Focus on Philanthropy

Michael Doyle, MD, at the construction site at HealthAlliance Hospital: Mary’s Avenue Campus. Photo courtesy of WMCHealth

We sat with Michael Doyle, MD, Executive Director and Chief Medical Officer at HealthAlliance of the Hudson Valley, to discuss the $5 million capital campaign underway in Kingston — and how philanthropy makes a difference.

As seen in the May 2021 Issue of Advancing Care.

Can you tell us about the project underway at HealthAlliance and how philanthropy plays into it?

Construction at our Mary’s Avenue Campus will consolidate our hospital-based services at one campus, making us home to one of the most technologically advanced community hospitals in New York State. Phase two will see a health village built at our Broadway Campus, increasing access for critical outpatient healthcare services.

The project is being funded through a substantial grant from New York State, as well as funding from WMCHealth, and we are relying on the generosity of our community to assist with raising the rest of the needed funding.

How are you approaching this capital campaign during a pandemic?

One of our most successful efforts has been conducting small, socially distant tours of the Mary’s Avenue construction site. People are amazed when they see our plans coming to life firsthand.

We’ve also done virtual tours and meetings with prospective donors and organizations, and so far, the community has responded positively.

What services are you excited about enhancing or beginning at HealthAlliance?

For me, it all starts with primary care. Whether you are a WMCHealth physician or one of the great community physicians with one of our aligned provider groups, knowing there is a high-quality, technologically advanced community hospital in your community inspires confidence.

My thoughts then move to life-saving care, where our capabilities around interventional cardiology, stroke care and surgery are especially significant.

We will have an advanced Emergency Department within the newly
constructed area of the hospital, newly renovated operating rooms and a leading-edge interventional cardiac catheterization lab. For emergent care, we will be at the forefront of community hospitals.

Meanwhile, we will continue to support and meet the demand for elective surgical procedures across a wide range of specialties, including general surgery, orthopedics, urology, vascular, plastic surgery and gynecology, among others.

Lastly, with this new construction, our Baby Friendly™ Family Birth Place will move to a brand-new birthing center at Mary’s Avenue. The worldwide Baby Friendly designation is a mark of high-quality care, and we’re very proud of the hard work of our staff and physicians in achieving and maintaining this distinction.

How have lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic affected the construction project at Mary’s Avenue?

Great question. I’ll give you three examples: First, we’re proud to debut an original design that will bring “negative pressure” to most of our patient rooms in the new hospital.

When our newly designed “negative pressure” system is turned on, all potentially contaminated air and dangerous particles and pathogens, like COVID-19, from inside the room will flow outside the hospital through filtered ductwork into non-inhabited areas, helping to keep everyone safe.

Second, we will have a brand-new Caregiver Center, providing practical and comforting support, resources and services to those who care for others during medical crises, like COVID-19 or a cancer or heart disease diagnosis.

Being a caregiver is demanding, so our Caregiver Center team will be there to help alleviate as much of the burden as they can.

And, third, we’ve completely redesigned the entire café for safe dining. The dining area has been opened up, so people can socially distance while eating. And the days of the salad bar are over. Food will either be served grab-and-go or made to order.

How can people take a tour and get involved?

Our Foundation Team is available to discuss all levels of support, including naming opportunities. You can reach them at 845.334.3160.

To learn more about ways to engage with any WMCHealth hospital, please contact the Westchester Medical Center Foundation office at 914.493.2575 or email [email protected].