AMC Awaits Approval for Revised Tupper Lake Project

    SARANAC LAKE – Adirondack Medical Center is awaiting approval from the state Department of Health regarding its plans to move forward with a significant investment in its health care facilities in Tupper Lake.
    The Medical Center had initially planned a renovation and construction project at the existing location of the Tupper Lake Health Center on Church Street, and within adjoining AMC-Mercy, the skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility located on Wawbeek Avenue.
    Those earlier plans called for renovation of resident rooms at AMC-Mercy, adding three renal dialysis stations, creating a separate 10-bed rehabilitation unit in the long term care facility as part of the 60 existing resident beds, totally renovating the Tupper Lake Health Center, and relocating the outpatient AMC Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Department currently located in the old Rite Aid Building at 47 Park St. in Tupper Lake onto the AMC-Mercy campus.
    While the majority of these project elements remain the same, the most significant amendment to the plan is the construction of a brand new, roughly 10,000-square-foot, two-story Medical Office Building across the street from AMC-Mercy in the parking lot where a current physician’s office building is located.  The new building will house the Tupper Lake Health Center, as well as ancillary services like medical imaging and laboratory. 
    The current private physician practices will be located in the new Medical Office Building as well.  The building where the physician’s offices are currently located will be dismantled after construction of the new Medical Office Building.
    Renovating the resident rooms at AMC-Mercy, adding renal dialysis stations, creating a 10-bed rehabilitation unit, and relocating the outpatient Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Department at the AMC-Mercy location remain in the new plans. 
    The amendments to the renovation and construction project have allowed for an overall savings in expense.   The revised estimated project cost is about $8 million. The new Medical Office Building portion of the project will cost an estimated $3.4 million.  While these are the current estimated project costs, the dollar amount is at the mercy of the current ongoing economic uncertainty.  Nevertheless, AMC remains steadfast in completing this project in a cost effective manner without compromising the quality care that the residents of the Tri-Lakes expect and deserve.
    “While the initial cost estimates of this project required us to re-examine the most effective way to achieve our goal, it has not affected our steadfast commitment to make a significant investment in the quality of care for the community of Tupper Lake,” stated Chandler Ralph, President & CEO of AMC.  “Not only does this new approach allow for us to maintain the original goals of the project, it will be a vital tool in retaining needed physicians in a designated Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA).”
    Delays to the project are primarily due to initial project costs surpassing the original expectations when expansion and renovation plans were first drafted.  The increase in project costs is largely attributed to the economic climate driving up the price of construction materials and other building supplies.  As a result, the project was refined to reflect the economic reality, and AMC submitted a revised “Certificate of Need” with the state Department of Health.
    AMC is expecting to hear back from the state Department of Health regarding the amended “Certificate of Need” outlining the Tupper Lake project within the next several weeks.  Following approval from the state, AMC will initiate the bid process with project contractors with the goal of breaking ground in the spring of 2009.
    Adirondack Medical Center operates hospitals in Lake Placid and Saranac Lake, primary care clinics in Keene, Lake Placid, and Tupper Lake, and skilled nursing and rehabilitation facilities in Lake Placid and Tupper Lake.  With over 920 employees, AMC is the largest private employer in the Adirondack Park.

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