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Community leaders, doctors, donors and top administrators from both locations rubbed elbows at Siwanoy Country Club on Thursday, as several of the visionaries behind the alliance explained the process of how the coupling came together and what they envisioned for the future.
The two hospitals were completely incorporated as of July 1, and since then, Westchester patients have enjoyed “the care without the commute” and amenities affiliated with one of the nation’s largest hospitals.
Edward Dinan, the president and CEO of NewYork-Presbyterian/Lawrence, said that the merger isn’t just an aesthetic change, but a practical one that should lead to big things for the Bronxville medical center.
“This is so much more than just changing the name and putting a new sign on the building,” he said. “This has to stand for something, and that is quality and putting patients first.”
At the crowded ribbon-cutting, several of the top officials that helped put together the union praised the staff of Lawrence for their passion and ability, making note that they weren’t here to take over, but instead to aid the institution.
By joining forces, the former Lawrence Hospital can utilize the equipment, personnel and other resources that have made NewYork-Presbyterian one of the top hospitals in the country, at a local level.
NewYork-Presbyterian CEO Steven J. Corwin, MD, who was born and raised in White Plains, said that the goal is to make “Lawrence the premier community hospital in the country.”
“We want to build on the level of excellence that already exists at Lawrence. It was important we find a great institution with shared values that we can march the ball down the field with together,” he said. “At the end of the day it’s all about a patient in a bed that we have to make better.”
The cooperative effort between the two hospitals is just the beginning for the former Lawrence Hospital. Future plans include a new cardiac catheterization lab, cancer center and more.
“If you don’t have great physicians, you can’t have great medical care. NewYork-Presbyterian quickly found out that that Lawrence was too,” said Laura L. Forese, MD, MPH, the president of the NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System. “Everyone should stay tuned. There’s so much more we want to accomplish here.”
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