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Q&A
Emergency room expansions at Metropolitan and Elmhurst Hospitals
2:44:48
·
122 sec
Council Member Diana I. Ayala discusses the urgent need for emergency room expansions at Metropolitan and Elmhurst Hospitals, highlighting the poor conditions and overcrowding at Metropolitan Hospital in her district. Director Jacques Jiha indicates that an assessment from Health and Hospitals (H&H) is needed to determine the feasibility and funding of these projects.
- The estimated cost for Metropolitan ER expansion has increased from $65 million to $111 million
- Metropolitan Hospital's emergency room is severely overcrowded, often doubling its 25-patient capacity
- The hospital hasn't been renovated since its construction, with outdated room designs hindering patient care
- Jiha commits to having a discussion with H&H about the situation
Diana I. Ayala
2:44:48
Alright.
2:44:50
During the Health and Hospitals executive budget hearing last week, we discussed the urgent need to expand emergency rooms at Metropolitan and Elmhurst Hospitals with Doctor.
2:44:59
Katz and his team.
2:45:00
The Metropolitan ER expansion will cost well, it was estimated at 65, I believe now it's a hundred and 11,000,000.
2:45:08
And the cost of the Elmhurst ER expansion has not been determined yet.
2:45:13
Does R and B believe these capital projects are feasible in the short term?
2:45:16
And what are the potential challenges with these capital projects?
2:45:19
And what are the roadblocks to allocating the necessary funding?
Jacques Jiha
2:45:23
We would need an assessment from H and H so that we could have a better sense of what the needs are and what can be done.
Diana I. Ayala
2:45:35
I I'll just tell you personally, Metropolitan happens to be in my district, and we've been working with the hospital and been able to allocate a significant amount of resources to upgrading some of the equipment and the spaces that are used by patients, but the hospital hasn't really been renovated since it was constructed.
2:45:52
The emergency room has capacity for 25 patients and they often have you know double that amount and so people are like scattered everywhere.
2:46:03
The conditions are just not ideal for providing basic you know medical services.
2:46:11
The rooms are still rooms that are closed in where the staffing nurses and doctors are not even able to see the patients from where they are.
2:46:21
So I've never been to Elmhurst, I can't speak to that, but I would assume that they have similar issues and we have been trying to get this hospital like on the list of priorities for you know quite a number of years and so this year you know obviously have been pushing a little bit more aggressively just because it's it's in really bad condition.
2:46:44
If you see it you probably be a little bit offended by
Jacques Jiha
2:46:48
We'll have a discussion with H and H.