By Joyce Blay
Staff Writer
LAKEWOOD — Kimball Medical Center debuted Phase I of its Emergency Department/Psychiatric Emergency Screening Service (PESS) expansion with a ribbon-cutting ceremony yesterday afternoon.
According to comments made by Joanne Carrocino, executive director of Kimball Medical Center, in a press release, the expansion will enable the 350-bed hospital, an affiliate of the St. Barnabas Health Care System, to treat nearly 60,000 patients annually in its emergency department. The medical center currently handles more than 42,000 emergency department visits per year.
"We are proud that Kimball Medical Center, a magnet hospital for nursing excellence and the recipient of the Press Ganey Patient Satisfaction Award, continues to be a leader in bringing the best in healthcare services to our community," said Carrocino. "With this expansion, we are redefining emergency care."
The project includes the creation of an outpatient pavilion which will have a satellite radiology department with a state-of-the-art 16-slice CT Scan; a high-tech MRI; and a digital radiographic examination room.
Funding for the expansion of services and facilities will be paid for with $21 million in hospital reserves and $4.35 million from the Kimball Medical Center Foundation through gifts and pledges raised by the Kimball Medical Center Board of Trustees and Foundation Board of Trustees, medical staff, employees, business leaders and friends in the community over a 20-month period. However, in order to raise the remaining $1.65 million it needs to complete payment for the expansion, the hospital is now appealing directly to the public it serves for donations.
"Kimball Medical Center has a long tradition of support from philanthropic individuals, business and organizations in our community," said Caryl Russo, vice president of development of the Kimball Medical Center Foundation in comments made in a press release. "We hope to continue this tradition with strong public support for this endeavor."