The hospital got a new name on March 25. It’s now known as “Montefiore: St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital.” It’s a mouth full. Does the abbreviation “SLCH” still work? We don’t know.
Guests gathered in the parking lot in Cornwall on Monday afternoon. They chatted in clusters and looked like school kids waiting for the end of a fire drill. At four o’clock they gathered in front of the hospital porch for a brief program. When it was over, they cheered as the new name was unveiled.
Hospital officials described the event as a rebranding. But it was more than a change of name. In recent weeks, the building has become the home of a new dialysis unit and a completely refurbished rehabilitation center. A lot has happened since the Emergency Department was moved to Newburgh.
At the time, the public was unhappy with the change. But Joan Cusack-McGuirk, the hospital CEO and president, assured them that the facility would have an important new role in the community. Dick Randazzo (Cornwall’s supervisor) referred to that promise when it was his turn at the podium. But first he acknowledged that the transition hadn’t been easy.
“Health care is even tougher than government,” he admitted with a smile. “But you made a commitment,” he said to Mrs. Cusack-McGuirk. “You love Cornwall and you never let Cornwall down. You delivered 110 percent. The expansion makes it easy for our residents to get quality care.”
Mr. Randazzo, like many longtime area residents, was born in the hospital in Cornwall. In recent years, the maternity center has moved. But the supervisor didn’t complain about its absence. “The hospital is changing for the better,” he said. “You’re bringing us into the 21st Century.”
There was evidence of the 21st Century when the spectators moved downstairs for a ribbon cutting at the modernized rehabilitation center. Jeff Menkes (the CEO and president of Burke Rehabilitation) described some of the services that Burke will be offering in Cornwall in an area that was once the cafeteria.
In addition to helping patients with recovery, Burke will be able to evaluate drivers to see if they can still safely drive a car. And Burke will offer its Memory Evaluation Treatment Service (METS) to people with dementia or Alzheimer’s.
Dr. Steven Safyer was the last to speak before the ceremonial ribbon was spliced in half. The Montefiore CEO summarized what he and the others are trying to accomplish. “We want to connect a rural community with New York City,” he said. “We want to deliver the care that you deserve.”
