by Kristina Gabalski
Officials at Lakeside Health System say they have submitted a re-organization plan to New York State and are seeking permission to retain the emergency department. The plan is contingent on the State’s approval.
Lakeside CEO Jim Cummings made the announcement during the first of several Neighborhood Meetings held Thurs., Feb. 28 at the Senior Center in Brockport.
Cummings said there were 17,000 visits to the ER at Lakeside last year.
“We’re having dynamic discussions with New York State,” he said, and explained that Lakeside officials recently learned that the state allows emergency rooms to stay open when in-patient beds are reduced as long as a few beds are kept for emergency admissions/observation.
Cummings said Lakeside would have at least five beds available, allowing emergency medical services in the area, including those in Orleans County, to bring people to Lakeside to be stabilized and then, if necessary, transferred to a larger area hospital.
“We want to be the portal of entry for anybody in the immediate service area,” he said.
Lakeside also wants to keep the excellent ER staff they have, Cummings added.
“We hope people will stay now that they have this news.”
In a news release, Cummings stated, “The ability to retain our emergency department will strongly support our shift in focus to an out-patient based health care system and enable us to continue to provide important emergency services.”
Cummings told those at the Brockport Neighborhood Meeting that he wanted to personally speak to and hear from them regarding changes at Lakeside.
“We want to make an effort to be out in the community,” he said. “Lakeside needs to be people-oriented. If you take good care of people, finances will follow.”
Cummings answered many questions from the audience. In responding to questions and concerns, Cummings said the Stroke Center will continue as part of emergency and that no decision has been made yet in regards to closing Physical Therapy. “We are working to keep it open,” he said.
He asked community members to tell their primary care physicians to refer them to Lakeside for tests like CT scans and for out-patient surgery.
Lakeside will hold additional Neighborhood Meetings – one on Mon., March 4 from 6:30-8:00 p.m. at the Ogden Farmers’ Library in Spencerport and on Tues., March 5 from 6:30-8:00 p.m. at the Hoag Library in Albion.
