After seven years, Gouverneur Health’s $257 million modernization project is finally completed. Local VIP’s came to the newly expanded facility at 227 Madison St. today to cut the ribbon on the final phase of the project, which included the addition of 85 nursing beds.
Gouverneur, poised to celebrate its 130th year on the Lower East Side, now includes a 295-bed nursing home, an ambulatory care pavilion (opened in 2011) and a women’s health center. During remarks before the ribbon cutting, Executive Director Martha Sullivan called the new Gouverneur “a dream come true” and a “gem of the New York Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC).” She said the state-of-the-art facility is a demonstration of the city’s commitment to provide the highest level of care on the Lower East Side. She was joined today by HHC President Ram Raju, who noted that the nursing home is a departure from institutional style facilities in that it features a personalized, home-like environment.
Also in attendance today: U.S. Rep. Nydia Velazquez, State Assemblyman Sheldon Silver, Assemblyman Brian Kavanagh, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, City Council member Margaret Chin and City Council member Rosie Mendez. State Sen. Daniel Squadron sent a representative from his office.
In introducing Silver, Sullivan called him a “longtime fierce advocate for Gouverneur” and for affordable health care in New York. The Lower East Side assemblyman, forced to step down as Speaker earlier this year following a federal indictment on corruption charges, said generations of immigrant families – including his own – have been well served by Gouverneur. The modernization provides “21st century health care,” Silver said, “the kind that every community should have.” Trying to send a message of reassurance to his constituents, Silver added that he remains committed to providing a “strong, clear voice when it comes to health care in New York” and Silver said he was proud to be working together with his fellow elected officials on a range of issues.
The modernization project included the construction of a new 13-story building for the ambulatory care pavilion, making Gouverneur a 450,000 square foot facility. The nursing home includes double room suites and private rooms and open dining and leisure areas with fireplaces. There are about 65 beds for rehabilitation and a rehab gym. The outpatient care center offers adult medicine, women’s health services, pediatrics, behavioral health, dental, podiatry and ophthalmology. There’s a digital imaging center with a CT scanner.
The project was managed by the Dormitory Authority of New York and was built by Hunter Roberts Construction Group. It was funded by the city with additional grants from the Lower Manhattan Development Corp., the Borough President’s Office, the City Council and the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development.
