Samaritan Medical Center Archives

January 19, 2024January 19, 2024

Samaritan Medical Center President/CEO Thomas H. Carman Elected Board Chair of the Healthcare Association of New York State (HANYS)

Samaritan Health President and CEO Thomas H. Carman portrait.

WATERTOWN, NY – Samaritan is proud to announce that Thomas H. Carman, president and CEO, has been elected as the 2024 board of trustees chair for the Healthcare Association of New York State (HANYS). Carman’s one-year term began on January 1, 2024. This is a volunteer board position, which compliments his role as Samaritan’s CEO.

“As a CEO in a New York State rural community, I look forward to being the chairman of the HANYS board and bringing forward the issues and advocacy efforts that will encompass the entire state, with a greater understanding of what rural hospitals face,” Carman said. “I think my experience and perspective of what I have learned over my 40+ year career in healthcare will be beneficial to many, and I look forward to leading this board as we continue to navigate the challenges of healthcare in New York State.”

Thomas H. Carman
President & CEO
Samaritan Medical Center

Carman has served as Samaritan’s President and CEO since 2004. Prior to joining Samaritan, Carman was with Cortland Regional Medical Center from 1997 to 2004. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and a Master’s degree in business administration from Syracuse University.

In addition to serving as HANYS 2024 board chair, Carman holds leadership roles with Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization, Vice Chair; Advocate Drum/Fort Drum Regional Liaison Organization, Past Chair; North Country Initiative, board member; Healthcare Partners of the North County, board member; Iroquois Healthcare Association, past chair; Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce, board member; and Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

About HANYS

The Healthcare Association of New York State is New York’s statewide hospital and continuing care association, representing nonprofit and public hospitals, nursing homes, home care agencies and other healthcare organizations. HANYS is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to advance the health of individuals and communities by providing leadership, representation and service to healthcare providers and systems across the entire continuum of care.

January 18, 2024January 18, 2024

Samaritan Health (All Locations) to Require Facemasks as of January 19, 2024

WATERTOWN, NY – There is an uptick in COVID-19, influenza, and other respiratory illnesses throughout the state. Following a recommendation by the New York State Department of Health, all Samaritan Health locations will now require facemasks in all patient care areas and public spaces within Samaritan facilities.

This new designation of masks-required impacts Samaritan’s outpatient locations including specialty clinics, family health centers or lab and imaging locations. The Medical Center, Walker Center for Cancer Care, Emergency Department, and our long term care facilities remain masked, too.

Thank you for your patience as we try to minimize the spread of COVID-19, influenza, and other respiratory illnesses and keep our patients, residents, visitors, and staff protected.

We will reevaluate the need for masking as positivity decreases in our community. Any further updates to this change will be added to samaritanhealth.com/news.

January 16, 2024January 16, 2024

At Samaritan, making a difference is the job

web banner. Care for our community and your career.

According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, individuals are now changing jobs — or more appropriately, careers and industries — more than ever before.

Among their top reasons for switching are pursuit of a more suitable work-life balance; scheduling to better accommodate a modern world; and most importantly, the need to be part of a positive workplace culture where they feel they’re making a difference in people’s lives.

Thankfully, those at Samaritan understand this impact and appreciate the chance to be a significant part of people’s lives, every day.

“Samaritan was originally founded as a place to care for our neighbors,” says Tom Carman, president and CEO of Samaritan. “Nearly 150 years later, caring is at the heart of everything we do. Our staff feel this, and it makes work a welcoming and rewarding experience for all of us.”

Nestled within the natural beauty of Northern New York, Samaritan offers dedicated candidates rewarding career opportunities, excellent benefits and professional development, and the ability to make a real difference in healthcare throughout our surrounding communities.

Vicky Steen, a 50-year employee of the Samaritan Keep Home, said, “My favorite part of my job is that I met so many amazing staff members I also work with an awesome group of girls within my department I love to put smiles upon the residents faces and they make my day as well. It’s just a great place to work.”

