Assemblywoman Sayward Secures $100,000 for Communications Upgrade

     SARANAC LAKE - A generous $100,000 grant has been secured through the efforts of Assemblywoman Teresa Sayward for Adirondack Medical Center to carry out much-needed communications upgrades at Uihlein Mercy Center in Lake Placid.
     The communications upgrade will enable Uihlein Mercy Center to become part of AMC's communications network, which will now include all six facilities. AMC is purchasing Mercy and Uihlein for $1.8 million, which will bring the two facilities into the AMC family in January, 2007.
     The $100,000 grant will come from the New York State Department of Health Commissioner's Priority Pool. Upgrades to the communications system are part of a broader $5.3 million project to expand and renovate the skilled nursing and health care services provided at the Uihlein and Mercy facilities.
     "We are proud to be a part of the positive changes at Uihlein and Mercy that are sure to go a long way toward protecting and enhancing the quality of long-term care in the Tri-Lakes region," said Brian Ruede, Vice President of Long Term Care for AMC.
     "I am pleased that this grant will enable the Adirondack Medical Center to strengthen the connection between Lake Placid and AMC facilities," said Assemblywoman Sayward, "The new communication system will enable AMC and Uihlein to enhance safety and administrative services for clients and staff."
     The current telephone systems at Uihlein and Mercy were installed over 20 years ago, and are antiquated by today's standards.
     AMC's goal is to establish a modern and efficient communications system at the two facilities that is geared toward skilled nursing. Telecommunications and computer communications are not only rapidly changing, but are increasingly being offered on a single platform.
     AMC intends to strike a careful balance between creating a system that is modern and efficient, and a system that is sensitive to the needs of staff and residents.
Goals for the new communications system are to provide four-digit dialing between all AMC facilities; an updated infrastructure; modern features such as hold abilities, multiple lines, and voice mail; and wireless solutions where appropriate. In addition, phones will be made available at the request of individual residents.
     Besides upgrades to the communications system, the capital improvement project at Mercy and Uihlein will include the addition of three renal stations to not only accommodate nursing home residents, but also the general public in need of live-saving dialysis; the expansion and renovation of the Tupper Lake Health Center facilities within Mercy; and the relocation and expansion of AMC rehabilitation services into Mercy. The Tupper Lake Rehabilitation Center will be relocated to newly constructed space at the health center. This will result in the construction of five private and confidential treatment rooms, space for 14 mats to provide physical therapy procedures, a ten-bed inpatient rehabilitation center, and a sub-acute rehab area.
     The health center exam rooms at Mercy will be increased from the current nine to 11 to include two new "urgi-care" rooms. To accommodate the increase in exam rooms, a new entrance for patient admission, registration, and waiting area will be constructed at the health center. Other areas included in the renovation plans at the health center are a changing room, mammography exam room, and technician workspace in radiology; renovated laboratory; office and storage space.
     In addition to the renal stations within the skilled nursing facility portion of Mercy, there are renovation plans to convert 16 existing semi-private rooms to private, while two rooms will remain semi-private for a total of 20 beds in the McCauley Wing. Other areas identified for renovations include the Activities for Daily Living Unit, the chapel, storage and office space.
     While much of the overall project is being financed through mortgaging and grants, a portion of the overall cost will be defrayed through fundraising. The fundraising goal has been set at $1.8 million to be raised by December 2007.
     To support this critical endeavor to ensure continued skilled nursing and health care in the Tri-Lakes, direct your donations to the AMC Foundation, P.O. Box 120, Saranac Lake, New York 12983.  Make your checks payable to Adirondack Medical Center.  If you wish to donate stock or charge your donation to a credit card, call the AMC Foundation Office at 897-2370 or 897-2348.

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