LFH News

Posted 12/7/06

Little Falls Hospital awarded more than $2 million in matching grant funds    

Little Falls, NY – Following the recent announcement from Governor Pataki, Little Falls Hospital has received notification from the New York State Department of Health that it has been awarded more than $2 million in matching grant funds provided through the Healthcare Efficiency and Affordability Law for New Yorkers (HEAL NY Phase II).  HEAL II grant funds were awarded to hospitals and nursing homes that have demonstrated a commitment to investing in the restructuring and reconfiguration of their facility to further improve the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of the delivery of care to patients.

Little Falls Hospital will use these funds to modify and reconfigure several clinical areas throughout the facility.  This will result in improved efficiency and better patient flow in high volume areas.  Jonathan I. Lawrence, LFH President and CEO, states the project list includes renovations to the emergency room, medical surgical floor, critical care, and operating room facilities.  He emphasizes the timeliness of this grant following the recently announced plans by Bassett Healthcare to expand surgical services at Little Falls Hospital.

Lawrence states that the facilities at LFH will be expanded and the operating rooms upgraded to accommodate an increased demand for surgical services and more complex cases.  He notes there has been a need to increase orthopedic surgical capabilities, as well as access to general surgery and ear, nose and throat surgery. The planned improvements and the availability of Bassett physicians to perform those surgeries at Little Falls Hospital will enable LFH to meet that need.

Additionally, this grant will partially fund the implementation of new computer technology to support a patient archive and communication system (PACS).  PACS stores and transmits medical images such as x-rays, and CT scans, without the costs, inefficiency and time delays associated with traditional film-based image retrieval, distribution and display.

“As the community’s leading provider of acute care, ambulatory surgery and emergency services, this HEAL II award is another prominent success in our continuing efforts to advance the quality and the multitude of services offered to the community,” said Lawrence.