Millard Fillmore Suburban reaches halfway mark
Emergency room volume increases
by JESSICA L. FINCH Associate Editor

Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital, 1540 Maple Road, recently reached the half-way point of the $68 million project. The first phase is slated for completion in October.

To the untrained eye one might wonder how Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital's reconstruction project will be completed in just four short months but President Christopher Lane says it will happen.

The 128,000-square-foot expansion in front of the hospital stands as a two-story maze with open walls, dirt-covered floors and poles indicating where rooms will be. But in October 2007 the new lobby, admissions area and gift shop will be completed.

"We are in a growing community. Amherst, Clarence and Williamsville have seen growth," said Lane about the need for a larger hospital. "We are situated in a great location and have a reputation for quality care."

The $68 million expansion is the second largest project currently under construction in Western New York, said Barbara Browning, senior marketing associate for Millard Fillmore Suburban. The largest project is Blue Cross/Blue Shield's new headquarters next to Interstate-190 in Buffalo.

"This is a monumental project, it's going to have a huge impact on the delivery of health care in the area," she said.

Although the expansion might not look like much now but when the project is completed Millard Fillmore will have an emergency room that is twice the size of the current one - and it's overdue, according to hospital officials.

Browning said the current ER was built in 1974 to serve 14,000 people a year. The hospital has been seeing an annual average of 40,000 patients.

"The ER alone is going to have a huge impact," she said, adding the hospital does expect its numbers to rise in the coming years.

The ER is scheduled for completion in December 2007, and will include 38 new treatment rooms. Also being added are five operating rooms.

The former entrance to the hospital has been moved during construction. When entering from Maple Road, the new entrance is to the far left of the building. Browning said the valet service remains in place, and carts go around the parking lot to provide rides to the front entrance. The entrance is marked with a white sign and patients are to follow the tunnel into the hospital.

"The disruption has been minimal ... the volume has increased," Lane said.

The project is scheduled for completion in June 2008. The new second floor, which will have 68 new beds, should be completed in May 2008. Individual rooms and nursing units will also be renovated with completion marked for December 2008.

Lane said the project's scope was based on an analysis of the area's needs that was done by a national consulting firm.

Prior to, and during the expansion project, the staff has been credited by Browning and Lane for their exceptional service. The hospital was not large enough for the patient volume each year but it was handled because of the staff, they said.

"We also want to thank the community for their continued support. It's never easy to go through a project like this," said Lane, who was named president in January. "Without their support this wouldn't have come to fruition."

Ciminelli Construction is the lead contractor for the project which began in April 2006, after a couple years of plan refinement.

For information during the construction project visit http://suburban. kaleidahealth.org or call 568-3600.

e-mail: jfinch@beenews.com