Opportunities across different departments

No matter the position—from registered nurse to certified nursing assistants to environmental services or office support—everyone’s job is critical to the care of Samaritan’s patients and residents. Bound by a common set of values known as HEART (honest, empathetic, accountable, respectful, and trustworthy) values employees are dedicated, enthusiastic and truly care about making a difference—and are surrounded by others who feel the exact same way. This common focus helps to create a great place to work and practice. Our patients and residents needs drive every decision.

Candice Matthews, a 19-year employee of Samaritan Medical Center, said, “What I love about my job is everything. I love interacting with patients. I love interacting with staff. I love seeing new things and every day you learn something new or meet someone new.”

Together, they’re supported by an organization whose ongoing strategic planning drives Samaritan forward, sets the tone for future growth and development, and offers stable, market rate paying jobs with guaranteed hours —all while providing a high quality of care for the community.

“We’re looking for employees who not only want to contribute to Samaritan’s growth, but grow with us,” says Cynthia Cassell, nursing recruiter for Samaritan. “This is a place of collaboration, driven by a team togetherness that translates across all departments. People love to be a part of this, even in the bustling world of healthcare.”

Supported by superior benefits

Samaritan and its affiliates offer a robust and competitive benefits package to its employees. These packages are the finest among Northern New York businesses; and with their combination of sign-on bonuses, tuition reimbursement, comprehensive health insurance, retirement support, paid time off (PTO) and community discount programs, each are a clear reflection of how much Samaritan cares about its employees, their health and their families.

“Each benefits package was developed with our employees in mind and how best to support them both inside and outside of work,” says Chris Rowe, executive director of human resources at Samaritan. “Our caregivers are what make our care exceptional, and their well-being means everything.”

Benefits available to employees at Samaritan include:

Medical, dental, vision and life insurance
Short-term and long-term disability
401(k) retirement benefit + employer match
RN, LPN, tech retirement
Long-term sick time
Employee fitness rebate
Quit for Life smoking cessation
Aflac cancer coverage
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Tuition reimbursement
Select Loan forgiveness
QuickCharge (payroll deduction for on campus purchasing)

Encouraged to develop

Samaritan is proud to invest in the future of its employees by providing financial assistance and professional guidance to individuals interested in enhancing job knowledge or developing skills that foster growth in healthcare careers.

“One of the best ways we can support our employees is by encouraging their development,” says Rowe. “The more they can grow in their careers, the more they can accomplish for themselves, their families and our entire community. There are countless stories of employees that started in dietary and are now RNs and other roles. We helped them achieve their career goals.”

Some of the ways Samaritan helps its employees develop—and make an even bigger difference—include the following:

Tuition assistance or reimbursement – Some employees are eligible for tuition assistance or reimbursement. There are various requirements and each case may differ. Potential employees or current employees are encouraged to contact Human Resources to see if there are options available to them.

Excellence through Collaboration Education and Leadership EXCEL Program – This program is designed to cultivate promising leaders within Samaritan who create and promote an engaged workforce and a culture of excellence; and focuses on such leadership competencies as delegating responsibility, communicating with impact, and building organizational talent. Upon completion, learning to leading the Samaritan Way will enable leaders to learn practical leadership skills; provide opportunities for personal and professional growth and development; and much more.

Interested in joining our Samaritan team? If so, learn about career opportunities at https://samaritanhealth.com/careers/careers-education/ or call (315) 779-5236.

November 28, 2023November 28, 2023

Samaritan Receives Jefferson County Nonprofit COVID Recovery Grant

Watertown, NY – In October, Samaritan Medical Center received an award notification for $150,000 from the Jefferson County Nonprofit COVID Recovery Program stewarded by the Northern New York Community Foundation. The program was made possible through $1 million in funding that county officials have allocated from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to help nonprofits recover and respond to the negative impacts resulting from the coronavirus pandemic.

This grant aims to support organizations heavily impacted by the pandemic’s repercussions on local nonprofits. Samaritan’s expenditure on contractors soared to historic spending levels from 2019 to 2022, and the award significantly boosts Samaritan’s efforts to recoup losses from the rise in traveling nurse contracts executed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the recovery funds, Samaritan will invest in nursing scholarship programs, and will address and alleviate the staffing crisis by hiring a clinical educator, and nurse recruiter. Collaborations with local partners are also in the works, intending to establish growth pathways in local healthcare to increase recruitment and retention efforts. These strategies not only aim to reduce the hospital’s reliance on high-cost contracted travelers but also ensure that the North Country community continues to receive quality healthcare without disruptions.

