St. John’s Episcopal Hospital’s Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Marks Kickoff of “The New St. John’s!”

Far Rockaway, New York, November 22, 2019 — St. John’s Episcopal Hospital (SJEH) held a ribbon cutting ceremony in celebration of the grand opening of its new hospital lobby which includes a new outpatient pharmacy, café/gift shop, and reflection room. The lobby features a modern design equipped with LED lighting that runs in strips from the ceiling to the walls; a comfortable visitor seating lounge equipped with a flat panel television; a dedicated section containing iPads where visitors have access to their medical information and can schedule their medical appointments through the patient portal; and a sleek, visually appealing “donor wall” featuring the names of those who donate to the hospital.

Located within the lobby is a new, state-of-the-art outpatient pharmacy where patients and visitors can conveniently pick-up their medications after medical appointments without having to worry about making an additional stop at an external pharmacy. The pharmacy offers free delivery, and competitive pricing and discounts with access to not-for-profit programs that can help customers save money on prescription medications.

“We are not the same St. John’s that people remember from years back,” said Jerry Walsh, Chief Executive Officer. “We may have been around over 110 years, but with the investments we’ve made to enhance the quality of care our patients receive, and investments in improving our physical spaces and opening medical practices outside the hospital walls and into our community, it is as if we are a new hospital.”

Since joining SJEH as Chief Executive Officer in late 2015, Walsh restructured the hospital’s leadership team, invested in staff education for the benefit of patients, and introduced a focus on patient- and family-centered care in which the patient and their family members are engaged in the planning and administration of care.

Under Walsh’s leadership, the hospital is managing more than $40 million for medical service enhancements—most of which was awarded through grant funding. This funding will go towards the creation of a new radiation oncology center to be built in close proximity to the hospital; a new women’s health center; a new outpatient services/Teaching Center; and the renovation and expansion of the hospital’s emergency department which sees approximately 45,000 visits each year.

“This new lobby is symbolic of the fact that we are listening to the public regarding what medical service are wanted and needed, and we are committed to providing exceptional care,” Walsh said.

“Through this new lobby, every time someone walks through the hospital’s doors they will understand the commitment of St. John’s to serve the public,” said The Right Reverend Lawrence C. Provenzano, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island and Chairman of the Board at SJEH.

“I want to congratulate St. John’s Episcopal Hospital on the opening of the new lobby, pharmacy, and café,” said Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato. “In this community, we have been deprived of quality health care, and St. John’s has brought it back to us! Looking forward to seeing all the continued progress.”