Future site unveiled for NY Downtown Hospital's Wellness & Prevention Ctr.

Governor David Paterson recently joined New York State assembly speaker Sheldon Silver, N.Y.C. deputy mayor Robert Lieber, community leaders and hospital officials to announce the future site of the Wellness and Prevention Center at New York Downtown Hospital as well as the future purchase of one of the first public MRI machines in the borough. The $5 million grant to New York Downtown Hospital comes from the Lower Manhattan Development Corp.'s (LMDC) Community Enhancement Fund, which awarded 35 grants in excess of $37 million in November of last year to support a variety of community improvements. The grant to New York Downtown Hospital is the largest of LMDC's 35 grants and is part of $8.5 million awarded for health care purposes in Lower Manhattan. Half of the $5 million grant will go towards the purchase of an MRI machine and the other half will fund the hospital's new Wellness and Prevention Center. "N.Y. Downtown Hospital serves hundreds of thousands of Lower Manhattan residents each year, providing New Yorkers with quality care as well as the ability to quickly and professionally respond to emergencies such as the World Trade Center tragedy," said governor Paterson. "This grant will enhance this institution as it meets the needs of a growing population and will provide residents with vital resources such as the availability of an MRI machine and a new center for diagnostic and treatment services. I applaud speaker Silver and the LMDC for working on behalf of New Yorkers to bring these projects to fruition." Assembly Speaker Silver said, "Lower Manhattan needs dependable and accessible health care. The addition of the Wellness and Prevention Center at New York Downtown Hospital will benefit everyone in our vibrant and growing community. I fought hard for this important new diagnostic and treatment center, which will include Lower Manhattan's first MRI for use by the general public, and I am grateful for the leadership of governor David Paterson and the support of LMDC chair Avi Schick." The new 6,500 s/f Wellness and Prevention Center will boast 12 exam rooms, six consultation rooms, diagnostic and treatment rooms and patient locker rooms and showers. It will provide comprehensive diagnostic and treatment services including internal medicine, diabetes, cardiology, pulmonary and comprehensive blood chemistry screenings. Services will range from non-invasive cardiovascular testing to comprehensive women's services including diagnostic cancer screenings. New York Downtown Hospital is one of the only hospitals in the area and serves the communities and diverse neighborhoods of Wall St., Battery Park City, Chinatown, Soho, Tribeca, Little Italy and the Lower East Side. Each year, the hospital has more than 30,000 emergency visits, 146,000 outpatient visits, 12,000 inpatient admissions, 5,300 outpatient surgeries and 2,900 new babies born. In 2006 the hospital received the Patient Safety Award from the State Dept. of Health. New York Downtown Hospital is the successor hospital to a hospital founded over 150 years ago by Elizabeth Blackwell, one of the first female physicians in the country.