Samaritan extends its sincere thanks to both our Jefferson County governing officials and to the Northern New York Community Foundation for its role in stewarding this vital federal grant funding. Samaritan looks forward to sharing with the community the positive effects this grant funding will have on the Samaritan Health System and overall care for the community.

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November 24, 2023November 24, 2023

Early Screenings and Advanced Procedures Lead Samaritan’s Lung Care

According to the American Cancer Society, more people die of lung cancer per year than those from breast, colon, and prostate cancers combined.

Concerning diagnoses, final estimates for new lung cancer cases in the U.S. hover around 234K by the end of 2023, but note: there is good news with these numbers. Over the past five years, annual case counts have decreased. This means individuals are staying away from things that negatively affect their lung care and are pursuing ways to stay healthy—and breathe a little easier.

At Samaritan, our team of board-certified pulmonologists offers comprehensive pulmonary care to provide the best prevention, detection, treatment, and rehabilitation services for patients throughout our area of New York State.

“We’re very proud of lung care services consistently ranked as the best in the region,” says Dr. Aaliya Burza, specializing in Pulmonology and Critical Care. “Our wide range of care can meet a variety of different needs and, in many cases, address breathing issues before it’s too late.”

Whether you or a loved one is struggling with symptoms of lung cancer or seeking relief from other pulmonary-associated conditions like asthma, sleep apnea, and more, Samaritan is proud to offer advanced procedures and programs that help detect and treat all issues of concern, led by credentialed pulmonologists who can care for you close to home.

Here are some ways we do it:

Screen early

Early detection is a proven, successful strategy for fighting many forms of cancer. That’s why Samaritan Medical Center’s developed its Early Lung Cancer Screening Program, which offers a low-dose computed tomography (CT) screening for people at high risk for lung cancer. Because lung cancer has no symptoms in its early stages, more than 85 percent of men and women diagnosed with lung cancer today are diagnosed in a late stage, after symptoms occur and when there is very little chance of cure.

But with Samaritan’s early screening steps, everyone has a chance.

“We encourage all patients concerned about their lung health to get screened,” says Maria Pascolini, Samaritan’s director of Radiology. “A CT scan can find 85 percent of lung cancers in their earliest, most curable stage, allowing for treatment and the possibility of eventual recovery.”

Individuals who may benefit from the Early Lung Cancer Screening Program are current or former smokers between the ages of 55-74 and a 30-pack-a-year smoker; or over the age of 50, a 20-pack-a-year smoker, and have one other risk factor for lung cancer.

Cutting-edge bronchoscopy treatments

A bronchoscopy is a procedure that allows doctors to look inside your lungs’ airways (called the bronchi and bronchioles) and find the cause of a lung problem, including such things as bleeding, blockage, infection, or the existence of a tumor.

At Samaritan, we use different types of state-of-the-art bronchoscopy treatments, depending on the needs of the patient. A technologically advanced robotic bronchoscopy can be used to view the inside of lungs, obtain tissue samples for biopsy, and, through the use of Auris Health’s Monarch™ Platform, we can typically provide an earlier and more accurate diagnosis of small and hard-to-reach nodules in the periphery of the lung.

Samaritan is the first hospital in Central New York and the North Country to invest in this new technology, and one of only two sites in the entire state to utilize the platform. This provides the region’s patients with next-generation care for the health concerns of today.

“It’s essential that we invest in these tools to provide the best outcomes for our patients,” says Eva Edwards, Samaritan’s director of Oncology. “This allows for early intervention, and in turn, saves more lives.

In addition to its robotic bronchoscopy, Samaritan can also perform an electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy (or ENB), which combines specialized endoscopic tools and technology with traditional bronchoscopy to provide computer-driven guidance, based on a patient’s CT scan. The tools extend much further into the lungs than standard bronchoscopes, which enables a safe way for physicians to reach more lung tissue for a more accurate diagnosis.

