SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Upstate Medical University on Friday formally opened the Nappi Wellness Institute located across East Adams Street from the Upstate Cancer Center.
The building is named for Sam and Carol Nappi, whose $8 million donation to the Upstate Foundation back in 2017 represents the largest gift in the organization’s history, Upstate said in a news release about the new facility. The project broke ground back in 2020.
In addition to the gift from the Nappis, funding for the $158 million project came from a $70.6 million grant as part of the New York State Department of Health’s Capital Restructuring Financing program and Essential Health Care Provider Support program. The state also issued an additional $70.6 million in matching bonds, Upstate noted.
“[Sam and Carol] told us that their very highest priority was to help build a world class facility, assemble a renowned medical team, and fund groundbreaking research with a focus of curing, not just managing, but curing Alzheimer’s disease, on a better understanding of brain health, and on improving wellness,” Dr. Mantosh Dewan, president of Upstate Medical University, said in his remarks during the ceremony.
The Nappi Wellness Institute includes the expanded, multi-disciplinary Center of Excellence for Alzheimer’s Disease, which Dewan described as a “key feature” of the building.
Besides Dr. Dewan, Gov. Kathy Hochul, SUNY Chancellor John King, Jr., and Carol Nappi also spoke to the gathering during the ceremony.
The crowd gathered for the noon-hour ceremony under a shaded area near the building entrance on a warm spring day with plenty of sunshine.
The five-story, 209,615-square-foot building will be the centerpiece of Upstate’s outpatient care, “bringing key ambulatory services under one roof.” The floor plan features 240 exam and consult rooms with workstations located to facilitate and foster provider interactions.
Patient care in the new building will begin June 13 and will be “rolled out” in various stages through July, Upstate said.
The building’s design integrates preventive medicine with an emphasis on wellness, Upstate said. The facility has been built to WELL building standards with design features to address air, comfort, fitness, light, mind, nourishment and water.
The Nappi Wellness Institute houses services, practices, and programs that include adult and pediatric primary care, geriatrics, radiology, laboratory services, behavioral health, family medicine, pediatrics, the Center for International Health, Inclusive Health Services, and the Joslin Center for Diabetes (adults and pediatrics), which has relocated from its East Genesee Street location three miles away. The building also features several supportive ancillary services and Connect Care to ensure “seamless” post-acute follow-up for patients.