Jamaica Hospital Medical Center -- Department of Public Affairs -- 8900 Van Wyck Expressway Jamaica, New York 11418
For Immediate Release
Name: Jamaica Hospital Medical Center
Telephone:
Email: info@jamaicahospital.org
Jamaica Hospital Announces Groundbreaking For New Emergency Department
Jun 16,2023
Jamaica Hospital Medical Center has announced that it will be breaking ground for its new Emergency Department (ED) on Friday, June 16th. This is the first major expansion of the hospital’s ED to occur in over three decades.
Joining the hospital in commemorating the momentous occasion is special guest speaker New York Governor Kathy Hochul. The Governor awarded Jamaica Hospital $150 million in funds for the expansion, as part of the Statewide Health Care Facility Transformation Program.
Jamaica Hospital has been part of the Queens community since 1891. Today, the hospital cares for a culturally diverse population of nearly 800,000 people, and is the busiest trauma center in New York City, the only Joint Commission accredited Comprehensive Stroke Center in Queens, and a Primary Heart Attack Center providing essential services to the community. Jamaica Hospital has also been named one of America’s 250 Best Hospitals by Healthgrades for four consecutive years.
Over the years, Jamaica Hospital has made improvements to meet the needs of our community. One such improvement involved building a comprehensive campus in 1989, which included an Emergency Department with a capacity to treat 60,000 patients. Jamaica Hospital’s patient population has grown significantly since then, creating a greater demand for emergency services.
To address this issue and better serve growing communities in Queens, Jamaica Hospital is building a brand-new, state-of-the-art, Emergency Department. The new ED will double in size and have the capacity to treat over 150,000 patients annually.
In addition to increased space, the ED designed with efficiency and safety in mind, will incorporate a layout that allows for better patient privacy, experience, and safety.
The new Emergency Department design features more isolation rooms with negative air pressure to prevent the spread of airborne diseases such as COVID-19. State-of-the-art trauma rooms equipped with the latest technology will also be added to support the demands of the busiest trauma center in New York City.
Another component of the expansion includes the addition of 22 intensive care unit (ICU) beds. The need for an increase in ICU beds was made apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic when Jamaica Hospital found itself at the epicenter of the outbreak treating a surge of critically ill patients.
Jamaica Hospital’s Emergency Department expansion project is expected to be completed by 2027. The expansion will greatly improve access to quality emergency care in Southeast Queens and neighboring communities. “We thank Governor Hochul for supporting and investing in New York Hospitals. Her commitment to building a strong and equitable healthcare system will undoubtedly help our organization and others to provide the highest quality care to the communities we serve,” stated Jamaica Hospital President and CEO, Bruce J. Flanz.