Endobronchial ultrasound

For those who have lung concerns that do not require bronchoscopy treatments, Samaritan offers other, less invasive options to help diagnose issues. An endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) uses real-time ultrasound to identify and sample small abnormalities within your lungs without having to perform surgery. The EBUS system also makes biopsies safer and more accurate than conventional methods, all while providing necessary peace of mind for Samaritan patients.

“It’s all about pursuing the most suitable way to find a solution,” says Edwards. “Patients come here for us to care for them. We’re committed to providing care and helping each patient to enjoy a healthy life.”

To learn more about Samaritan and its Lung Care capabilities, visit https://samaritanhealth.com/service/lung-care/.

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November 21, 2023November 24, 2023

At Samaritan, women’s wellness remains a top priority

In 2020, nearly 2.3 million women were diagnosed with breast cancer, surpassing lung cancer as the most common cancer endured by American women.

These are staggering numbers to consider, as is the statistic that, according to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, a woman somewhere in the world is diagnosed with the disease every 14 seconds. This makes the task of breast care across the globe significant, and the vital need for this medical focus is growing by the day.

That’s one reason why Samaritan has continued to invest in equipment, facilities, and services in the realm of women’s wellness to support its local patients.

“At Samaritan, we’ve developed a medical destination to meet women’s wellness needs,” says Tom Carman, president and CEO of Samaritan Medical Center. “With our tandem of effective treatments and skilled medical staff, patients can come here and feel confident they’ll receive the best care.”

New facility enables enhanced care

Opened in 2019, Samaritan’s Women’s Wellness and Breast Care consolidated services previously offered across multiple locations, while adding amenities and more diversified breast care services to provide the most comprehensive experience for women in need.

“Combining services in this centralized and renovated space has helped us better serve patients and significantly enhance the way we can care for each,” said Dr. Mario Victoria, chief medical officer at Samaritan. “This patient-first approach is critical to what we do and how we can help women lead healthier, more enjoyable lives.”

Located in the Samaritan Health and Wellness Plaza at 1575 Washington Street., Women’s Wellness and Breast Care stands as a beacon for breast care for those in need throughout the North Country.

Treatments, procedures to preserve patient health

Inside Women’s Wellness and Breast Care, patients experience a serene atmosphere within a modern facility during exams, procedures, and treatments.

Our expanded radiology services and online screening mammogram scheduling offer solutions for patients seeking breast imaging and treatments locally, as well as instruction on preventative measures to help patients maintain healthy breast care at home.

“As a dedicated breast radiologist, I help diagnose breast cancer and determine next steps for treatment,” explains Dr. Kelly McAlarney. “We have an excellent team of technicians and equipment that help produce accurate and timely results for patients.”

“One treatment isn’t for everybody,” says Jennifer Zajac, nurse practitioner. “That’s why, at Samaritan, we take time with each patient to determine what works for them, then craft a plan to pursue the healthiest outcome. This is personalized care, and it’s necessary to give our patients the support they deserve.”

Medical specialists, ready to support

But even with new healthcare space and an enhanced list of services, the success of Samaritan still relies on its team of skilled medical professionals, ready to administer care that makes women’s wellness possible.

This team of specialists—including a board-certified breast radiologist—manages patient care through all needed treatments and procedures, making each individual journey as simple as possible. This not only improves the health outcomes of each Samaritan patient; it also encourages others to consult their physicians, stay on top of their wellness concerns, and seek treatments for concerns like breast cancer in their earliest stages.

“Living a healthy life is easier when you have some guidance and help along the way,” says Carman. “That’s what we do here, and there’s nothing more satisfying for us than leading our patients to their best lives.”

To learn more about Samaritan and its Women’s Wellness and Breast Care services, visit https://samaritanhealth.com/service/womens-wellness/.

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November 21, 2023November 24, 2023

Samaritan sets regional standard for maternity care 

According to numbers recently detailed in the American Journal of Managed Care, inadequate prenatal care continues to be a problem for hospitals across the U.S. Despite spending the most on healthcare amongst its high-income country peers, there continues to be a national escalation of poor maternity services and an inability to provide the best care for America’s most precious patients. 

But at Samaritan Medical Center, the focus on care for mothers and their children has never wavered.  

