Earlier today a time capsule was buried outside the main entrance of the new Emergency Department (ED) at Richmond University Medical Center (RUMC). The watertight, stainless steel capsule contains a variety of items celebrating the hospital’s history and its new state-of-the-art Emergency Department. The capsule will be unearthed 50 years from now, in the year 2073.
“As we celebrate this historic moment for Richmond University Medical Center and for our community, we wanted to capture this time for future generations,” RUMC President and Chief Executive Officer, Daniel J. Messina, PhD, FACHE, said. “We invited departments from throughout the hospital to contribute items that reflected the people and events that were happening when we opened our new ED.”
Items contained in the capsule included the ribbon cut at the ceremony unveiling the new Emergency Department held on October 25, 2022, a roster of all current hospital employees and the board of trustees, newspaper articles from the Staten Island Advance covering the opening of the new ED, several department staff photos, and an Emergency Services patch worn by EMTs for RUMC. Also included as a sign of the times was a COVID-19 home testing kit and a facemask with the RUMC logo.
The new 35,000 sq. ft. Emergency Department features expanded trauma and triage areas, and dedicated units for pediatrics, cardiac/stroke emergencies, sexual assault victims, and more. The new Emergency Department also has increased ambulance bays and a larger patient drop off area at its front entrance. Throughout the new Emergency Department, patients will receive care from experienced physicians and medical personnel assigned to RUMC and the world renowned Mount Sinai Health System.
RUMC is an American College of Surgeons (ACS) and New York State Department of Health designated Level I Adult Trauma and Level II Pediatric Trauma Center. This designation means RUMC has trained medical staff, nurses, equipment, and protocols in place to treat all adult and pediatric patients in need of emergency care. RUMC is also a nationally recognized stoke center, Staten Island’s only provider of inpatient behavioral health services for adolescents, and the borough’s only New York State Department of Health certified Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner (SAFE) Center of Excellence. RUMC was also recently recognized as a High Performing Hospital by US News and World Report for its expertise in treating COPD, heart failure and kidney failure.
The new ED is just the latest project completed as part of over $250 million in capital improvement projects at RUMC. In August of 2022, the hospital opened its expanded Medical Intensive Care Unit. This year, a new Co-Gen power plant that will provide electricity, heat and air conditioning to the entire hospital will go on-line, a redesigned Surgical Department with 10-new world class operating suites will open, and a new Mother/Baby Center that features only single-bed suites is scheduled to be completed.
Richmond University Medical Center (RUMC) is a not-for-profit healthcare provider serving the ethnically diverse community of Staten Island and its neighbors. We provide premier-quality patient care through a full spectrum of emergent, acute, primary, behavioral health and educational services. We do this in an environment that promotes the highest satisfaction among patients, families, physicians and staff. For more information call 1-718-818-1234 or visit www.rumcsi.org. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
