St. James Mercy Hospital in Hornell unveiled its newly renovated and relocated 26-bed Adult Psychiatric Unit at a public open house on April 24. The unit was due to officially open for patient care later this spring.
The 12,500-foot unit includes 18 patient rooms, two group activities rooms with kitchen, group therapy area, two "comfort" rooms, an exam room and family visiting area.
"Our key goals with this project were to create contemporary space to unify St. James Mercy Hospital’s adult inpatient psychiatric services, improve the care experience for patients and their families, and meet or exceed all New York state life safety standards," Patricia Uldrich, the hospital’s chief nursing officer, said in a statement.
"The benefits of the new unit are many," added Dr. Raja Rao, chief of psychiatry. "The sleeping, quiet room quarters, and inpatient day treatment are now located on the same floor. This enhances overall safety and allows better management of patients who have coexisting medical problems. The two ‘comfort rooms’ feature multi-sensory stimulation tools to help patients learn stress-reducing behaviors, and the larger family space provides more comfort and privacy with a relaxing atmosphere."
Initial work on the Adult Psychiatric Unit began in 2010. Upon approval of a certificate of need application by the state’s Department of Health and Office of Mental Health, pre-construction upgrades were completed, as well as the construction bid process. Funding assistance for the project was provided by Catholic Health East, a coalition of Catholic health-care institutions operating in several states.
