With the first wall “broken,” the renovations for Clifton Springs Hospital & Clinic’s new Medical Village are officially underway. Hospital staff members and friends gathered to celebrate the beginning of the work yesterday at a ceremonial wallbreaking.
Eric Bieber, MD, president and CEO of Rochester Regional Health, described the event as a “pivotal moment” in the hospital’s history.
“Clifton Springs is taking a major step forward, the first of many that will bring significant change to its infrastructure and the overall patient experience,” said Bieber.
Scheduled to be completed by January 2020, the Medical Village, an outpatient care center of more than 50,000 square feet, will enable the addition and expansion of programs that focus on community wellness. The $32 million project became a reality when the hospital was awarded a $25.5 million grant from New York State through the Capital Restructuring Financing Program. In October, it received an additional $3 million in commitments from local donors Marjorie B. Morris and G.W. Lisk, Co., Inc.
According to Dustin Riccio, MD, president of Rochester Regional Health’s Eastern Region Hospitals, the renovations will provide necessary and timely upgrades to the aging hospital.
“Our people provide exceptional care and our facilities should reflect that level of care,” said Riccio. “ We are making changes that will improve access to services, enhance the patient experience and enable our teams to continue delivering outstanding clinical quality. As one of the largest providers of health care in Ontario County, we believe this is vitally important for our community.”
A recent community needs assessment underscored the importance of adding providers for primary care, behavioral health services and specialty medical services, such as surgery, in Ontario County. The Medical Village will help the hospital directly address these areas.
Near the end of the wallbreaking ceremony, Bob Woodhouse, board chair of G.W. Lisk, Co., Inc., announced that Lisk and the Morris family will match all gifts to Clifton Springs Hospital & Clinic until December 31, 2019, up to a total of $1.5 million.
The gift match will serve as the basis of the Lisk-Morris Family Community Challenge. All gifts made to the challenge will help the hospital reach its $12 million goal for Because Care Matters, Rochester Regional Health’s $300 million, system-wide fundraising effort.
“Together we can help create the hospital we want for ourselves and our families and the kind of hospital we’re all proud to have in our community,” said Woodhouse to his fellow community members. “If everyone joins in, we can easily meet this challenge and be stronger for it.”
