United States Department of Veterans Affairs
United States Department of Veterans Affairs

NY/NJ Healthcare Network

Congressman Fossella and VA Network Director to Dedicate New Emergency Room

VA DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
New York Harbor Healthcare System
800 Poly Place
Brooklyn, NY 11209
718-836-6600 x2804
Fax 718-630-2840
Contact: John R. Mazzulla

BROOKLYN, NY, April 28, 2006 - Congressman Vito J. Fossella (BK/SI R-13) will join VA Regional Network Director James J. Farsetta to dedicate the new Emergency Room at the Brooklyn Campus of the New York Harbor Healthcare System on Monday, May 1, 2006, at 10:00am.

The new VA Medical Center Emergency Room, located at 800 Poly Place, in Bay Ridge Brooklyn, will feature 18,500 square feet of Emergency Medicine space, a 3,000 square foot increase over the existing emergency room.

Fossella said, "The Brooklyn VA has developed a well-earned reputation for providing excellent care to veterans across New York. As the veteran population has grown, so too has the need for emergency room care. The existing emergency room could no longer accommodate the needs of our veterans due to its size and age. This new emergency room will allow our veterans to receive life-saving medical care in a brand new, state-of-the-art facility. With more space than the current site, the new emergency room will allow our veterans to receive the care they need in a well-designed and efficient facility. I want to extend my appreciation to VA Network Director James Farsetta and VA Director John Donnellan for their commitment to this important upgrade to existing facilities." Approximately 18,500 Staten Island, Brooklyn and Queens veterans received emergency care at the Brooklyn VA medical center emergency room in 2005.

"I am very pleased to have expanded emergency medical care facilities. This new site incorporates VA's computerized medical record and bar code medication administration technology to reduce the potential for medical errors and increase efficiency. The design also facilitates quicker medical assessment and triage and increases patient privacy. This new VA Emergency Room will accommodate the current and future emergency care needs of New York City veterans," said Director John Donnellan.

The new Emergency Room features:
  • 12 stabilization beds in two rooms allowing efficient evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of emergency medical conditions
  • two isolation rooms to separately evaluate and treat patients with communicable diseases
  • an increase in observation space and beds to more comfortably assess veteran's condition
  • well designed separate area for psychiatric emergencies
  • three treatment/triage rooms for physicians and nurses
Please call John Mazzulla at 718-630-2804 for additional information.