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Date: 6/14/2022
NORTHAMPTON – Cooley Dickinson Health Care is in the midst of a capital campaign this summer to fund a $19.76 million expansion of the Florence hospital.
According to the hospital, its Emergency Department is currently undersized by as much at 40 percent, vastly inadequate to meet the needs of the community and many patients who require critical medical attention. The number of patients visiting the department has doubled from 17,000 in the 1970s to nearly 34,000 in recent years, information provided by Cooley Dickinson stated.
“The Emergency Department is in essence our front door and often patients and their families who come in for care are at their most vulnerable,” said Dr. Lynnette Watkins, president and CEO of Cooley Dickinson Health Care.
“It’s important for us to provide a safe, warm, welcoming environment to every patient, and this campaign will help ensure that we can. We rely on great community partners, like bankESB, who give so generously in support of the care that we provide every day,” added Watkins.
There have been major donations made of late, including a sum of $500,000 matching challenge grant by bankESB. bankESB will continue to match every dollar donated until Dec 31 and another private donor gave $1 million.
“This challenge grant is a wonderful opportunity for you to make a gift that has an even greater impact because of bankESB’s generosity. I encourage everyone to help us meet this challenge. And know that your gift supports the care that is provided here, in your community,” added Watkins.
Hampshire County has a high rate of mental health hospitalizations in general, with over 1,037 hospitalizations per 100,000 residents compared to 853 per 100,000 for the entire state of Massachusetts.
As of now, Cooley Dickinson’s current behavioral health pod, despite being a state-of-the-art unit, is half the necessary size to fully serve the community. By increasing the number of these specialized spaces, the health pod hopes to create a healing environment that respects the privacy of all.
“Shorter wait times, increased privacy, improved coordination and continuity of care, and enhanced delivery of care – from infants to elders/geriatric patients – that is what Transforming Emergency Care: Campaign for the Cooley Dickinson Emergency Department will bring to the front door of our community hospital at its core: ensuring safe, high-quality emergency care is available 24/7 for you and the people you love,” said Diane Dukette, chief development officer, Cooley Dickinson Health Care.
Cooley Dickinson Hospital’s Emergency Department has an open door 24 hours a day policy that continues 365 days a year. Last year the Emergency Department had just below 34,000 visits despite surging COVID-19 cases.
The new streamlined admissions process project will add renovations to the admissions area in an attempt to further delineate this space from the waiting area, hoping to increase patients’ sense of privacy and improving their admission experience.