  Set within the Car-Freshner Center for Women and Children and bolstered by the capabilities of its dedicated team, the hospital continues to provide superior maternity services that support new and expanding Northern New York families, every day. 

“Samaritan helps deliver more babies than other local hospitals with the largest OB/GYN offices connected to our maternity unit,” says Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Mario Victoria. “This sheer volume of births makes our team very knowledgeable and prepared.” 

This commitment to comprehensive maternity services continues to set Samaritan apart from its industry peers and ascend in an opposite trajectory from aforementioned U.S. trends. But with a focused approach on neonatal care, support of military families and providing services to mothers and their families, the hospital has a multi-pronged approach to remain a leader in supporting childbirth—and bringing more happy and healthy children into the world. 

   A regional leader in neonatal care 

Samaritan’s excellence in maternity care starts with its Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), a high level of care for a newborn and the only one of its kind in the region. This allows the hospital to also lead Northern New York in comprehensive labor and delivery services and deliver and care for most babies locally with an average of 1,500 each year.  

“Our NICU is uniquely equipped to care for newborns that need extra care after birth, so that they can go home and continue to thrive,” says Dr. Karl J. Komar, a neonatologist at Samaritan for the last 29 years. “I am part of the team that helps ease families concerns and care for these tiniest patients. It is a true honor and something I take great pride in.” Dr. Komar and Dr. Craig Guerin, who has been at Samaritan for the past 9 years, are the lead physicians of the NICU.
 
The unit’s capabilities are essential in caring for the tiniest patients, consisting of babies delivered at 32 weeks and older that need a little extra care before they can go home. Amenities in the newly renovated space include 12 private rooms for family bonding, state-of-the-art monitoring equipment to connect when families can’t be together and 24-hour neonatology coverage by Samaritan’s highly trained staff. This specialized unit helps us to be a regional leader in maternity care and providing patients and families with critical support when they need it most.  

Support for military families 

With its proximity to Fort Drum, Samaritan Medical Center has the honor of providing our full range of maternity services to military families. Unlike other military installations, our connection is unique because Fort Drum does not offer all healthcare services. Samaritan Caregivers provide a supportive environment for all families who need local assistance.  

“Fort Drum’s OB/GYN office is connected to our hospital and their doctors and midwives deliver newborns at Samaritan,” says Tom Carman, President and CEO of Samaritan. “Our hospital maternity services lay the foundation for how closely we work with Fort Drum and how intertwined we are. Samaritan provides most of the acute care services to our miliary community, and we take great pride in this unique relationship.” 

Samaritan is proud to collaborate with the Soldier Family Readiness Division, which works in tandem with the hospital to offer a variety of familial supportive services, including the Fort Drum New Parent Support Program. This program offers expectant military parents and parents of newborns and young children the opportunity to learn new skills as parents or improve old ones to better accommodate their needs.  

Stronger families make for a stronger community, and Samaritan is dedicated to supporting this progress. 

Caring for the Northern New York community 

As the Northern New York community grows, so does Samaritan’s role in providing the best care possible to mothers and their children.  

The Car-Freshner Center for Women and Children features newly renovated mother/baby rooms; new labor and delivery rooms; two dedicated C-section suites; lactation specialists for assistance with breastfeeding; an entire nursing staff who specialize in maternal and infant care; reserved parking and a dedicated entrance for families; and even a way to commemorate each birth with its Children’s Miracle Network Miracle Giving Wall.  

Before the day of delivery, Samaritan also provides a series of free, classes, focused on such topics as the specifics of pregnancy, breastfeeding, labor and caring for a new family. Each complements the commitment the hospital makes to its maternity services and in turn, the growing Northern New York community it serves. 

“Samaritan has invested heavily in our maternity services over the years,” says Beth Fipps, vice president of the Samaritan Foundation and community services. ”The Foundation and our community role as a Children’s Miracle Network hospital have allowed us to create the Car-Freshner Center for Women and Children with families in mind and to purchase needed equipment. With the area’s only NICU, the largest maternity department, and a dedicated pediatric unit, we feel fortunate to care for these patients locally.”  

