With a growing patient load and service area, E.J. Noble Hospital officials see a new medical wing as a major step towards improving health care and physician recruitment.
 
"We have many individuals with pulmonary disease and having expanded respiratory therapy, (there's) no question it will be significant benefits," said E.J. Noble CEO Chuck Conole.
                                     
The multi-million dollar hospital addition contains nearly 34,000 square feet of improvements.

The project includes 30-new double and single acute care beds along with three intensive care unit rooms for patients needing more specialized attention.

The new wing also will provide patients with individual physical and respiratory units as well as a spacious waiting room.

Work is still underway in the area where a new in-house magnetic resonance imaging or MRI will go on line later this spring:
 
"It's joyous day for Gouverneur. It truly is. The residents are going to love this facility, " said Tim Monroe, hospital board chair.                                                             
 
An area behind the hospital will also help to free up a parking crunch.

While E.J. Noble will now drop from 47 to 30 beds, hospital officials say no staff will be lost but the medical facility will be able to operate more efficiently and keep up with technological advancements.
 
"Technology is growing and we do with it," said plant operations director Cory Perrault.
                                                  
Bonding from the St. Lawrence County Industrial Development Agency was instrumental in helping finance the new wing, which has been under construction for months.

"I never thought we'd ever get to the end of this project," said project coordinator Gary Mott.
                                                    
The community will get its first look at the new wing at an open house on Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to noon.

The wing is expected to be fully operational within the next two weeks.