A year after Hudson Headwaters Health Network secured a $5 million federal grant to build a new health center in Warrensburg, the agency’s foundation has launched a capital campaign to raise an additional $1.9 million needed to complete the project.
At a recent campaign kickoff held at Cronin’s Golf Resort in Warrensburg, Rugge said Hudson Headwaters is more than half way to the $1.9 million goal.
He noted that the health center receives 55,000 patient visits each year, with more than 70 percent of the people coming from outside Warrensburg.
“It’s truly a regional resource,” Dr. Rugge said.
The current health center is a 50-year-old cinder block structure that was once an A&P grocery store, and it is increasingly inadequate to meet the health care needs of the region, Rugge said.
Sano-Rubin, a 101-year old, privately owned construction company in Albany, was selected as the construction manager. The project was designed by Richard E. Jones Architects in Queensbury.
“The Warrensburg Health Center supports our Adirondack health centers by providing urgent care seven days a week and six evenings. It also offers health care services not available at our other locations including specialty care, lab services and imaging,” he said.
More than $500,000 has been pledged by Hudson Headwaters Health Foundation board members, said Rugge, and an additional $250,000 has been pledged by the Network Board, senior administrators and medical staff.
“We’ve had 100 percent participation from our boards and senior administrators,” Rugge said.
The campaign has also received strong support from outside the Hudson Headwaters’ family, Rugge said, noting “We have commitments of $250,000 from the Charles R. Wood Foundation, and $100,000 from Stewart’s Shops. We are deeply grateful for this substantial early support.”
The total cost to build the new facility will be $9.5 million. Additional state support and foundation grants are expected.
Rugge said construction is scheduled to begin in August directly in front of the existing health center.
It will be completed by the end of 2014, according to center officials. During this time, health care services will continue without interruption at the existing health.
Officials said the new structure will be a two-story, 38,000-square-foot health center to replace the current Warrensburg Health Center. It will be constructed in front of the existing health center, directly on Main Street.
The existing facility will be demolished once the new building is complete.
Because of its size limitations and set up, officials said, it cannot meet the area’s current health care needs, or the needs of the future. The new health center will add four primary care exam rooms, three specialty care exam rooms, two pediatric exam rooms, two urgent care exam rooms and three women’s care exam rooms. There will be six dedicated counseling rooms for behavioral health patients.
The Warrensburg Health Center is open seven days a week and six evenings, providing urgent care and after-hours support to people living in the towns of Bolton, Chester, Hague, Horicon, Johnsburg, Lake George, Stony Creek, and Thurman in Warren County; Essex County’s Minerva and Schroon Lake; Hamilton County’s Indian Lake and Saratoga County’s Hadley and Day.
The Warrensburg Health Center also provides lab services, selected specialty care including cardiology, ObGyn and orthopedics, and diagnostic imaging (x-ray, ultrasound, digital mammography, echocardiography and bone density scanning).
The new health center will anchor health care in the region for decades to come and enable Hudson Headwaters to expand services and programs, officials said.
Hudson Headwaters has provided care to the Adirondack/Lake George and Glens Falls Region for more than 30 years. A not-for-profit network of 15 health centers. Its 120-plus health care providers saw more than 64,000 patients last year, accounting for 285,000 patient visits.
Donations to the campaign can be made online at www.hhhn.org, or through the mail to the Hudson Headwaters Health Foundation, 9 Carey Road, Queensbury, NY 12804. For more information, please contact Howard Nelson at 761-0300 or hnelson@hhhn.org.