There are few positive things people can point to during the coronavirus pandemic. On June 2, a host of political dignitaries, hospital executives and hundreds

WHITE PLAINS—There are few positive things people can point to during the coronavirus pandemic. On June 2, a host of political dignitaries, hospital executives and hundreds of staff celebrated the completion of a $272-million project that serves as a concrete testament to the courage and dedication of White Plains Hospital workers and the construction workers that built the new Center for Advanced Medicine & Surgery despite the dangers of COVID-19.

The new nine-story 252,000-square-foot Center for Advanced Medicine & Surgery (CAMS) is located at 122 Maple Ave., at the corner of Maple and Longview avenues, in White Plains. The hospital broke ground on the project in April 2019 and contemplated completion this year. Susan Fox, president and CEO of White Plains Hospital praised hospital staff, architect Perkins-Eastman and construction manager Turner Construction for completing the project on-time, despite the dangers and safety protocols put in place during the height of the pandemic.

While highlighting the latest hospital expansion project and the many benefits it will bring to patients, Fox and others did look back at what was a very tumultuous and troubling year.

“To say that this has been an incredible year is an understatement,” Fox said. “We have all been through so much and I am incredibly proud of our staff and for everything they have done to keep our community safe. And while we will never forget the events of the past year, the situation is definitely looking brighter.”

Dr. Philip Ozuah, president & CEO Montefiore Medicine, added, “One year ago we were fighting during the darkest days of a once in a lifetime pandemic. This amazing staff worked through the days and through the nights to care for the gravely ill and for the greatly suffering. Overwhelmed and under siege these remarkable people in this hospital set aside their own personal safety and displayed extraordinary courage to save thousands of lives.”

Fox related just how much has changed in just a year. She noted that a year ago, 80% of the patients at White Plains Hospital were being treated for COVID-19. A year later, only 1% (three patients) suffer from the coronavirus.

Among the dignitaries on hand for the ribbon cutting event included former U.S. Congresswoman Nita Lowey, U.S. Rep. Mondaire Jones and White Plains Mayor Tom Roach.

The new facility, which will see its first patient on June 7 and will open in phases, features state-of-the-art operating rooms, endoscopy, ambulatory and procedure suites, wound care delivered through hyperbaric chambers, advanced imaging, non-invasive diagnostic testing and specialty physician offices. When fully operational, the new CAMS facility will employ more than 300 workers.

“As the past year confirmed, having access to advanced care right here in our community is critical,” Fox said. “This new facility represents an important step forward in expanding access to comprehensive care delivered by top healthcare professionals in diverse specialties. It also furthers our commitment to enhancing the patient experience, providing the latest advancements in treatment and technology to better serve the needs of our community.”

CAMS is the largest dedicated outpatient facility for White Plains Hospital and one of the largest in Westchester County. Connecting to both the main Hospital and Center for Cancer Care, CAMS is the hospital’s 27th outpatient facility. Since 2015, the hospital has renovated or added approximately 622,000 square feet of space at the hospital and its offsite locations. The hospital’s new lobby and inpatient tower, completed in 2015, was a $100-million venture, while the Center for Cancer Care, which opened in 2016, totaled $50 million. Therefore, the three major capital projects since 2015 have totaled more than $430 million. White Plains Hospital joined the Montefiore Health System in 2015.

White Plains Hospital’s new 252,000-square-foot Center for Advanced Medicine & Surgery is located at 122 Maple Ave. in White Plains

The new Center for Advanced Medicine & Surgery will feature ambulatory surgery, endoscopy suites, wound care delivered through hyperbaric chambers, and cutting-edge imaging such as the first and only PET (positron emission tomography) MRI scan in Westchester. This technology provides a higher level of detailed views than traditional MRI, allowing for more precise diagnosis and treatment. The center will also feature top physicians in such specialties including: Orthopedics; Urology; Pain Management; Ears, Nose and Throat; Thyroid; Colorectal; Vascular; Plastic; and Bariatric care; as well as a comprehensive new Heart and Vascular Program.

Dr. Ozuah said, “The new Center for Advanced Medicine & Surgery is a tremendous achievement. As a health system, we are focused on advancing our long-held mission of providing exceptional care to our extended communities. White Plains Hospital has quickly become the tertiary hub for advanced care in the Hudson Valley. Later this year, the cardiac surgery team from Montefiore will begin performing cardiac surgery at White Plains Hospital. This new facility will allow for local patient access to these surgeons, who will be working side by side with area physicians supporting a comprehensive cardiac program and represents just one more example of our commitment to providing local access to world-class physicians and advanced services.”

Features of the new Center for Advanced Medicine & Surgery include a patient drop-off driveway integrated into the building’s design, allowing for convenient drop off. Two pedestrian bridges will connect the outpatient facility to the main Hospital and the Longview Parking Garage. The building features a robust IT infrastructure designed to facilitate current and future medical technology and telemedicine, hospital officials noted. An “intelligent infrastructure” will support automatic building management, energy efficiency through technology and real-time data collection.

Advanced Imaging services will be located on level 2; surgical suites on level 3, endoscopy and procedure suites on level 4; women’s imaging on level 5; non-oncologic infusion suite, pre-procedure testing, urology on level 6; heart and vascular program – cardiology, electrophysiology, vascular surgeons and the future home of cardiothoracic surgeons on level 7; orthopedic surgery, spine surgery and interventional pain management on level 8 and The Carl Weber Center for Wound Care & Hyperbaric Medicine, surgical specialties including: bariatrics, colorectal, ENT, endocrine and plastics on level 9.

White Plains Hospital is a 292-bed not-for-profit health care organization. The hospital’s Centers of Excellence include the Center for Cancer Care, The William & Sylvia Silberstein Neonatal & Maternity Center and The Ruth and Jerome A. Siegel Stroke Center. The Hospital’s Flanzer Emergency Department is the busiest in Westchester County, with more than 64,000 patient visits a year. White Plains Hospital performs emergency and elective angioplasty in its Joan and Alan Herfort, MD, Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory and Marie Promuto Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory. White Plains Hospital has outpatient medical facilities across Westchester, including multispecialty practices in Armonk, New Rochelle, Somers and Yorktown Heights; and Scarsdale Medical Group locations in Harrison and Scarsdale.