Albany Medical Center Plans to Build Region’s First Pediatric ED

ALBANY, N.Y. – Albany Medical Center plans to construct the region’s first pediatric emergency department. It will be the only one of its kind in northeastern New York and western New England.

The four-story, 70,500-square-foot pediatric ED, expected to be completed late 2018, will be open 24/7, seven days a week. Located adjacent to a former emergency department, it will provide a setting designed specifically for the needs of children and their families, and offer access to a full range of pediatric specialists.

Annually, there are nearly 16,000 pediatric visits to Albany Med’s ED: 80 percent of the children are treated and released, while 20 percent are admitted to the Bernard & Millie Duker Children’s Hospital at Albany Med.

Features of the pediatric ED will include:

• Triage area to immediately assess the severity of illness or injury
• Fast-track unit for children and teens with less serious conditions
• Observation unit for stays up to 23 hours
• Private rooms designed for the safety and comfort of children and parents
• Onsite X-ray and imaging
• Negative pressure rooms for suspected contagious disease
• Peaceful and child-friendly décor and child-size equipment
• Games, toys and television to provide a distraction for children
• Valet parking
• Easy access for ambulances
• Nearby rooftop medical helicopter pad

In addition, the facility will be staffed with physicians, nurses and mid-level providers trained in pediatric emergency medicine.

The $50-million project will be funded by loans and donations, including $20 million in philanthropic funding for development and support of the facility. The project has received generous support from the community, including New York State Assembly members Patricia Fahy and John McDonald.

Excavation on the site will begin later this spring after the demolition of the P-Building, which formerly held the ED’s administrative offices, and the completion of other construction preparation work.

Consigli Construction Co., Inc. is managing construction of the pediatric ED and Hyman Hayes Associates is the architect for the project.

Photo source: http://www.amc.edu/.