New York State approves Strong West ED in Brockport

State approves Strong West ED

Brockport, NY – The New York State Department of Health has granted approval
for an off-campus Emergency Department at UR Medicine’s Strong West site in Brockport.

It is the first such model in Upstate New York.

The current urgent care center will switch over to become Strong West Emergency at 8 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 19.

The long-awaited approval means a return of 24-hour emergency care to the Brockport area, which has lacked emergency services since Lakeside Memorial Hospital closed in spring 2013.

UR Medicine’s Strong Memorial Hospital has worked closely with New York State DOH since last summer, submitting plans to develop an off-campus ED.

This health care model has been adopted by several other downstate institutions.

Off-campus EDs are designed to offer acute emergency care for patients and are open around the clock, seven days a week.

Unlike urgent care centers, these EDs can accept patients brought in by an ambulance and are staffed by a physician 24 hours a day.

Off-campus EDs have no in-patient hospital beds.

Strong West will have three short-term observation beds.

Patients who require more intensive care and hospitalization will be treated and transferred to UR Medicine’s Strong Memorial, Highland Hospital or a hospital the patient chooses.

Strong West Urgent Care will remain open through Tuesday morning, with staff – including an Emergency Medicine physician – on site 24 hours a day.

Strong West emergency site is now open

Neeti Upadhye

Staff writer

UR Medicine’s Strong West urgent care facility in Brockport switched over to an emergency department Tuesday morning. The state Department of Health approved Strong West’s off-campus emergency department, making it the first such site in upstate and western New York, according to Bryan O’Donovan, Strong West administrator of operations. “We are not attached to a hospital with inpatient beds,” O’Donovan said. “So that’s what makes us unique.” O’Donovan said urgent care centers are staffed by nurses and have limited business hours, but off-campus EDs will have a physician on duty at all times and are open every day, around the clock. The new ED also can accept patients transported by ambulance, which the urgent care center could not.

“We will have labs and X-ray imaging on-site,” O’Donovan said. “Which will really help with efficiency.”

Dr. Michael Kamali, Strong West medical director, said the return of higher-level, 24-hour emergency care is an asset to the Brockport area, which has lacked emergency services since Lakeside Memorial Hospital closed in spring 2013. There was a concern that some patients were putting off being seen because it was inconvenient to travel to the next nearest hospital.

“Patients will no longer have to bypass Brockport and head toward Rochester for their emergency needs,” he said. “If they are sick and in need, they can get care here any time of day.”

The Strong West ED is primarily an ambulatory care model, but will have three short-term observation beds. Those patients requiring more care will be treated and taken to a hospital chosen by the patient. Strong West has 100 employees at the new emergency room, half of whom are former Lakeside personnel.

Kathy Parrinello, Strong Memorial Hospital chief operating officer, said it’s too early to say if UR Medicine will open other off-campus EDs.

“We’ll have to see how this evolves,” she said. “This may be a model for others.”

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