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Jersey Shore Hospital Receives $1 Million State Grant
Jersey Shore, PA (November 10, 2006) - State Representative Brett Feese R-PA (84) presented Jersey Shore Hospital a $1,000,000 check today for funding to their new 45,000 square foot addition, already in progress. Authorized by Governor Ed Rendell, the grant is part of the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) designed for the acquisition and construction of regional economic, cultural, civic and historical improvements project.
The annual impact from Jersey Shore Hospital on the region is greater than $32 million, including an annual salary impact of over $10 million. Construction of the new addition will allow the Hospital to meet the new life-safety codes and provide for private patient rooms, more handicap accessibility and a more efficient use of energy and resources. The new facility will also support the addition of new, state-of-the-art technology.
"This project will benefit the Jersey Shore community on a number of different fronts, and it is certainly a welcomed addition," Feese said about the new facility. "From a public safety and health care perspective, the project will help the Hospital ensure all its patients are afforded the best care possible. On the other hand, it will also help support vital family-sustaining jobs for residents throughout the region."
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Seated: Carmen Spinney, M.D., Betsy Crossley, Vice President, Nursing
First Row L to R: Darius Abadi, D.O., President, JSH Medical Staff, Lou
Ditzel, President & CEO, JSH, Hubert Valencik, Chairman of the Board of
Directors, JSH, State Representative Brett Feese, Bob Camerer, Jr.,
Chairman, Jersey Shore Healthcare, Inc., Gilbert Maton, Board of Directors,
JSH
Second Row L to R: Mark O'Neill, Senior Vice President, JSH, Dr. John
Hunter, Board of Directors, JSH, Bill Camerer, Board of Directors, David
Bergerstock, Board of Directors |
Designated as a "Critical Access Hospital" by the State of Pennsylvania and the Medicare Program, JSH is a critical, acute and sub-acute hospital treating 65,000 inpatients and outpatients annually. The emergency department, a major part of the new facility, continues to see increases in patient volumes with 12,000 annually. "We are very thankful to Representative Feese and the Rendell Administration for allowing JSH the opportunity to accept this grant," stated Lou Ditzel, President & CEO of Jersey Shore Hospital. "Our century long mission has been threatened by ongoing issues with an older physical plant and we are confident that we will be providing high quality healthcare to our community for another hundred years, due in large part to this generous grant."
JSH is also a founding member of the nationally recognized Susquehanna Valley Rural Health Partnership (SVRHP), working in collaboration with Bucktail Medical Center, Muncy Valley Hospital and the Williamsport Hospital and Medical Center. The partnership is currently working to develop regional medical IT systems, telemedicine and an electronic medical record. The electronic medical record is an important step to improve patient safety and reduction of medical errors on a nationwide level.
"On behalf of the Board of Directors, Administration and Staff at Jersey Shore Hospital, we cannot express enough gratitude to Representative Feese for supporting our Hospital and ensuring our future," said Hubert Valencik, Chairman of the Board of Directors. Jersey Shore Hospital employs over 225 employees and this grant provides the ability to increase that number in the future. In March, we embarked on a $2.5 million Capital Campaign to support the Building Project and the success of that campaign, along with the RACP grant is, is a testament to the importance of JSH in our community and the services it provides."
The construction of a new 45,000 square foot addition will begin in the near future. Demolition for additional parking and groundwork has already begun. The addition will house a new emergency department, a "horizontal" imaging department, three new surgical suites, inpatient areas with privacy rooms and a state-of-the-art critical care unit. Rehabilitation and physical medicine, a diagnostic laboratory and a new central lobby and registration area are also planned. The 22 month project will house $5 million is new equipment and technology.
For more information regarding Jersey Shore Hospital and the Building Project, visit www.jsh.org.
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