Northern Westchester Hospital to Receive $5.4 Million in FEMA Funding to Enhance its Emergency Electrical Infrastructure

Mount Kisco, New York (PRWEB) October 21, 2015

Northern Westchester Hospital (NWH) will receive $5.4 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in order to enhance its emergency electrical infrastructure. This grant will be used exclusively to upgrade NWH's emergency electrical system to a Type 1-Essential Electrical System (EES), bringing its electrical infrastructure to the highest level of emergency preparedness. The FEMA grant is the largest in the hospital's history.

The FEMA grant was strongly supported by U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, and Congresswoman Nita Lowey, who urged FEMA to provide this critical funding. NWH lost its primary, Consolidated-Edison (ConEd), power for 70 hours during Superstorm Sandy requiring the activation of its backup generators to serve as a primary power source. Although, at no time did NWH lose its emergency fixed standby generators, the Type 1-EES project is necessary to significantly strengthen the hospital's emergency power systems.

With this funding from FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, NWH will completely modernize its electrical system, creating three separate power branches that will help it withstand the impact of future storms as well as two increased-capacity generators. The total project cost is $7,227,511; FEMA will cover 75 percent of the cost, at $5,420,633. The remaining $1.8MM will be reinvested hospital operating revenue. As a not-for-profit organization, any operating revenue gained is reinvested into the hospital to serve the community.

"This is great news for the Northern Westchester Hospital and the thousands of patients who rely on it every day for emergency medical care. With this funding, and with the lessons learned from Superstorm Sandy, this hospital will be able to upgrade their electrical system so it can better withstand future storms," said Senator Schumer.

"This critical FEMA funding will help provide much needed resources to facilitate electrical system improvements at Northern Westchester Hospital," said Senator Gillibrand. "Superstorm Sandy devastated our communities and these funds will help secure the hospital, giving peace of mind to the thousands of New Yorkers that it will be ready for an emergency and can withstand the next storm."

"It's imperative that our region's hospitals can provide care when it's needed most. As the Ranking Member of the committee that provided the funds, I'm pleased that FEMA is helping Northern Westchester Hospital upgrade its equipment, strengthen its power grid, and withstand future adverse weather events. I will continue working with Senators Schumer and Gillibrand as well as local officials to ensure the Lower Hudson Valley's resiliency needs are met," said Congresswoman Nita Lowey.

"Northern Westchester Hospital is the principle medical/surgical center for 350,000 people. In the event of a disaster, NWH serves as a refuge and resource for the community and must remain accessible and able to function at maximum capacity to provide services to the community when they are most needed," said Joel Seligman, President and CEO, Northern Westchester Hospital. "These funds will enable NWH to reinforce the electrical infrastructure which is essential to uninterrupted operations and critical to the safety and well-being of the northern Westchester community. We are grateful to Senator Schumer, Senator Gillibrand, and Congresswoman Lowey for their efforts which were instrumental in securing these funds."

NWH is a 245-bed facility with a medical staff of almost 700 physicians providing acute specialty/sub-specialty care in nearly every clinical area to adults and children on an outpatient, inpatient and emergency basis. NWH serves individuals who live in Northern Westchester, Putnam and Southern Dutchess Counties in New York. Critical infrastructure enhancements will ensure continuous care for residents even during the worst of storms.

About Northern Westchester Hospital
Northern Westchester Hospital (NWH), a member of the North Shore-LIJ Health System, provides quality, patient-centered care that is close to home through a unique combination of medical expertise, leading-edge technology, and a commitment to humanity. Over 650 highly-skilled physicians, state-of-the-art technology and professional staff of caregivers are all in place to ensure that you and your family receive treatment in a caring, respectful and nurturing environment.

NWH has established extensive internal quality measurements that surpass the standards defined by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Hospital Quality Alliance (HQA) National Hospital Quality Measures. Our high quality standards help to ensure that the treatment you receive at NWH is among the best in the nation. For more information, please visit http://www.nwhc.net and connect with us on Facebook.

About North Shore-LIJ Health System -- North Shore-LIJ is changing its name to Northwell Health in January 2016.
One of the nation's largest health systems, North Shore-LIJ delivers world-class clinical care throughout the New York metropolitan area, pioneering research at The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, a visionary approach to medical education highlighted by the Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine, and healthcare coverage to individuals, families and businesses through the CareConnect Insurance Co. Inc. North Shore-LIJ cares for people at every stage of life at 21 hospitals and about 450 outpatient physician practices throughout the region. North Shore-LIJ's owned hospitals and long-term care facilities house more than 6,600 beds, employ more than 13,300 nurses and have affiliations with about 12,600 physicians. With a workforce of more than 61,000, North Shore-LIJ is the largest private employer in New York State. For more information, go to http://www.northshorelij.com

Media Contact:

Gretchen Mullin Northern Westchester Hospital
(914) 666-1266

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