The grand-opening, Silver Circle ribbon-cutting ceremony at
Bradford Regional Medical Center went off with barely a hitch
Friday morning, to the excitement of everyone on hand.
The only slight delays were a malfunctioning microphone and an
elevator that decided to stop working before the tours were
made.
Wall to wall visitors crammed the new lobby of BRMC to hear a
welcome by George Leonhardt, BRMC president and chief executive
officer, remarks from Edwin O. Pecht, chairman of the board of
directors, and Glen Washington, senior vice president of
operations, among a list of others, and to take tours of the new
wing.
“Today we mark this time on our collective calendars and in the
history book of Bradford Regional, as historic,” said Leonhardt.
“Just 15 months ago, this hospital family stood together on this
site, in a silver circle painted on the pavement, and broke ground
on the building we now stand together in.
“It’s time for you, our community, to make Bradford Regional
your first choice for the services this building houses, provided
by a staff unmatched in their professionalism toward you, unmatched
in their commitment to the economic health of our facility, and
unmatched in their willingness to work toward making this new
Outpatient Service Center the next step toward our future success,”
he continued.
Pecht said he walked through the building for the first time
earlier in the week.
“What struck me was how patient-friendly it’s designed to be. I
was stunned by what I saw – it was like the minutes of the board
meetings from the past few years literally had jumped off the pages
and landed in this building – right on this premier medical
campus,” Precht said to the crowd.
Gladys Frick of Custer City agreed after touring a few of the
floors.
“It’s beautiful, the colors … I just love the colors – it’s
soothing – very nice,” she said.
Each area sports delicately colored walls and carpets – not to
mention large windows that offer lots of light and expansive views
of the surrounding neighborhood.
The ground floor includes Upbeat/Cardiac Rehab, which includes
men’s and women’s showers and lockers, and the SMART/Rehab Services
Center.
Opening in late February, located on the ground floor, is BRMC
Auxiliary HeartStrings Gift Shop and the outpatient services area.
Also from the ground floor, patients can take elevators up to the
new Cancer Care Center on the second floor, which is in affiliation
with Roswell Park Cancer Institute of Buffalo, N.Y.
That area comes with a resource library where patients can use
computers on hand or watch PowerPoint presentations about a
procedure they may need.
Around the corner from the Cancer Care Center is the Heart
Center with Dr. Steven Herrmann, in affiliation with Hamot Heart
Institute of Erie.
The neurosciences and sleep lab is located on the third floor.
The area has a relaxing atmosphere with low lighting. The sleep
rooms are furnished with what looks like all (or more) of the
comforts of home.
Also on the third floor will be the office of Dr. Robert Tahara,
specializing in general and vascular surgery. He also serves as the
director of the hospital’s Peripheral Interventions Program.
The Pediatrics area on the fourth floor is colorfully decorated
with child-friendly borders across the walls and features large
examination rooms.
Taking the tour, Ed Schuetrum said he appreciated the
“brightness” of the new areas, but added, “It is a lot to digest in
one trip. I’d like to go back and look a little more.”
Each floor was teaming with tour guides (members of the
different departments) as well as guests.
In another area, a woman commented on how she liked the fact
that the centers on each floor were made to take patients and
visitors – or employees in most cases, in a circle.
Celebrity visitors included State Sen. Joe Scarnati, R-Brockway
and State Rep. Martin Causer, R- Turtlepoint.
“This is just a building,” said Scarnati. “But the people in it
and the community come together to make it something (more). I
congratulate you for that.”
Causer commented on the fact that it was an exciting day for the
community.
“It’s truly a wonderful day for Bradford – congratulations,” he
added. “George (Leonhardt) and the hospital administration and the
staff pushed this project forward thanks to the community support –
I am happy to be involved.”
The project has received funding through a $3 million mixture of
state economic development money; $6 million in bond refinancing
and $6 million through philanthropy. The facilities management firm
was BBL Medical Facilities of Albany, N.Y.
