By Susan Elise Campbell
Looking into the year ahead, Glens Falls Hospital is expanding or introducing several services designed to help improve the experience of being a patient in, or a visitor to, the hospital, according to President and CEO Paul Scimeca.
“We are very proud of the care we provide,” said Scimeca. “We are a safety net for a very large service area, which covers 6,000 square miles of the Adirondacks.”
Many patients funneling down to Glens Falls Hospital from this large region need care for age-related medical conditions, reflecting the demographics of the general population.
Others have behavioral issues to address and few places to go. To benefit this segment of the community, Scimeca said the hospital is in the process of relocating its Behavioral Health Crisis Unit so that it can be expanded from seven beds to 13.
“This unit is part of our emergency department and is moving into an under-utilized space adjacent to the emergency room,” he said. “We have a significant number of patients, particularly pediatric and adolescent patients, who need crisis care.”
The expanded unit will accommodate that influx of patients who come through the ER with non-medical issues and that are behavioral in nature.
“They may have an acute crisis or some other behavioral health issue to address,” said Scimeca. “The crisis unit brings together the professionals, the social workers, physicians and psychiatrists, who work with that patient to develop a plan to support their care.”
At times a patient has both medical and behavioral issues and in such a case, Scimeca said, the hospital is committed to “making sure we treat the whole patient.”
Another recently relocated program that Scimeca is pleased to announce is the Hearing Center for those who need diagnostic care or hearing aids to be prescribed or fitted, he said.
“This program is now at 101 Ridge Street, a space we rent and which will better serve our growing senior population,” he said. “It’s important to note that our region is primarily a Medicare population. In fact, we are one of the oldest regions in the country, demographically.”
Thus, the Hearing Center is geared toward patients aged 65 years and older. It is centrally located in the heart of downtown, near the hospital, and accessible by public transportation, he said.
“But more importantly, it provides a larger space for accommodating the growing number of patients,” said Scimeca. “This should meet the needs of the region for quite a while.”
Another service the community can access is the relocation and expansion of a community pharmacy within the main campus.
“Right here in the lobby of 100 Park Street we have a pharmacy available as a convenience for patients at the hospital,” he said. “Now anybody can use it and have continuity of care by a pharmacist whether you’re a patient of Glens Falls Hospital or not.”
“The newest piece is that pharmacy hours are expanded to Saturday mornings starting January 6th,” said Scimeca.
“There is not only public transportation straight to the front door, but also, Monday through Friday, valet service can park your car for you while you pick up a prescription or speak with a pharmacist,” he said.
“Again, it makes it easier for our elderly patients to access a pharmacy,” he said.
In the areas of technology and equipment, Scimeca said “we are regularly improving and updating, especially in oncology and cardiology and surgery, reflecting on our community as an aging population.”
The hospital is undergoing a system change with the entire Albany Med Health System as it transitions to a single electronic medical record later this year, he said.
“If you’re a patient anywhere in the Albany Med system you will be able to have a single medical record that will go with you and make it easier for caregivers to see your entire profile,” said Scimeca.
“All affiliates have to convert data from existing EMRs into the new format, and our hospital has been working on this for well over a year,” he said. “Albany Med will first go live in March and the other three hospitals in the system will follow in October.”
Scimeca said Glens Falls Hospital has made significant progress in recruitment, despite industry-wide challenges.
“We have been very successful with our nurse residency program, especially within specialty areas of nursing, which allows us to develop the next generation of caregivers,” he said.
“Recruitment is a long-term problem that won’t be solved quickly, but we have had great success and will continue down that path,” he said.
To make the patient experience better, Scimeca said a new café was opened in the hospital lobby in December. The Park Street Bistro is open seven days a week and provides a place for staff, patients and visitors to get food in an atmosphere different from the hospital cafeteria.
“It has been very well received, has a wonderful menu, and people are really enjoying it,” he said.
In 2023 Glens Falls Hospital brought back its therapy dog program and there are now 20 specially trained and certified dogs supporting patients and staff, said Scimeca.
“These are volunteers throughout the community and the program continues to expand by word-of-mouth,” he said. “The puppies are such a great addition to the team.”