Rome Health readies for construction of new ICU

ROME, N.Y. — With $3 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding in hand, Rome Health will close the James Street entrance, effective Jan. 2, as the hospital prepares for the construction of a new intensive care unit and Kaplan Center for Surgical Services.

Rome Health administration officials recently met with Rome Mayor Jackie Izzo to receive the funding, which had been approved in July by the Rome Common Council.

“We cannot thank Mayor Izzo enough for all that she has done for us here at Rome Health,” COO Ryan Thompson said in a press release. “Mayor Izzo has been an amazing advocate for providing quality healthcare for the people of Rome.”

Preliminary construction work has already begun on the new nine-bed ICU and Kaplan Surgical Center, with a planned completion target date of summer 2026.

With the closing of the James Street entrance, alternate entrances include the emergency department entrance, which is open 24 hours a day, and the Bartlett entrance facing Black River Boulevard, open from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Construction will impact traffic flow and parking for the next 24 to 30 months while the three-story, 30,000-square-foot addition is built.

Traffic flow at the emergency-department entrance will be redirected when construction starts. A new drop-off circle for the emergency department is required and will impact parking, resulting in 24 spots from staff parking directly across from the emergency-department entrance being reassigned to patients and visitors.

The front traffic circle on North James Street will be inaccessible for the duration of the project, and the front lawn area will be utilized for construction vehicles. Part of the lobby will be demolished and reconstructed as part of the project.

“We appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding as we prepare to being construction,” Thompson said in the release. “When complete, the $45.7 million capital project will enhance the experience for patients and their families while supporting the care team in delivering the best care out there here.”

Rome Health is a nonprofit health-care system providing a range of care from primary to specialty services and long-term care. It is an affiliate of St. Joseph’s Health and an affiliated clinical site of New York Medical College.