Guthrie Cortland Medical Center Announces Start Date For $7.2 Million Dollar Emergency Department Expansion – To Remain in Full Operation

Guthrie Cortland Medical Center has announced the start date for their much anticipated Emergency Department renovation and expansion project. Guthrie says the project will begin on Monday, September 23rd and cost an estimated $7.2 million dollars. Renovation work will not affect the Emergency Department for patients and will remain fully operational during the 18-month project.

A majority of the renovations will take place within the facility with one noticeable change from the exterior, the removal of the ambulance bay. Guthrie says the bay will be redesigned with the creation of a permanent decontamination area and adjoining rooms for the event of an emergency.

Guthrie Cortland Medical Center President Jennifer Yartym spoke to X101 News on the importance of a permanent decontamination area and its use for local first responders and/or patients, but also noted now with a permanent decontamination area, it removes the inefficient and inconvenient temporarily decontamination area there currently is.

“We’re really excited to be able to provide that [decontamination] service to our community because currently if there were an instance in the dead of winter those individuals would have to be decontaminated outside in the elements, in a tent.” Yartym said to X101 News.

The project will be conducted in phases with additional patient rooms in the Emergency Department also being added. Currently Guthrie Cortland has 14 beds in the department, renovations will create 23 with all rooms to be private instead of divided by curtains. Guthrie Cortland’s Emergency Department receives over 28,000 patients each year.

Guthrie’s waiting area and triage area will also see major improvements for better comfort and flow. A Nurse First triage model will be added in the department. The model will have every patient who enters be initially evaluated by a nurse who will then determine the best course of action for the patient. Guthrie says this will help reduce wait times in the department.

“The Emergency Department is the face of any hospital,” said Jennifer Yartym. “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.”

In addition to additional beds in the Emergency Department, Guthrie will also include three new patient rooms dedicated to behavioral health. There will also be an activity room for parent and/or counselor meetings along with a separate nurses station.

“This will be especially critical for our pediatric population with mental health concerns,” said Wendy Kolodziejczyk, Director of Critical Care Services, Guthrie Cortland Medical Center. “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.”

Signage will be in place to help guide patients during the renovation process. Guthrie will also provide continuous updates through their social media accounts.