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A national firm with a devotion to rural and community health care has noted a "clear, demonstrable need for a new Brooks-TLC hospital" in a recent report provided to the institution's board of directors and New York state. In its study, which was completed earlier this year, Stroudwater also presented a number of benefits while noting serious concerns if a new facility is not built in Fredonia.
"Without an acute care hospital the nearly 40,000 people in our region who currently rely on Brooks Hospital for acute care needs will be displaced to distant regional hospitals with uncertain capacity to admit them for critical health-care needs," says the report by Stroudwater. The respected agency works with hundreds of rural and community hospitals to create solutions while supporting them in providing the best care in their communities for the long haul.
Since 2016 and 2017, more than $70 million has been set aside by New York state for the building of a new Brooks. According to the most recent proposals -- if the money from Albany is ever released -- a new downsized facility would be built on East Main Street nearly across the street from the entrance to the Fredonia Central Schools location. Plans call for emergency services with 12 bays, 15 medical and surgical beds, four surgical suites and two rooms for procedure, imaging with CT scans, MRI and ultrasound, stat lab services, a pharmacy, support services and a helipad.
In its report, Stroudwater said there is "very strong support" for this model. The current location, at 529 Central Ave. in Dunkirk, has a long list of maintenance issues due to the age of the outdated structure.
In noting benefits for the new building, Stroudwater believes that improvements would include:
-- Better health-care access to surrounding communities due to its proximity to Interstate 90 and Routes 20 and 60.
-- More access for emergency care with the addition of an on-site helipad and emergency medical services.
-- Updated clinical technology and space design to provide high value and efficient care.
-- A building that meets today's standards and expectations to improve recruitment of new clinical and medical professionals.
On the flip side, Stroudwater has serious reservations about continuing in the current location, noting "sustainability will continue to decline leading to a path of closure," the report said. "This will impact quality of life" while also having a negative impact on the economy.
In terms of community health, Stroudwater notes that:
-- The community will have to travel greater distances for basic inpatient and outpatient care, which will impact elderly and low-income populations. With limited transportation resources already, additional public resources will be necessary to address transportation for basic care.
-- A currently stressed EMS system -- both paid and volunteer -- will become more taxed leading to greater delays for emergency response.
-- A decrease in local physicians will result in longer wait periods for office visits for primary and specialty care leading to an overall decline in community wellness.
Economic concerns and its ripple effects also would be worrisome. Stroudwater's report states that without a new Brooks-TLC:
-- There would be less high-paying medical professional jobs that will support commerce in the north county.
-- The State University of New York at Fredonia will be one of nine SUNY campuses without a hospital in the immediate area.
-- Recruitment supporting businesses will be impacted.
-- The area loses an opportunity to benefit from a large construction project generating 115 jobs and $7.7 million in construction wages.
Stroudwater's findings, which were shared with the OBSERVER this week, come on the heels of a recent letter sent to state Gov. Kathy Hochul that noted municipal, county and state leaders are in "strong and unequivocal support for releasing" of the more than $70 million set aside for the project in 2016 and 2017 being released.
"The community has rallied in strong support of the proposed new micro hospital with inpatient beds," said the letter from state Sen. George Borrello and Assemblyman Andrew Goodell. "Recently, a rally sponsored by the New York State Nurses Association and SEIU-1099 drew a large crowd in support of the proposed new hospital, including top elected Democrat and Republican officials."
In the meantime, New York state appears to lack an appetite for making that commitment to releasing those dollars. "Gov. Kathy Hochul is committed to ensuring that every New Yorker has access to essential health services where and when they need it most, and the Department of Health continues to work closely with local stakeholders, Brooks Memorial Hospital leadership and other healthcare providers in Chautauqua County," an official from the state Health Department said.
Brooks-TLC, which has been working with Kaleida Health in Buffalo on this effort, lost more than $55 million from 2018 to 2021. Officials believe a new facility would reduce annual deficits to around $3 million.