MEDINA: Hospital redesign will create therapy room

By Nicole Coleman/colemann@gnnewspaper.com
The Journal-Register

September 07, 2007 02:59 pm

— A $300,000 renovation of Medina Memorial Health Care System’s ground floor for the creation of a state-of-the art Cardiac-Pulmonary and Physical Therapy Gym should be completed by February.
The therapy gym marks the first of its kind at the hospital, Chief Executive Officer Jim Sinner said. The renovation will reallocate the small rooms and offices currently used for therapy and speech pathology services, allowing for open spaces that are more conducive to patient care.
Sinner said the renovation will triple the size of the current facilities due to increasing demands for the therapy services. Construction officially began Tuesday.
“We’re modernizing,” Sinner said. “We’re building something we’ve never had before. This is going to look like a whole different place.”
Approximately 2,550 square feet will be dedicated to physical therapy, and another 1,870 square feet for cardio-pulmonary therapy, said Director of Plant Operations Tom Schoenle. The entire ground floor contains 23,000 square feet.
Therapy services in the new gym will include respiratory therapy, occupational and physical therapy and speech pathology for heart attack victims, those recovering from bypass surgery or cardiomyopathy and individuals suffering from angina, among others.
New ventilation systems will be installed, and the new equipment will be purchased. Existing walls will be knocked down to create an organized layout.
“It’s going to increase the number of patients we can service,” Sinner said. “The patient flow will be better and the overall experience of the care we provide will be better.”
The rehabilitation unit at the hospital is the only Commission of Accreditation Rehabilitation facilities in Western New York, Sinner said. There is also a 15-bed comprehensive medical rehabilitation for stroke victims on the first floor of the hospital.
The project will be funded entirely by community contributions through the Medina Health Care Foundation, said Director of Foundation Operations Candy Schoenle. It took three years of fundraising to obtain the $300,000 needed for the renovation. The changes were approved and certified in June by the state health department.
The last renovation project was completed three years ago, Sinner said. Patient rooms and offices on the second floor were entirely remodeled.
Parts of the ground floor date back to 1928, Sinner said, although other renovations and expansions took place in 1957, 1969, 1981 and 1991. Sinner would next like to look into updating the remainder of the ground floor, particularly the lobby and waiting areas.
Medina Memorial Health Care System started as a nine-bed hospital and will be celebrating its 100th anniversary in the community next year. The hospital serves 45,000 residents in Orleans, eastern Niagara and northern Genesee counties.
Contact reporter Nicole Coleman at (585) 798-1400, ext. 2227.

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