On Wednesday, July 23, an excited staff and curious onlookers applauded the official unveiling of the North Division of Montefiore Medical Center at 600 E. 233rd St.
Energetically addressing the crowd, Montefiore Medical Center’s president and CEO, Steven Safyer, said, “We are enhancing the availability of high-quality, innovative healthcare and vital services in the Bronx and providing resources for our patients and the communities we serve.”
The addition of the former Our Lady of Mercy Medical Center, a former member of the struggling Catholic Health Care System before filing for federal bankruptcy court protection in March 2007, adds 369 inpatient beds and seven operating rooms to the hospital’s continuously growing primary care network, making Montefiore a 1,491-bed academic medical facility.
“This is certainly great news for residents of the Bronx,” Borough President Adolfo Carrion, Jr., said. “We can now count on one more location where patients can receive the excellent care provided by Montefiore Medical Center, an organization that’s synonymous with outstanding healthcare.”
While there are no immediate plans for services changes, the acquisition will add 2,500 new employees, for a total of more than 16,000 throughout Montefiore.
Also, by inviting more than 500 physicians to join the center’s medical team, the increase in primary care doctors and specialists will expand the hospital’s network of experts in geriatrics, cancer and psychiatry, among others.
Safyer assured the new space will be an integral part of Montefiore’s regional, full-service healthcare delivery system, serving the neighborhood’s 150,000 residents.
“The North Division staff are committed to providing high quality, compassionate patient care,” Safyer said. “I applaud the responsiveness and extra effort the staff has repeatedly demonstrated throughout this transition. Their good will and hard work have made possible the exciting future we are now creating together.”
Safyer added that the four and a half year transition was well worth the wait. “It’s the totality of what we had to accomplish that’s truly an amazing accomplishment.”
