BY SAMANTHA WANDERER
St. John’s Episcopal Hospital (SJEH) held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Nov. 22 to celebrate the grand opening of its new hospital lobby.
The lobby includes an outpatient pharmacy, cafe and gift shop, and reflection room and has a modern design with LED lighting, a visitor seating lounge, and an iPad section for visitors to view their medical history and schedule appointments. There is also a donor wall with the names of those who donate to the hospital.
“Through this new lobby, every time someone walks through the hospital’s doors they will understand the commitment of St. John’s to serve the public,” said The Right Reverend Lawrence C. Provenzano, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island and Chairman of the board at SJEH.
The newly added outpatient pharmacy allows patients and visitors to pick up their prescriptions before they leave the hospital, and they have a delivery option. This outpatient pharmacy has competitive pricing and discounts, with access to not-for-profit programs that help save money on prescription medications.
The renovations are a part of SJEH’s continuing efforts to update their 257-bed hospital that serves Far Rockaway and the Five Towns area.
“We may have been around over 110 years, but with the investments we’ve made to enhance the quality of care our patients receive and investments in improving our physical spaces and opening medial practices outside the hospital walls and into our community, it is as if we are a new hospital,” said Jerry Walsh, chief executive officer of SJEH.
“This new lobby is symbolic of the fact that we are listening to the public regarding what medical service are wanted and needed, and we are committed to providing exceptional care,” Walsh added.
Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato said she is thankful for the quality healthcare that SJEH provides for the community.
“I want to congratulate St. John’s Episcopal Hospital on the opening of the new lobby, pharmacy and cafe,” Amato said. “ In the community, we have been deprived of quality health care, and St. John’s has brought it back too us! Looking forward to seeing all the continued progress.”
