Lewis County Health System in midst of biggest modernization in 90-year history

LOWVILLE, New York (WWNY) - A multi-million dollar multi-layered project continues at Lewis County Health System. It’s the most comprehensive modernization of the hospital in its 90-year history.

Three projects are all happening simultaneously.

“It has been busy, at times a little crazy,” said Lewis County Health System CEO Jerry Cayer.

It’s a $32 million chapter for the system.

The new structure is a surgical pavilion that will be home to three operating rooms and one procedure room, doubling the hospital’s current operating room capacity.

“New construction, modern ORs, connecting to a 1931 building,” said Cayer.

The second part of the project is work on the original 1931 building.

Plastic curtains hang in the hallways as crews do a complete revitalization of the existing medical-surgical and critical care units.

Once shared, patients’ rooms are now private with their own bathrooms. Each room can also double capacity if need be.

“The third big project is all the exterior work. I mean, you can hear it today. Lots of earth being moved, and then appropriate elevation changes to the driveway that will connect Number Three Road with Route 26,” said Cayer.

About 70,000 yards of earth were moved.

Cayer hopes the modernization of the facility will not only better serve the community, but help recruit new employees.

“We want to meet the needs of today’s resident, but we want to meet the needs of the resident 10 years from now, 15 years from now, 20 years from now,” he said.

Cayer is aiming to have the first surgery in the new pavilion by August, with the revitalization finishing up in January of next year.

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