Employees and officials at Bradford Regional Medical Center
starting “Building the Future” by digging two small holes Friday
morning.
Andrea Huber, the longest serving employee at BRMC with 43
years, and Dr. Narayan Nayak, the longest tenured physician, with
shovels in hand, signified the beginning of a $15 million
renovation project at a groundbreaking ceremony in the parking lot
next to the Hamsher House.
The project’s aim is to better serve the health care needs of
the area through a multitude of ways, including the expansion of
the emergency and surgical departments, return of rehab services
and a new cardiac rehab department, larger Upbeat area with new
showers and lockers and addition of a new neurosciences center. The
actual digging is tentatively set to begin Oct. 10.
“We are about to begin a very exciting project that will expand
the range of services we offer and impact the excellence of the
care that we deliver,” BRMC president and chief executive officer
George Leonhardt said.
Leonhardt was quick to point out that BRMC did not do this by
itself, but with the help of BRMC employees and teamwork between
local and state officials.
“Beginning three years ago and continuing to today, we have
needed often, and in every instance received, support and
cooperation from the City of Bradford, Bradford Area School
District and McKean County,” Leonhardt said. “These bodies are
represented here today by public servants who determined that this
project would benefit this community and region and then simply
rolled up their sleeves and made sure that it would happen.”
These entities were able to make an impact on the region through
Impact Bradford, an initiative that brought together the city’s
Office of Economic and Community Development with anchor partners
BRMC, Bradford Area School District, University of Pittsburgh at
Bradford and Zippo Manufacturing Co.
“A key in bringing this project to reality has been the $3
million in economic development funds made available through the
larger Impact Bradford effort which succeeded in bringing more than
$9 million from various state funding sources to a series of
economic development projects which will impact this city over the
next few years,” Leonhardt said, pointing out OECD executive
director Ray McMahon’s vision of Impact Bradford as a catalyst for
the project.
“That vision, as strong as it was, though, had to be
communicated and it had to compete successfully with the requests
of many others in the Commonwealth for limited funds,” Leonhardt
said. “This kind of process always is and was in this case a
complex process.”
That, Leonhardt said, is where state Rep. Martin Causer,
R-Turtlepoint, and state Sen. Joe Scarnati, R-Brockway, came
in.
Scarnati was lauded for his efforts in bringing Gov. Ed Rendell
and state funds on board.
“… I can tell all of you that at the end of that process,
(Rendell) made it very clear to me that his support was a direct
result of the efforts of Joe Scarnati.”
Scarnati, in turn, praised the community and in particular,
hospital workers.
“People here in the audience made a difference,” the deputy
majority whip said, adding the various people “work together as a
team. That’s why a community like Bradford moves forward. That
doesn’t happen everywhere.”
The employees were a big part of the day’s celebration. In
addition to Nayak and Huber, members of the Silver Circle stood
around a silver circle painted on the parking lot to watch the
festivities.
The Silver Circle is comprised of health care providers who have
dedicated 25 years or more to the hospital, Leonhardt said.
“We do this as a way of symbolizing that both our past and our
future success belongs to them.”
Known as “Miss Abby” within the hospital family and still
remembered by that name by those who remember her today, Leonhardt
acknowledged a special guest for the day, Leila Abby Schroth. She
graduated from the Bradford Hospital School of Nursing in 1929 and
worked in an administrative/supervisory capacity at Bradford
Hospital from 1935-1972.
The 96-year-old former Bradford resident traveled to the
ceremonies with her family from Jamestown, N.Y.
Larry Segal spoke on the governor’s behalf.
“This project really is near and dear to his heart,” Segal said,
who read a letter from Rendell.
“I am proud to have supported it,” Rendell wrote in a statement.
“Bradford Regional Medical Center has earned a statewide
reputation” as a vital rural health care facility and a “sole
health care provider and regional economic engine.”
This project will “revitalize the city and capitalize on its
assets.”
Mayor Michele Corignani turned her speech, which she said
started to be about congratulations, to one of thank-yous.
“Thank you for letting the City of Bradford be involved in the
process. We know what a success it’s going to be.”
Corignani also paid kudos to McMahon. “Ray makes it work.”
While officials here didn’t know what to expect, neither did the
governor, the mayor said.
“He saw the community pull together, as we always do, and the
boundaries melted. He saw a viable project,” she said.
Dr. Dick McDowell, speaking on behalf of the facility’s Board of
Directors, talked about the investment needed to bring the new
strategic plan – Building the Future – to fruition. In particular,
the administrative team.
“This group spent months looking at data to better understand
where this medical center was not meeting the health care needs of
this region,” McDowell said. “And, then we spend several more
months developing 13 strategic initiatives all of which are
currently in various stages of implementation. This major
renovation of our facility is just one of the 13.”
Sandra McKinley, chairman of the Bradford Hospital Foundation
Board of Directors, said hospital employees have already pledged
$168,000 toward the project and the auxiliary has bestowed its
tallest gift – $300,000.
“I think these incredible pledges speak volumes,” she said.
“What a wonderful day in Bradford and all of McKean County,”
Causer said.
“Bradford Regional Medical Center is a crown jewel of this
region – second to none,” he said, paraphrasing Leonhardt’s guest
column in Friday’s Era.
The Rev. Leo Gallina, pastor of St. Bernard Church, seemed to
sum up the day in his remarks before the opening prayer.
“What a wonderful day for new beginnings in our community,” he
said.
