Rome Health continues facilities transformation

ROME — Transformation continues to be on the agenda at Rome Health, which will kick off a $30 million project this fall to build four new operating rooms. 

That comes in the wake of renovating the Rome Health Medical Center last year and the grand opening of a new women’s surgical suite earlier this year.

“We’re working through the final stages of the really specific design,” for the new operating rooms, says Rome Health COO Ryan Thompson. “We’re working toward getting a shovel in the ground this year.”

The four new operating rooms will replace ones in use for nearly 60 years and will be larger with all the necessary systems to power current surgical technology, Thompson says. Rome Health received $26 million in state health care facility transformation grant funds for the project.

All the work is part of a continuing quest to provide the best services possible to the community, he says. That even carries over to patient technology with a newly redesigned website that is mobile friendly. 

Between the construction projects and Rome Health’s employees, the health-care system remains a robust contributor to the area’s economy, Thompson notes.

“At nearly 1,000 employees, that’s significant workforce generation in the community,” he says. “I like to say that jobs bring more jobs.”

According to a recent economic-impact analysis, Rome Health contributes more than $158 million to the local economy. That includes more than $16 million in tax dollars, according to a Healthcare Association of New York State, Inc., analysis.

The majority of Rome Health’s funding comes from Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance, and each dollar received generates about $1.60 in economic benefit to the community. “Those dollars are really well spent,” Thompson contends.

The various construction projects have created numerous jobs, and the recent state news that the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for employees would no longer be enforced as the state Department of Health works to sunset the regulation means overall employment at Rome Health may increase as well.

“This just helps us open up more opportunity to get good colleagues here at Rome Health,” Thompson says.

Rome Health has been busy reaching out to those employees who left due to the mandate and inviting them to return, he notes. “In health care, every staff member counts.” The organization currently has about 70 job titles open, with some titles offering multiple job openings. 

Along with the new medical center and women’s surgical suite, Rome Health also added a community pharmacy in the 31,000-square-foot medical center.

A nonprofit health-care organization, Rome Health serves the greater Rome community with services ranging from primary care to specialty care. It’s an affiliate of St. Joseph’s Health and an affiliated clinical site of New York Medical College.