Elmhurst Hospital Center Opens Women's Pavilion to Expand Access to Prenatal and Obstetrical Services in Queens
New $16.3 Million Ambulatory Care Center to Offer Expanded Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic Space, Comprehensive Prenatal Care Services, Childbirth and Breastfeeding Classes
Mar 28, 2014
Elmhurst Hospital Center officials and community leaders today marked the completion of the hospital’s new 17,370 sq ft, $16.3 million Women’s Pavilion. The new outpatient healthcare facility will expand access to prenatal and comprehensive obstetrical services for women in Queens. The ribbon cutting ceremony was attended by HHC President Alan D. Aviles, Executive Vice President and Corporate Chief Operating Officer Tony Martin, Elmhurst Hospital officials Senior Vice President of the HHC Queens Health Network, Chris Constantino, Regional Medical Director, Queens Health Network Jasmin Moshirpur, MD, and Director of OB/GYN Barry Brown, MD. They were joined by Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, Council Member Julissa Ferreras, and former Council Member Helen Sears. The Pavilion is scheduled to start accepting patients June 1.
Located at 78-20 41st Avenue, adjacent to the hospital’s main building, the Women’s Pavilion will offer a variety of women’s health services, including walk-in pregnancy testing, prenatal care, HIV counseling and testing, genetic counseling, high-risk pregnancy services, antepartum fetal testing and postpartum services. The new building will also provide additional space for classes in childbirth, breastfeeding, nutrition, and diabetes education.
“The building of the new Women’s Pavilion allows us to dramatically expand the scope of our services for women,” said Mr. Constantino. “Our existing on-site medical clinics for women do not have enough space to accommodate the growing needs of the community. The new facility will provide 15% greater capacity in patient volume, while allowing for 5% annual growth in service capacity over a 5-year period.”
In keeping with the City of New York’s efforts to improve energy efficiency in public buildings, the Pavilion meets the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards for environmentally-sustainable construction. The two-story building features 18 exam rooms and two reception areas with glass facades. Each exam room features an exam table, otoscope, ophthalmoscope, and computer. To better serve patients, the building houses phlebotomy and urine labs on-site. The overall design includes a glass facade for maximum exposure to natural light and space for children to play while their mothers wait to be seen in the clinics.
“As a new mother, I am extremely pleased to be part of the creation of the Women’s Pavilion,” said Council Member Ferreras. “For many of my constituents, Elmhurst Hospital Center is the premiere destination to receive healthcare services, and I am proud that this new addition will further serve the needs of our most deserving patients: expectant mothers. I take great pride in knowing that there will now be a dedicated place where they can be taken care of by skilled staff in a new, state-of-the-art facility.”
“Elmhurst Hospital Center’s Women’s Pavilion will be a women-focused treatment center that offers coordinated care all under one roof,” said Dr. Barry Brown. “The addition of the new Pavilion will allow the medical team to improve the efficiency and quality of care for women in the community.”
The $16.3 million Pavilion was financed by a combination of the New York State Heal Grant, Mayoral Funds, City Council Primary Care Initiative, City Council General Obligation Bonds, and Council Member Ferreras.
About Elmhurst Hospital Center
Elmhurst Hospital Center (EHC), part of the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC), is the major tertiary care provider in the borough of Queens. The hospital is comprised of 545 beds and is a Level 1 Trauma Center, an Emergency Heart Care Station and a 911-Receiving Hospital. It is a premiere health care organization for key areas such as Surgery, Cardiology, Women’s Health, Pediatrics, Rehabilitation Medicine, and Renal and Mental Health Services. Last year, EHC received close to 700,000 ambulatory care visits and over 130,000 Emergency Room visits.
About HHC
The New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) is a $6.7 billion integrated healthcare delivery system with its own 420,000 member health plan, MetroPlusHealth, and is the largest municipal healthcare organization in the country. HHC serves 1.4 million New Yorkers every year and more than 475,000 are uninsured. HHC provides medical, mental health and substance abuse services through its 11 acute care hospitals, five skilled nursing facilities, six large diagnostic and treatment centers and more than 70 community based clinics. HHC Health and Home Care also provides in-home services for New Yorkers. HHC was the 2008 recipient of the National Quality Forum and The Joint Commission’s John M. Eisenberg Award for Innovation in Patient Safety and Quality. For more information, visit www.nychhc.org/hhc or find us on facebook.com/NYCHealthSystem or twitter.com/NYCHealthSystem.