Sierra Miller
On Wednesday October 29th St. Lawrence Health System bought a parcel of land in the Town of Canton for a new hospital building. This 270-acre farm land is the location for a three-phase plan to provide more space and facilities for the county hospitals.
David B. Acker, chief executive officer of St. Lawrence Health System and administrator of Canton-Potsdam Hospital, said the major problem is the rapid growth of Canton Potsdam Hospital. “This is our immediate priority, and we will soon be finalizing plans for a medical office building on our new property,” said Acker.
Canton-Potsdam Hospital has already expanded to St Mary’s Elementary School and the E.J. Noble building to accommodate the increase in staff. “We are now, quite simply, out of room on our Potsdam campus and at our medical office complex in Canton, and we anticipate the need for even more physician office space in the months ahead,” said Acker.
The second step of the plan is to build an ambulatory care center. “Again helping to alleviate over-capacity in Potsdam and bringing this important and growing service closer to our patients in other parts of the region,” said Acker. This center would provide individualized diagnosis and treatment for the Canton region.
Acker said the third part of the plan is still in development. One possibility is a centrally located inpatient, acute-care medical facility. This would consolidate less profitable hospital functions from surrounding local hospitals. Acker hopes that this will cut costs at the smaller hospitals under St Lawrence Health System’s management.
St. Lawrence Health System heads St. Lawrence County’s hospitals including Massena Memorial Hospital, Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center, Ogdensburg, Gouverneur Hospital and Clifton-Fine Hospital, Star Lake. Many of these hospitals face financial difficulty because of their rural patient base said McQuinn.
Acker said this project must be “a collaborative process involving all healthcare providers, our local and state governments, employers and all of us who rely on our healthcare system for the health and wellness of our families.” Linda McQuinn, Canton director of economic development, agreed with Acker. “Canton-Potsdam Hospital is a major contributor of ideas and economic development to the region,” said McQuinn.
St Lawrence Health System aims to provide St Lawrence Country with “high-quality health care through the recruitment of primary care physicians and specialists, the enhancement of existing services, and the addition of new and innovative services and technologies,” said Acker.
“The public awareness of the availability of healthcare services, and public discussion about the best ways to deliver care, are essential to building healthier communities,” said Acker. The new building will bring Canton residents into the discussion about obstacles to good rural healthcare in the region.
The Canton government welcomes the new building. “We are excited about their development and to welcome them to Canton,” said McQuinn. She believes the new hospital will bring new revenue and support to the Canton community. “It will be positive and beneficial to the region and have a huge impact on local residents,” said McQuinn.
This is not the end of the of St. Lawrence Health System’s “The challenges facing our rural healthcare delivery system today don’t end there, and will require continued analysis and discussion on the part of people from across our region,” said Acker. St. Lawrence Health System plans to continue working with the local communities “to ensure the availability of high-quality, cost-efficient healthcare services,”.
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