Bayonne Medical Center and CarePoint Health officially opened its new Emergency Department with $1 million in upgrades at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Nov. 5.
Local and state elected officials, McCabe Ambulance representatives, hospital employees, and others attended.
The major improvements include a new “Fast Track” area to address more routine, outpatient needs and provide rapid diagnosis and care, allowing patients to avoid unnecessary long waiting times, and a rapid-response area for possible cardiac conditions, with faster access to EKG and telemetry services.
Other upgrades include a new isolation area, “surge capacity” for mass casualty incidents, and an emergency-dedicated psychiatric evaluation room.
CarePoint Health Chief Executive Officer Dennis Kelly said the improvements indicate CarePoint’s investment in its relationship with Bayonne.
“It demonstrates the commitment we have to the city,” he said. “We’re here for the long haul. We expect to be here for decades to come.”
Dr. Mark Spektor, medical center president and chief executive officer, said technology was upgraded at the facility because management saw the need for it.
“As the city of Bayonne grows, so does CarePoint and so does our Emergency Department,” Spektor said. “We will continue to make improvements.”
State Sen. Sandra Cunningham lauded management for its ongoing commitment to the city, and thanked the staff for its high level of patient care.
“The residents of Bayonne deserve this and it’s wonderful you’re giving them what they deserve, the best service possible,” she said.
McCabe Ambulance founder Mickey McCabe, whose corps has been serving the city for decades, called it a “momentous occasion.”
Assemblyman Jason O’Donnell said that having a strong hospital and Emergency Department there was important for the city, since in the last 20 years 30 percent of the ERs in the United States have closed.
“We’re blessed to have one that’s continuing to build and get better,” O’Donnell said. “Without CarePoint, we might not have one.”
The company had purchased the hospital in 2007 when it was on the brink of closing.
Speakers gave credit to former president and CEO Daniel Kane for his efforts to move the medical center forward.
E-mail joepass@hudsonreporter.com.
KINDEST CUT – City, state, and CarePoint Health officials do the ribbon-cutting honors for the renovated Emergency Department.