We hope area residents haven’t forgotten the Herculean fight several years ago to save Westfield Memorial Hospital from state-imposed closure.

It has been nearly 10 years since the Berger Commission recommended closure of several rural hospitals, including Westfield Memorial Hospital. Area residents spoke loudly and clearly about the need for Westfield Memorial Hospital, and in particular its Emergency Room, to the health and well-being of rural Chautauqua County residents who would have trouble reaching Dunkirk or Jamestown in an emergency. It took a couple of years of fighting, but the hospital was saved.

Now, hospital officials are asking for your support again. This time, they’re asking you to reach into your wallet and support the Renovate Our Emergency Department Campaign. Westfield’s emergency room sees 700 patients a month and more than 8,000 a year. To better help people, hospital officials want to renovate the Emergency Department to include a split-flow system, which directs patients to the proper course of treatment more quickly.

“When a child has a fever raging out of control in the middle of the night, or a father is rushed in after his car careens off the slippery road in winter, or an accident occurs on a near-by farm or an elderly parent is evaluated after a fall, we all recognize the need for this invaluable service,” said Patricia DiPalma, Westfield Memorial Hospital Foundation executive director. “With the ED upgrade slated to begin this winter and to continue into the spring, the foundation is inviting everyone to be a supporter of this incredible effort by joining the RED Campaign.”

To donate, send a tax-deductible gift to the WMH Foundation, 189 E. Main St., Westfield, NY, 14787.

It is important to remember this campaign isn’t important only to our neighbors in the Mayville and Westfield areas. Westfield Memorial Hospital plays an important role in Chautauqua County’s health care ecosystem, so it has a definite impact on WCA Hospital. If you have the means to do so, consider supporting Westfield’s Renovate Our Emergency Department Campaign.