Page 10 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • April 27, 2011 Business Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern, New York plans to break ground this spring for a major expansion of its busy emergency department. The goal is to nearly triple the size of the department over the next decade, Philip Patterson, CEO of Bon Secours Charity Health System, recently told more than 100 Rockland County community leaders at a “Celebration of Growth” at the Tuxedo Club. The event was hosted by Pierson Mapes and Dan Rifkin, members of the Good Samaritan Hospital Foundation Board. In an effort to make Good Samaritan as user-friendly as possible for outpatients, the hospital plans to create a major center for outpatient surgery and other services at the Suffern Medical Pavilion on the Good Samaritan Hospital campus. Bon Secours has committed an initial $24 million for medical office building improvements. “As technology improves and procedures become less invasive – and recovery time shortens dramatically – the need for state-of-the-art outpatient services is vital,” Patterson said. “Undeniable” is how Patterson explained the need to expand the emergency department. “We are already over capacity. With 19 bays, the emergency department is designed to serve about 29,000 patients a year. Last year, we saw more than 35,000 – and we know our community continues to grow.” To meet the growth, the hospital will, with the first phase of the expansion, create 13 new bays, for a total of 32. Subsequent expansion over the coming decade will bring the total of patient bays to 50. Simultaneously, the hospital will install new imaging and diagnostic technology to do testing in the emergency department, saving patients the hassle of being transported to other areas of the hospital. The first phase of improvements to the emergency department will cost at least $15.8 million. That money has already been committed to Good Samaritan by Rich Statuto, CEO of the Marriottsville, Maryland-based Bon Good Samaritan unveils plan for major expansion Secours Health System. “This is our top priority at Good Samaritan Hospital – and an urgent need for this community,” Statuto said. The hospital has also been working in earnest to attract new doctors, Patterson said, and is working to increase services to women. Specifically, a new Center for Breast Health being created at Suffern Medical Pavilion will offer state-of-the-art imaging technology. “We already have the best cardiac program in the state,” Mapes said at the gathering at the Tuxedo Club. “With the expansion of outpatient services, we’ll be able to offer our community diagnostics and preventative care, besides cardiac surgery and diagnostics, oncology services and a great regional hospital.” At left: Philip Patterson, right, CEO of Bon Secours Charity Health System, thanks Pierson Mapes, left, and Dan Rifkin of the Good Samaritan Hospital Foundation Board of Directors for their leadership. The OritaniBank Charitable Foundation has awarded a $25,000 grant to Shelter Our Sisters, Bergen County’s leading non-profit organization dedicated to providing safety, strength, and hope to women and children who are victims of domestic violence. The donation will help fund the organization’s Children’s Arts Therapy Program at the emergency shelter, which offers over 150 children case management services, tutoring, and activities to assist them in overcoming the effects of exposure to abuse. Intensive therapeutic care through creative arts therapy has been instrumental to the program’s success since 2006. Kevin J. Lynch, president of the OritaniBank Charitable Foundation and chairman, president and CEO of Oritani Bank, presented the grant at a recent event honoring Oritani Bank’s 100th Anniversary. Bank’s foundation aids Shelter Our Sisters “As we enter our 100th year, Oritani remains as committed as ever to supporting local organizations who share our goal of improving the quality of life for our neighbors,” Lynch said. “Shelter Our Sisters plays a vital role in our community by providing a safe haven and important services for women and children who have suffered from violence.” Shelter Our Sisters assists women and children who are victims of domestic abuse, including emotional, economic, sexual, and physical abuse. Located in Hackensack, the organization is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to provide safe housing, hotline counseling, and support/ protective services. For more information, call (201) 944-9600 or visit www. shelteroursisters.org. Spring specials available now for a limited time only. Call Robin at 973-636-7000