To better serve the needs of the river communities, River Hospital today announced plans to renovate the campus’s main hospital building and construct a new facility dedicated to the delivery of integrated primary and behavioral care.
These needed enhancements are designed to improve access to the hospital’s services, provide patients with a new level of comprehensive and collaborative care, and facilitate growth over the next decade. The renovation and modernization project is estimated to cost $7.25 million and will be supported through a combination of community fundraising, grant funding and hospital reserves.
“River Hospital is a true community resource—a resource that supports the many people who live, work, play and serve in Jefferson and St. Lawrence counties. Our seasonal residents, visitors and sportsmen rely on the hospital’s emergency room in times of need, our year-round residents depend on the hospital’s presence for high-quality patient services, and our soldiers stationed at Fort Drum rely on the hospital’s unique outpatient program for the treatment of post-traumatic stress,” said Ben Moore, chief executive officer of River Hospital. “To meet the growing needs of these communities, River Hospital must expand its infrastructure and enhance its services.”
Main hospital building renovations will include significant enhancements to the hospital’s Emergency Department to ensure state-of-the-art patient care for this vital service. The new three-story 26,000-square-foot facility is designed to deliver the highest level of integrated primary and behavioral care. Replacing the five modular units that were temporarily installed on the campus in 2007, this facility will stand to the west of the main hospital and will alleviate the region’s growing demand for collaborative health care and physical therapy services. The facility is designed to provide mental health services to river community residents, active-duty soldiers stationed at Fort Drum and our region’s veterans. And, the facility will bring River Hospital’s administrative offices back onto the institution’s main campus.
The hospital has formed a volunteer committee of community members to lead the fundraising effort, co-chaired by Richard H. Macsherry and Ray “Smitty” Smith, and a public campaign goal will be announced later this summer.
“Our community is the reason River Hospital exists today, and thanks to them we are stable and ready to expand to meet the growing needs of the community,” said Dick Macsherry, “This is the first and only capital project of its kind since the hospital’s founding, and we look forward to working with our dedicated staff and community to make it succeed.”
All members of the community are invited to learn more about the project by emailing