Hurricane Irene - ORMC Remains Committed to Patient Care

I sincerely thank everyone at the hospital for the incredible work performed during the weekend of, and days following, the recent hurricane. Your preparation and careful planning made it possible for all of us to manage the impact of Irene - one of the most damaging storms to the Hudson Valley in history.

The command center performed perfectly with rapid responses and timely communication throughout the 36 hours of the storm. Beyond the storm, our emergency management department continued to keep you updated with area road closures due to flooding and downed trees.

Physicians, nurses and support staff took excellent care of our patients while many experienced outages and flooding in their own homes. Travel restrictions were mandated due to the deteriorating road conditions and a county-wide, state-of-emergency declaration. Not only did this hinder the ability for staff and physicians to travel to and from the hospital, it also left our discharged patients and their families stranded at our facility. However, our team of professionals created a plan for nourishment, medication and shelter from the storm until it was safe to leave. Mother Nature has presented our community with challenges lately. As a team, we once again, clearly demonstrated tremendous strength in effectively and efficiently managing this emergency situation with the safety and comfort of our patients at the forefront.

Thanks again for your commitment to our patients, the organization and our community.

Welcome to the New ORMC

It is with much pleasure and gratitude that I welcome you to the new Orange Regional Medical Center. Thanks to all who worked night and day to get the new hospital ready for our patients. Friday, August 5, 2011, is now a day in history that each of us will never forget.

Congratulations to everyone for the incredibly smooth and safe move of all patients from the Arden Hill and Horton Campuses. Special thanks to Jonathan Schiller and Sandra Iberger for leading the fantastic planning of the move, to everyone in the command centers, the EMS community, our physicians, staff and volunteers. It was a proud day for Orange Regional and our community. It was also a significant day with many “firsts” including our first baby, first cath lab procedure, first surgery and first helicopter landing to name a few.

The new building is quite large. Please become familiar with it quickly. Additionally, we must all work to refine processes and procedures that allow for better patient flow and time management efficiencies. This is necessary in providing excellent care to every patient every day. The expectations of our community and of our patients have been raised significantly requiring us to set the highest standards of professionalism throughout the organization. Not only should we meet and exceed these standards, but we must follow through with each and every patient encounter as they come before us, ensuring quality care from beginning to end.

We have a fantastic opportunity to create a medical center second to none in the region. We should all take great pride in what we have accomplished and embrace our exciting future. Please continue to work as a team in the spirit that shined so bright throughout our move. Together, it was the hard work and dedication that each of you put forth to make this dream a reality. Together, moving forward, we will only grow stronger.

Welcome to our exciting new home!