JAMESTOWN, N.Y. -- UPMC Chautauqua WCA Hospital recently broke ground on an 18,000 square foot addition to relocate and expand two key departments. Funding for the $20 million expansion came from a state grant awarded to the hospital last year. The addition will be built atop the Emergency Department and feature a new state-of-the-art maternity unit with larger rooms, complete with a shower and more room for Dad.
It'll also house a new adult and adolescent mental health unit, and move current services from Jones Memorial Health Center, giving staff easier access to the main campus. Hospital leaders say the expanded mental health unit will come complete with therapy and dining areas, as well as a gym. It'll also provide psychiatric services to kids and adults in-house.
"We definitely are seeing an increase in medically complex and geriatric patients," said Lorraine Diggs, UPMC Chautauqua WCA Nursing VP, chief nursing officer.
"We're always looking at meeting the needs of the community and this helps us to better meet those needs," said Betsy Wright, UPMC Chautauqua WCA CEO, president. "So we believe it's going to enhance the care that we're able to provide and the safety for our patients and staff."
The project is set to be complete in mid-2019.