By MANDY COLOSIMO | May 11, 2023
On Wednesday evening, following the 2023 Nurse Reception and Awards, hospital staff offered those in attendance tours of the facility — from the ground floor to the fourth floor. Doctors and nurses, as well as support staff and building maintenance, from nearly every department were stationed along the tour are ready to chat about what they do at the hospital.
In the physician tower, as Dr. Jill Owens called it, are in-house doctors who specialize in pediatrics, family medicine, urology, orthopedics, oncology, and cardiology.
“Cardiology is a partnership with Great Lakes,” Owens said, “and our oncology doctor is in partnership with Roswell. We also have wound care and will have in a few weeks, pain management.” All of these services are located inside the hospital. Though none of the physicians do surgery at the Bradford location, Owens said, “it is still on my wishlist — to get outpatient surgery patients back. But we have to walk before we run, and we have to get financially stable. We are on our way.”
Additionally, the hospital offers a full lab, radiological unity, physical therapy, occupational therapy, cardio rehabilitation, and an ambulatory clinic.
“The ambulatory clinic is where patients come for infusions of certain medicines, dressing changes, and other outpatient care. The office is expanding and more services are coming soon,” Owens said.
On the third floor, between urology and the orthopedic offices, is something new.
“We have something cool, the First Step Clinic. It’s a center for children of sexual assault,” Owens explained. “We get referrals from not only McKean County but from surrounding counties also.”
Recruiting doctors, even during COVID, was not as difficult for BRMC as it was for other hospitals. Owens said, “Doctors want a happier lifestyle.” At the moment, BRMC has 338 employees working on-site. There are more who work in the city and in the region, still within the state.
Owens added, “We still have a lot of services in this facility. We are not closed, we are entering a growth phase.”
That is why the hospital held the event, she added. “We still have 20 in-patient beds. And, there are 30 in-patient beds in the psychiatric unit. That is a unique department because we can treat dual diagnosis and detox as well as general psychiatric patients.
“And what really sets us apart from other hospitals in the region,” Owens continued, “is our Emergency Room is physically staffed, with a doctor, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.”
Another part of the hospital that Owens was proud of was the Pavilion, a 96-bed skilled nursing facility with rehabilitation services for those who need them short-term.
“This is a growing area. When I started, there were 59 patients; there are 80 now. The goal is to reach full capacity — all 96 beds in use. Why? Because we have the staff to care for them,” Owens said.
Many departments are hoping the public will know where to find them — They are all inside the walls of BRMC.
The UPBEAT Wellness Program, on the ground floor, is open. Anybody can join the program, with or without going through insurance. Jason Nuzzo, who has been working at UPBEAT since 1999, said that the only requirement for a member of the community to join, is for them to have their doctor write a note stating it was safe for them to exercise. There is a monthly fee, but some programs cover the cost, he added.
The Center for Diabetes & Nutrition Education, on the fourth floor, is open. There are workshops on several Thursdays in June, August, October, and December from 9 a.m. to noon, to address all aspects of managing diabetes and getting more education about devices used.
The pulmonology department is ready to check on your breathing and has several handouts available about Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
Sometimes, a patient will be referred to the Sleep Clinic. These services are also available at BRMC. Don’t panic, the beds are comfortable. And, if a C-PAP is prescribed, they have come a long way since the full-face ones of yesteryear.
There are far too many departments and services that remain in-house at BRMC to include here. For a full list, see www.brmc-ogh.org