Oddo, Council Delegation Secure $8.5M in Capital Funds for Expanded SICU and Maternity Unit
July 12, 2021 – Plans to modernize and expand the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) and Maternity Unit at Richmond University Medical Center (RUMC) received $8.5 million in the New York City budget for fiscal year 2022 thanks to all of Staten Island’s city elected officials. A total of $7.5 million was allocated to RUMC from the Staten Island City Council Delegation, with an additional $1M coming from Staten Island Borough President James Oddo. All $8.5 million is included in the city’s FY22 capital budget.
“We are extremely grateful to Borough President Oddo, Council Members Rose, Matteo, and Borelli for their continued support of our hospital,” RUMC President and Chief Executive Officer Daniel J. Messina, PhD, FACHE, said. “Throughout their entire time in public office, they have proven their dedication to our hospital over and over again. Thanks to each of them, we have been able to continuously expand our healthcare services across Staten Island, increasing access to our advanced services. At the same time, their support has also assisted us in procuring the latest state-of-the-art technology so we can perform the most advanced, leading-edge procedures right here on Staten Island. Their partnership has helped us save lives and improve the overall health of our community.”
Located on the first and second floors of RUMC, the newly renovated maternity unit will be designed to provide a more relaxing and private space for mothers, babies and their families. Nearly 3,000 babies are born at RUMC each year. As Staten Island’s only hospital designated by UNICEF and the WHO as “Baby Friendly,” renovations to the maternity unit are designed to enhance the mother-baby bonding experience through new spacious and completely private, single bed patient rooms.
“In addition to enhanced privacy, this conversion of all rooms from semi-private to private will address the health concerns of many families as we adjust to the “new normal” created by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Dr. Messina said. “Since all of our current rooms with two beds will be converted into single-bed, we’re adding additional rooms from underutilized space to ensure there is no change to the number of families the hospital can accommodate.”
In addition to the new enhanced privacy factor, the new maternity unit rooms will also include modernized bathrooms, flooring, windows, lighting, and additional amenities. Phase 1 of the project is currently underway. The entire project is scheduled for completion in early 2023.
With patient safety and comfort in mind, RUMC will also be expanding its SICU. The new 14-bed SICU will be directly connected to the second floor of the hospital’s brand new state-of-the-art emergency department, currently under construction. The second floor SICU of this new building will be adjacent to RUMC’s new surgical department that will feature 10 state-of-the-art general and specialty operating suites, private patient rooms, an isolation room, and a cysto procedure room for urology procedures. The new layout of operating suites, patient rooms, nurse stations and hallways throughout the surgical department will maximize patient flow efficiency even during times of high patient volume, and allow for separate access points for ambulatory patients and in-patients.
The SICU project will take about a year to complete once the new 35,000 sq. ft., two-story emergency department is finished in spring of 2022. The first floor of the new emergency department will feature private treatment rooms, expanded trauma care bays, airborne infection isolation treatment rooms, and specialty areas for urgent care, pediatrics, behavioral health emergencies. It will also have eight drive up ambulance bays and a separate results waiting area among many new features to better serve the community.
