Brooklyn, NY (August 5, 2024) – Maimonides Health marked a successful first year of operations at the Maimonides Bay Ridge Emergency Department (ED), serving the Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, and Southern Brooklyn communities with 24/7 emergency care.

Maimonides leadership, clinical teams, emergency department staff and community partners gathered on Thursday, July 25, the anniversary of the first patient treated at the Bay Ridge ED, to celebrate this milestone. One year later, the facility has served more than 13,000 patients, more than 90% of whom are Brooklyn residents. Maimonides Bay Ridge ED has achieved the highest patient satisfaction score in Brooklyn with an average patient wait time of five minutes.

The Maimonides Bay Ridge ED team has achieved several indicators of high-quality care, including an 83% patient satisfaction rate, far surpassing the NRC Health New York state average benchmark for emergency services of 63% and making the ED’s patient satisfaction rate among the highest in New York City. The state-of-the-art facility achieved this metric through developing patient-centric services, where virtual appointments, pre-arrival appointments, and a direct-to-triage model help eliminate long wait times. The ED features top-of-the-line technology including an on-site laboratory with rapid test result turnaround, on-site CT, X-ray, and ultrasound scanning, and a direct-to-admission program with a 24/7 on-site paramedic transport team for patients requiring hospital admission.

“With the Maimonides Bay Ridge ED, we have created access to exceptional emergency care in a part of Brooklyn where it was much needed,” said Ken Gibbs, President and CEO of Maimonides Health. “This facility is both a laboratory and a success story, testing and affirming our ability to transform, modernize, and integrate care for our Brooklyn community.”

Maimonides opened the emergency department at the site of the former Victory Memorial Hospital, 15 years after its closure left the community without nearby access to a destination for emergency medical services.

The development of the facility was the first step in Maimonides’ long-term initiative to transform emergency care in Southern Brooklyn. Currently, development is underway for a new, expanded pediatric emergency department, which will become the only standalone pediatric emergency department in all of Brooklyn, a borough with over 630,000 children. Maimonides is also establishing emergency care beds for adult psychiatric patients and expanding capacity for emergency care for adult patients.

With these new facilities expected to be completed in 2025 to early 2026, their creation will allow for increased space for our adult emergency department on the Maimonides Medical Center campus, which will ultimately quadruple our square footage for emergency care.

“Our medical leaders have thoughtfully developed a model for patient-centric care here in Bay Ridge, and that is what has set us apart among emergency facilities,” said Eitan Dickman, MD, Chair of Emergency Medicine, Maimonides Health. “We’ve not only created an emergency department for this community, but one that is among the best in the city, and this milestone is just one step in our ongoing efforts to create greater access to expert critical services for all the communities that we serve.”

“I know from personal experience how essential healthcare workers are; they are the backbone to the communities they serve,” said Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams. “Since the Maimonides Bay Ridge Emergency Department opened to the public a year ago, it has supported Bay Ridge – which had previously gone without access to local emergency medical services – with high quality care. I want to express my gratitude and congratulations to all of the hard workers who have provided this crucial care to the Bay Ridge community over the last year and for many to come.”

“Thank you to the Maimonides Bay Ridge Emergency Department staff for an exceptional year! Your top-quality care, modern technology, and compassionate service are vital for our residents in Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, and beyond,” said State Senator Iwen Chu. “Here at Maimonides, patients receive pediatrics, OB-GYN, mental health, cardiac, stroke, and orthopedic care with shorter wait times, avoiding the need to travel miles to other emergency departments. I look forward to continuing our strong community partnership and supporting Maimonides Health.”

“Time flies when you’re saving lives. It was great to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the Maimonides Bay Ridge ED, which is a game changer for Southern Brooklyn,” said City Councilmember Justin Brannan, District 47. “The fact that Maimonides has really doubled down on its investment in this community to bring back this community emergency department is easily one of the things I’m most proud of, to have just been a small part of actually making it a reality.”

To download photos from the event, visit this link and use this download pin: 9340.

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