CONGRESSMAN JOE MORELLE, SENATOR SCHUMER, SENATOR GILLIBRAND DELIVER $1 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDING TO EXPAND EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT AT STRONG MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
Funding will support historic modernization project—largest in the hospital’s history
Project will generate over 6,000 construction jobs and 1,800 permanent jobs upon completion
February 21, 2023 (Rochester, N.Y.) — Today, Congressman Joe Morelle, Senator Chuck Schumer and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced they have secured $1 million in funding for renovations to University of Rochester’s Strong Memorial Hospital that will improve health equity, modernize services, and strengthen patient outcomes. This critical funding, secured through the Fiscal Year 2023 Community Project Funding process, will support a comprehensive modernization project to create a new state-of-the-art Emergency Department and Patient Tower, ensuring the hospital’s resiliency for decades to come.
“One of my top priorities in Congress is ensuring quality healthcare is affordable and accessible for every family in Rochester—and this funding will help make that a reality,” said Congressman Morelle. “I’m proud to have partnered with Senators Schumer and Gillibrand to secure this investment that will allow Strong Memorial Hospital to better deliver the high-quality patient care our community deserves in a safe, modern, state-of-the-art environment. Especially following their tireless work during the pandemic, I’m grateful for the opportunity to give back to our healthcare heroes and help ensure they have the resources they deserve.”
“We thank Rep. Morelle, along with Senator Schumer and Senator Gillibrand, for securing $1 million for Strong Memorial Hospital’s Emergency Department and Inpatient Tower expansion in the FY23 Omnibus Appropriations bill,” said Mark B. Taubman, M.D., CEO, University of Rochester Medical Center. “The project, which is Strong’s most comprehensive modernization in nearly 50 years, will add more than 650,000 square feet of desperately needed space, including an expanded emergency department, pediatric emergency department, and more than 40 new private inpatient rooms, as we continue to contend with severe bed shortages and emergency room crowding across our community. Once completed, the new space will allow us to better serve the Rochester community and the entire region. We are grateful to Rep. Morelle for his support for this project and the immense impact it will have on patient care here in the Finger Lakes Region.”
“I’m proud we secured this substantial $1 million in federal funding because this vital Emergency Room expansion project at Strong Memorial will ensure the Greater Rochester community will continue to receive state-of-the-art health care for years to come,” said Senator Schumer. “The healthcare heroes at Strong Memorial Hospital provide the utmost level of care to the community, and I’m proud to deliver this funding with my partners Congressman Morelle and Senator Gillibrand.”
“This funding will be a game changer in providing high-quality care for patients,” said Senator Gillibrand. “I am proud to have partnered with Senator Schumer and Congressman Morelle to help secure $1 million in federal funding to expand the Emergency Department at Strong Memorial Hospital and improve patient outcomes. I will continue to fight for funding that will ensure our health care workers and patients get the quality care they deserve.”
UR Medicine Strong Memorial Hospital is Rochester’s largest safety-net, teaching, and acute care hospital and the region’s only Level One trauma center. Strong’s current emergency department, built in 2001 to handle 65,000 visits annually, was almost immediately challenged by the unforeseen closings of Genesee and St. Mary’s. With patient visits now exceeding 100,000 each year, it is no longer able to sufficiently keep up with the hospital’s growing needs and patient load.
The new emergency department and patient tower will greatly expand, modernize, and improve the services and care the hospital is able to provide to the community. The project marks the largest in UR’s history and is estimated to generate over 6,000 construction jobs and 1,800 permanent jobs upon completion.
Congressman Morelle, Senator Gillibrand, and Senator Schumer worked to secure this federal funding as part of the Community Project Funding process in the Fiscal Year 2023 Appropriations Package.
Read the full project proposal here.