Work starts on ED renovation at Guthrie Cortland Medical Center

CORTLAND — Guthrie Cortland Medical Center (GCMC) says work is beginning on what it describes as a “long-awaited,” $7.2 million renovation project at its emergency department (ED). Some internal work has been underway in recent weeks, but the public-facing portion of the 18-month project starts on Sept. 23.

The project includes multiple phases. The facility’s ambulance bay will be redesigned with the addition of a permanent decontamination area and adjoining rooms in the event of an emergency. The renovation will also focus on patient rooms. The medical center needed more space to accommodate the more than 28,000 visits to the ED each year. The number of rooms will increase from 14 to 23, and all existing and new rooms will now be private, GCMC said. Another project phase will target the waiting room and triage. The space will be redesigned for “patient comfort and flow,” with the addition of a “Nurse First” triage model, which means every patient will initially be evaluated by a nurse to determine the best course of action, reducing wait times, GCMC notes. The project will also focus on behavioral-health space, including three new patient rooms, an activity room for parent or counselor meetings, and a separate nurses station. “This will be especially critical for our pediatric population with mental health concerns,” Wendy Kolodziejczyk, director of critical-care services at Guthrie Cortland Medical Center, says in a statement. “This new space, away from the chaos of an emergency department, will offer our behavioral health population a safe, calm space to heal while they wait for long-term placement.” The phased approach is designed for “minimal impact” to the hospital’s patients and the emergency department will remain open during the entire project. The facility will post signage to “ensure easy navigation” for patients throughout this process and will post updates through traditional and social media. “The Emergency Department is the face of any hospital,” Jennifeer Yartym, president of Guthrie Cortland Medical Center, says. “We are committed to upgrading and elevating the look and feel of our facility to meet the high level of care being offered by our teams inside.”