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November 3, 2023November 21, 2023

Excellus BCBS Awards Hospitals $28 Million for Quality Improvements

Watertown, NY – Samaritan was among eight Utica/Rome/North Country Region hospitals awarded quality improvement payments from Excellus BlueCross BlueShield as part of their 2022 Hospital Performance Incentive Program.

Samaritan is appreciative of the support from Excellus BCBS to ensure high quality healthcare in our community.

The full Excellus BCBS press release can be found here: https://news.excellusbcbs.com/news/article?articleId=36710621&classPK=475619988

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October 11, 2023October 11, 2023

Samaritan’s Pilot Emergency Nurse Residency Program sees Success with recent Graduate

Watertown, NY – On September 14, Sarah Wallace, RN, was the first to complete the Samaritan Medical Center Emergency Nurse Residency Program.

“The main reason for my participation in the Emergency Nurse Residency Program stems from the love for emergency medicine I developed when I was a patient care assistant,” Sarah said. “The staff that is/was there helped to form my interest in Nursing and encouraged me to pursue the field. From providers to ancillary staff, I was able to learn something from someone each day that I was at work.”

In 2022, Samaritan’s nursing leadership created the Emergency Nurse Residency Program upon recognizing the dire need for front-line emergency nurses while solving the time gap of one year of experience required by New York State before a graduate nurse can work in emergency care.

Samaritan’s program offers a curriculum tailored to meet fundamental needs for well-rounded knowledge and a broad skill set of nurses who are passionate about critical care.

Picture here: Kim Smith, director of Nursing Critical Care at Samaritan, and Sarah Wallace, RN.

Sarah added, “I believe that this program is a great program to help new nurses explore emergency medicine while encompassing other departments. This aids in strengthening the community within Samaritan by having the residences go on rotations to each floor.”

New graduate nurses are navigated through Samaritan’s nursing recruitment team to the residency program, and they do not need to be licensed as a Registered Nurse before they apply.

“We are encouraged with Sarah’s graduation that we have developed a program that will help us train and retain RNs in the Emergency Department, this is our long-term goal,” said Jacqueline Dawe, vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer, Samaritan Medical Center. “Currently we have another seven students at various stages in the program and we look forward to accepting new nurses as they apply. We also plan to expand our nursing residency in more areas. These programs work.”

While in the program, the new graduate nurses are exposed to all the areas and departments in the hospital, from the medical/surgical floors to labor and delivery, pediatrics, and behavioral health to the daily assignments and responsibilities in the emergency department.

Graduate nurses, or nurses who will soon graduate, are encouraged to call our nursing recruitment team at 315-779-5236. New nurses to Samaritan may be eligible for a variety of sign-on bonuses and benefits including loan and relocation assistance.

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September 21, 2023September 21, 2023

Samaritan Medical Center Announces Expansion of Emergency Department Behavioral Health Secure Unit

Watertown, NY – Samaritan’s emergency department (ED) will undergo a construction project to expand and enhance the care of psychiatric patients within the secure behavioral health unit (BHU). The expansion is needed as the average daily census of patients has been consistently exceeding physical space. The project is set to cost $2.5 million dollars and construction has begun.

Looking to the past:
In 2010 when we opened our modern ED a five-bed BHU secure unit was sufficient to meet the average daily census. Two overflow rooms were identified near the secure BHU that could be used when needed. This left 31 remaining medical beds in the ED for a total of 38 beds in the entire department. The psychiatric patient numbers have continued to climb over the years and prior to the pandemic in 2020 the average daily census was approximately seven patients.

Present condition:
The average daily census of psychiatric patients in the past 12 months has grown to approximately eight patients, with a high of over 20 patients at one time. There has been an increase in pediatric patients needing care. This number collectively exceeds our secure unit and overflow capacity, which forces these patients into medical beds within the emergency department. This has two immediate impacts – there are fewer beds to treat medical patients and more staff members are needed to watch psychiatric patients in these medical rooms because there are inherent equipment and safety risks in a traditional medical room.

Coupled with an increase in patient census, these patients, especially children, are waiting longer in our ED when they need hospitalization. The current physical space to help safely stabilize these patients is not adequate within the emergency department’s current behavioral health unit (BHU).

The increased number of adults and children in a mental health crisis can be attributed to many factors, but there is not one particular trend. The pandemic is certainly a newer factor with more stress, anxiety, isolation and breaks in outpatient care.

