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JAMESTOWN -The $20 million UPMC Chautauqua WCA expansion project reached another milestone Thursday when the final structural steel beam was put in place.

UPMC Chautauqua WCA officials and community leaders gather to sign the final steel beam that was put in place on April 12, 2018 as part of the hospital’s expansion effort. (Image from WCA)

Dozens of hospital employees and local officials gathered for the ceremony, which featured iron workers placing a final steel beam atop the future site of the Women’s and Maternity Care Center and Adolescent and Adult Mental Health Inpatient Units.

WCA president Betsy Wright said the new programs are fundamental to the health and safety of the region.

“UPMC Chautauqua WCA has been and will continue to be, the main source of health care for a large percentage of area residents,” Wright said. “Maintaining our hospital as a key provider in this region is critical.  The major goal of the construction project is to consolidate and enhance our current obstetrics and prenatal delivery system and bring inpatient mental health services from Jones Memorial Health Center to the Foote Avenue campus.”

The multi-million-dollar construction project began in mid-September of 2017, commencing with demolition of the existing ambulance building and verification of existing structural features for steel fabrication. Concrete foundations progressed through winter and finished on-time to allow setting of structural steel.

Funds for the project were made possible from New York State through The Essential Health Care Provider Support Program. With the integration of WCA Hospital in 2016 into the UPMC network, UPMC relieved the hospital of its debt, covered its pension obligations, and freed up significant additional monies for future developments.

The two-story WCA addition is located above the hospital’s emergency department. Once completed, the hospital will relocate labor and delivery, post-partum, nursery and an operating room to the new third floor space, while the fourth floor space will house inpatient psychiatric care, including a 10-bed adolescent unit and a 20-bed unit for adults. (Image by WRFA)

In addition, UPMC committed $25 million in capital improvements and more recently, $30 million in information systems.

Steve Kilburn, chair UPMC Chautauqua WCA Board of Directors, said the new building project will serve the growing needs of the community for years to come.

“Today marks yet another milestone in our hospital’s ongoing commitment to provide world-class health care to our region,” Kilburn said. “A state-of-the-art Women’s and Maternity Care Center will serve growing families in our community for years to come. This hospital also remains committed to providing a full-range of behavioral health services, including brand-new inpatient mental health units.  With these and other advances at UPMC Chautauqua WCA, our local health care system grows stronger, our families and communities become healthier, and our hospital’s investment in our local economy becomes even greater.”

The 42,000 square-foot expansion will meet the growing health care needs and feature:

• 4 labor and delivery suites
• 12 post-partum private rooms where patients will be able to heal
• 10 inpatient adolescent mental health rooms
• 20 inpatient adult mental health rooms, including a spacious waiting area,

The expansion will feature the design, space, privacy, and modern amenities our community residents need and deserve.

Image by WRFA

“We are excited for UPMC Chautauqua WCA, Betsy, her leadership team, and hospital staff in their assurance to continue to serve this community with world-class care,” said UPMC VP and CFO of Community Services Division Edward Karlovich. “When UPMC welcomes a new hospital into its network, as we did Chautauqua WCA in 2016, we are as committed to its local communities as the hospital is committed to providing and preserving local health care. This is at the heart of what we do. Together, we advance health care and innovation now and into the future.  We are proud to be a part of this special day and the world-class expansion project that will meet the local needs as outlined today.”

Event attendees included city officials and representatives from Congressman Tom Reed’s office and New York State Senator Cathy Young’s office.

The construction project is slated to open in the summer of 2019.