Project will transform UHS’ flagship medical center

Innovation is a main priority at UHS, and nowhere is that more clear than with the UHS Wilson Project, part of a multiyear plan to update and transform the UHS Wilson Medical Center campus in Johnson City.

“The overwhelming goal is increased patient privacy and an improved patient experience,” said Michelle Karedes, senior director of Strategic Facility Planning at UHS. Ms. Karedes said that there have not been any major additions to the UHS Wilson campus in about 30 years, and the project will better equip the organization to effectively deliver the next generation of care.

When completed, the project will feature a six-story, 183,000-sqare-foot tower with 120 private rooms; a new Emergency Department with the capacity to serve 50,000 patients a year; a new helipad, with a seven-to-nine-minute improvement in time from helipad to bed. 

An innovative plan for expansion and renovation was developed to guide the project, and construction of the new main patient tower and Emergency Department began in January, with an official groundbreaking in April.

The new clinical tower will be the most striking aspect of the project, creating all private rooms in a beautiful building full of natural light, while including modern equipment and conveniences patients and clinicians alike expect in today’s hospital experience.

The first element patients will notice is UHS’ new “front door.” Community members who are familiar with the current facility know that the entrance is off Main Street, which can sometimes be confusing for newcomers to locate. However, the new UHS Wilson patient tower is designed for its front door to be right on Main Street, making wayfinding easier for patients and creating an impressive visual impact for the community.

Specifically, key features of the Wilson Project will be:

• Increasing space for patient support. The new private rooms also will have space for patients’ caregivers. The space will also make communication between providers and patients easier—when everyone will be in the same room, everyone will be part of the care conversation.
• Providing new technologies in every room. Computer access in each room will make the experience easier for clinicians and patients. These technologies support modernized care delivery models, so medical center staff can continue to effectively serve the community.
• Adding an inpatient MRI. This will enhance available imaging capabilities.
• Expanding emergency services. The project will create a new ED and Trauma Center, with 45 private treatment rooms and four semi-private trauma suites, in a space three times larger than the current ED. A recovery room and surgical support area will be included.
• Installing a helipad on the tower roof. Patients being transported via helicopter will have direct access to the ED. This improves the time from arrival to a hospital bed —an extremely beneficial enhancement for emergencies when time is of the essence.
• Adding dedicated ED parking. Providing a dedicated parking area for ED patients and visitors will improve accessibility to the department.

“We talked about the feeling of the new building and the environment from the beginning of the project,” Ms. Karedes noted. She explained that when designing the new building, plentiful natural light and giving the building an organic feel were both big priorities to make it feel like a space for healing.

“There will be a lobby terrace outside for visitors and staff to collect their thoughts as well as get some fresh air,” she said. And inside the building, a new meditation room will be available in addition to the existing campus chapel, so there are multiple options for visitors and employees to de-stress.

‘One of the additional benefits of the new facility will be its greater ability to attract providers as a modern place to practice medicine,” said UHS cardiologist Hisham Kashou, MD. Dr. Kashou pointed to the strong ties that UHS has with Binghamton University, SUNY Broome Community College and SUNY Upstate Medical University.

“The collaborative educational opportunities with these academic entities, in addition to our own fellowship programs, will be enhanced by the new state-of-the-art facility,” he noted.  “We have many young, educated individuals who come here to train at the beginning of their careers.  A more modern facility will help with recruitment and retention of clinical professionals.”

In every way, the UHS Wilson Project is an investment in the future of our community. Completion of the new tower is planned for 2024, and the full project will be completed by 2025.

“Most importantly, the goal of the Wilson Project is to create an exceptional patient experience by modernizing our campus,” said John M. Carrigg, president and chief executive of UHS.  “The immediate result will be improving the care UHS can provide to patients and making their experiences at the hospital as comfortable as possible. And with this brand-new, modern building, UHS will be situated to provide high-quality care for years to come.”

Learn more about the status of the UHS Wilson Project by clicking here.