Future solutions:
Samaritan leaders contacted the Department of Health (DOH) with our physical constraints and then decided to seek emergency approval on a Certificate of Need (CON) that identified the space we need. The full approval process can take up to 12 months, but the state quickly approved it.

Construction is now underway to expand to a 12-bed secure unit to meet the needs of the community and the ED will have 29 medical beds. To gain this space, the current coffee shop in the main lobby will move to a different space in the lobby, as well as moving physician office space and claiming hallway space in the lobby area. This will happen in a phased approach to limit the impact to current operations. The project is expected to be completed by the Summer of 2024.

The BHU expansion project is set to cost $2.5 million dollars. This was not budgeted for in 2023 but has been deemed necessary as a matter of patient safety concerns and to mitigate extra staffing needs. Several revenue sources have been identified, and Samaritan continues to look for grant dollars to help offset the construction costs. The Samaritan Foundation, Children’s Miracle Network of Northern New York, and Jefferson County have all committed funds totaling approximately $793,000.

The Samarian Foundation committed half of the net proceeds from its recent Thousand Islands Golf Tournament in June to the project for a total of just over $60,000. In addition, the Foundation is going to dedicate proceeds from an event later this year, Festival of Trees, to the project as well.

The Children’s Miracle Network of Northern New York and its allocations committee designated $300,000 to the project because there is a direct pediatric care need to this expansion.

On April 4, 2023, the Jefferson County Board of Legislators approved a request from Jefferson County Community Services to provide $430,000 to Samaritan Medical Center for this expansion project. The funds have been made available as a result of the New York State Attorney General’s successful litigation with several pharmaceutical companies. The $430,000 is designated to assist with the physical expansion of the behavioral health unit, which has experienced dramatic increases in opiate-related visits. The funding will also be used to begin the important service of providing lifesaving, medication assisted therapies to those who need medical assistance to begin their journey to recovery.

Samaritan is also applying for an expansion to our adult inpatient mental health unit from 34 to 39 beds. This request has been submitted to the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) as they oversee the operations of this inpatient unit. This expansion is needed since we are consistently at full capacity in this unit, as 50% of the adults coming into the emergency department for a mental health crisis are admitted to Samaritan for stabilization and a treatment plan. This project will cost approximately one million dollars.

“Our region continues to battle the mental health crisis needs in this rural community,” states Tom Carman, president and chief executive officer of Samaritan. “Although there are many community-based programs, the need for emergent care through our emergency department, and transferring from other local hospitals who do not have this level of care, consistently surpasses a safe space for us to care for these patients in the existing physical footprint. The need to expand this secure unit has a trickle-down impact that helps these patients, plus the overall wait times for medical patients. The funding will also be used to begin the important service of providing lifesaving, medication assisted therapies (MAT) to those who need medical assistance to begin their journey to recovery.”

Emergency Department Behavioral Health Numbers:

From January 2022 to June 2023, 946 children presented to our emergency department for a behavioral health crisis. Samaritan does not have an inpatient pediatric mental health unit, and those children needing to be hospitalized must be transferred to a facility with capacity in New York State.

273 of these children were deemed in need of hospitalization and transferred to a higher level of care.
Pediatric patients had an average length of stay of 30 hours in 2021 and 35 hours in 2022, with a peak of over 72. This is caused by a shortage of pediatric beds across the region and state. Children are waiting longer in our BHU and the new space will be more child-centered.
Over 550 of these children were already established in outpatient behavioral health services in the community.

From January 2022 to June 2023, 3,461 adults presented to Samaritan’s Emergency Department for a behavioral health crisis.

1,746 of these patients were admitted to Samaritan’s inpatient mental health unit.
210 of these patients were transferred to another facility for psychiatric care.
1,388 of these patients were stabilized in the ED and discharged home to continue their care plans.
Adult patients average length of stay went from 12 hours in 2021 to 22 hours in 2022 and peaked at over 36 hours.

Overall, Samaritan’s emergency department cared for 35,570 patients (medical and psychiatric) in 2022.

Renderings of the new 12-bed secure unit being constructed in Samaritan’s emergency department.

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