Little Falls Hospital plans renovation project

LITTLE FALLS — Little Falls Hospital is set to begin a $12.3 million expansion and renovation project to upgrade the facility to meet the rising need for outpatient services.

The project, which will help the facility accommodate a double-digit increase in the demand for outpatient services, will focus on the hospital’s surgical suite as well as radiology, cardiology, and rehabilitation services.

“In just the last several years, demand for most services at the hospital has grown by double digits,” CEO Michael Ogden said in a news release. “Since 2006, when we became an affiliate of the Bassett Healthcare Network, we’ve invested nearly $8 million in improving the emergency department, establishing a dialysis center operated by Bassett, an adult day center operated by Valley Health Services, and making renovations to the inpatient unit.

“Now, it’s clear we need to make a similar investment in improving the hospital’s outpatient facilities to keep up with the demands, needs, and expectations of our patients.”

Over the next two years, Little Falls Hospital will update its 50-year-old surgical suite, consolidate and modernize physical and occupational therapy services, expand cardiology services, and add cardiology diagnostic testing and consults. The hospital will also consolidate radiology services, expand the area for women’s services, construct a dedicated emergency entrance for ambulances, and replace an obsolete emergency backup system with a modern one.

The hospital will fund the project with a Health Care Efficiency and Affordability Law for New Yorkers (HEAL NY) grant, assistance from the Kirby Foundation, bequests to the hospital, and other private and community funding sources.

Little Falls Hospital handles between 14,000 and 15,000 emergency visits each year, performs more than 80,000 lab tests, handles more than 10,000 physical therapy sessions, and performs more than 1,000 outpatient surgeries.

Contact DeLore at tgregory@tmvbj.com