designated as a Patient Centered Medical Home.
Earlier this year HHC Gouverneur Health was one of six large Diagnostic and Treatment centers to be reorganized with 33 smaller primary care community and school based clinics into one new community health center designated by the federal government. The new Gotham Health, Inc. demonstrates HHC’s role as a large outpatient care network committed to preventive care to keep communities healthy.
The project was managed by the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) and was constructed by the Hunter Roberts Construction Group. The project was funded by the City of New York, with additional grants from the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, the Office of Manhattan Borough President, the New York City Council and the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Patients seeking more information or to make an appointment at HHC Gouverneur Health should contact: HHC Gouverneur Health, 227 Madison Street, New York, NY 10002, 212-238-7897, or visit the HHC Gouverneur Health website.
Contact: Ian Michaels, (212) 788-3339
Nash Dunlap, (212) 238-7766
About NYC Health + Hospitals/Gouverneur
NYC Health + Hospitals/Gouverneur provides primary and specialty outpatient care through its Diagnostic and Treatment Center (D&TC) and residential care for the elderly and infirmed in its Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF). NYC Health + Hospitals/Gouverneur offers enhanced, cutting edge healthcare services in a transformed space. It is the largest freestanding D&TC in New York, providing more than 250,000 visits per year on the Lower East Side. NYC Health + Hospitals/Gouverneur provides a comprehensive array of on-site services, including pediatrics, women’s health, dentistry, primary care, behavioral health, podiatry, optometry, ENT, digital imaging, infections disease, and other specialties and sub-specialties. NYC Health + Hospitals/Gouverneur’s Skilled Nursing Facility provides 24-hour care for individuals in need of short-term or long-term care. Residents receive medical, nursing and rehabilitative care in an atmosphere of dignity and compassion. Therapy services include physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech and audiology, and vocational rehabilitation. For more information contact 212-238-7897.
About NYC Health + Hospitals
NYC Health + Hospitals is a $6.7 billion integrated healthcare delivery system and is the largest municipal healthcare organization in the country. HHC provides a wide range of high quality and affordable healthcare services to 1.4 million New Yorkers every year and more than 475,000 are uninsured. HHC offers medical, mental health and substance abuse services, as well as specialized care for a wide range of health conditions through its numerous Centers of Excellence. Comprehensive, personalized care is available to all New Yorkers at HHC’s 11 acute care hospitals, five skilled nursing facilities, six large diagnostic and treatment centers and more than 70 community based clinics. HHC Health and Home Care also provides in-home services for New Yorkers. HHC’s own MetroPlusHealth Health Plan is one of the New York area’s largest providers of government-sponsored health insurance and is the plan of choice for 445,000 New Yorkers. HHC was the 2008 recipient of the National Quality Forum and The Joint Commission’s John M. Eisenberg Award for Innovation in Patient Safety and Quality. Several HHC facilities have been recognized nationally for clinical excellence and commitment to quality achievements. For more information, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org/hhc or find us on facebook.com/NYCHealthSystem or twitter.com/NYCHealthSystem.