By Joyce Kryszak
Amherst, NY – Kaleida Thursday provided a sneak preview of its $65 million plus expansion of Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital. The expansion comes even while the debate over consolidating health care in Western New York rages on.
There were nothing more than empty fields there before Millard Fillmore Suburban was built on Maple Road in the1970's. But the population in the north towns and the hospital have grown over the last three plus decades.
Now, after an 18-month renovation, the hospital will be even bigger - 100,000 square feet bigger. There will be 60 new patient rooms, a new emergency room, operating rooms and state of the art equipment.
Marsi Rohde is president of the women's board that helped raise money for the project. A 27-year member of the board, Rohde says the hospital is almost unrecognizable from its humble beginnings.
But meanwhile, the future of health care in the region also was ordered to change. The Berger Commission last year ordered Kaleida to consolidate with the Erie County Medical Center to end the so-called medical arms race.
ECMC has resisted that effort, fearing it would be swallowed up by Kaleida. The medical center already lost one battle. A new heart center apparently will be located at Kaleida's Buffalo General Hospital.
Kaleida President James Kaskie said they expect to get approval for state funding within the next few weeks to move forward with the project. Kaskie said it is all part of staying competitive with other states.
As for the growth at Millard Fillmore Suburban, Kaskie said Kaleida is used to being spread out in the region. But he said they are working with the Niagara Frontier Transporation Authority to improve access from Buffalo to its hospital in Amherst. He said that will allow them to better link people in the city with job opportunities at Millard Suburban.
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