August 26, 2015
HORNELL, NY – On Wednesday night at the St. James Town Hall, at the Main Place on Main Street, Hornell Mayor Shawn Hogan was the first speaker. “There’s been a number of town hall meetings over the course of the last year or so,” Hogan explained. “I think tonight that you’ll learn that those signs (the Save Our Hospital signs) can come down, and be replaced with ‘Support Our Hospital,” Hogan told the audience. Hogan spoke highly of Dr. Raymond Mayewski. “He’s been very instrumental and very supportive,” Hogan said. “And things are moving in a very positive direction.”
The mayor also praised the St. James Hospital Board and hospital CEO Jennifer Sullivan. “In the leadership position, you get the slings and arrows and the targets on your back,” Hogan said. He described Sullivan as working tirelessly for St. James Hospital.
Hospital CEO Jennifer Sullivan spoke of the transition from Trinity CHE to the Independent St. James. “We’re still open, we’re still providing services,” Sullivan told those present on Wednesday night. Sullivan said that right now, there are 64 resumes that the hospital is looking at for nursing jobs, and that many nurses are being hired back.
Dr. Raymond Mayewski, the Chief Medical Officer of both Highland and Strong in Rochester, talked about the hospital medical staff. “Your medical staff is here, is dedicated, is high quality, and it’s moving us in the direction we want to move to, to make this a great facility,” Mayewski said. He also reiterated what Mayor Hogan said about forgetting the “Save Our Hospital” signs, and that people need to use the slogan “Use Our Hospital.”
During the question and answer period, North Hornell Mayor John Falci asked about plans to create a new facility in North Hornell. Sullivan answered that the hospital needed to obtain funding to build it.
U.R. Medicine’s Steven Goldstein spoke of wanting to have as many area residents as possible, use St. James, instead of travelling to places like Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester. “It’s better for families, it’s better for the community, and to be very blunt, Strong Memorial, which has 860 beds right now, is over 100 percent occupied.”
