New wing open at Jamaica

BY TONIA N. CIMINO

Wednesday, November 18, 2009 12:33 PM EST

With the resurgence of H1N1 cases and a steady increase in emergency room visits since Mary Immaculate and St. John’s Queens Hospitals closed, the partial opening of a newly-transformed patient wing at Jamaica Hospital has provided the facility with “some slight relief.”

Earlier this year, administration at Jamaica Hospital announced that it would add 39 medical-surgical beds to the facility, in an effort to help handle the surge of patients. Of the 39 beds, 16 were recently completed.

“Additional hospital beds in Queens are needed now, much more than ever,” said David P. Rosen, President and Chief Executive Officer of Jamaica Hospital. “We are extremely glad to see the progress of our expansion and the benefits it has and will continue to offer the community.”

The new beds are located on the south wing of the hospital’s sixth floor. This space formerly held three auditoriums and several clinical departments and medical offices. These offices have since been relocated to the hospital’s former nursing and rehabilitation center.

Construction on the remaining 23 medical-surgical bed space in the unit began last month and will be completed in the near future.

In addition to transforming previous office space into a patient care unit, Jamaica Hospital also expanded its Emergency Room and Chest Pain Center earlier this year and completed the construction of its brand new Nursing and Rehabilitation Center this summer.