Wyckoff Heights Medical Center on Nov. 13 debuted its renovated Pediatric Emergency Department (PED) in a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony and allowed parents, families and any interested to tour the new facility. The renovation is a part of phase one of the medical center’s multi-year long efforts to modernize its emergency care and better serve the community of over 84,000 people that visit the ED annually.
“Today marks a vitally important step forward for the children and families of Brooklyn and Queens who depend every day on the incredibly hard working teams at Wyckoff for emergency care,” said Wyckoff Heights Medical Center President and CEO Vali Gache.“The new Pediatric ED will provide a brighter, more efficient and more patient-centered environment where our teams can continue to deliver excellent care.”
Construction of the project began a year ago and is possible thanks to a $58.5 million grant from New York State Capital Restructuring Financing Program that representatives say has enabled the hospital to “improve patient privacy, staff workflow and comfort.” The hospital worked closely with Northwell Health and the Department of Health (DOH) to ensure the funds went to its best possible use. The latest features include 13 new treatment or observation rooms, new “physiologic” monitors that display heartrate, oxygen levels, etc., as well as a new generator, which is better suited to give emergency power during blackouts or brownouts.
Wyckoff Heights Medical Center is over 100 years old, opened in 1889, and has since been a prominent institution of medical care for residents of both Queens and Brooklyn. Then called the German Hospital of Brooklyn, it was renamed during World War 1 and has since been on the front-line of care for hospitals in the area. Most notably, the hospital is designated as a Tier III Perinatal Center and the surgeons of Wyckoff Heights were the first in the state to perform an artificial disc implant operation.
Among the other upgrades to the PED are a security overhaul, with extra cameras and card readers for staff, on top of a special design for “surge capacity” that allows the professionals to better take care of patients when experiencing an over-crowding of patients.
“We extend our deepest gratitude to Gov. Kathy Hochul, whose leadership and steadfast support for safety net hospitals, and the communities of Brooklyn and Queens, made this milestone possible,” said Gache. “We are equally grateful to our partners in the New York State Legislature and at the DOH for investing in the health and futures of our community’s children and families.”
But Wyckoff Heights still has other plans for expansion and upgrades, and will begin phase two of the full project by expanding the adult’s ED. Construction of the other ED begins next week and is expected to be completed in a similar timeframe; next year in November, 2026.
“This project is about making care more accessible, more responsive, and more equitable,” added Dr. Gustavo Del Toro, Chief Medical Officer of Wyckoff Heights Medical Center. “With New York State’s partnership and the trust of our community, we’re building a resilient and responsive emergency care system that families can count on day and night today and into the future.”
