Pictured is a rendering of the new Brooks-TLC Hospital that will be built for Fredonia.
Brooks-TLC has its $74 million from the state for a new hospital in Fredonia. However, the head of the blue ribbon committee that pushed for the facility and the mayor of the village both say there is much more work to be done.
“We did do quite a bit of research and did get direct access to the leadership” of both Brooks-TLC and Kaleida Health, said Richard Ketcham, the former Brooks CEO who headed the committee. “It’s interesting that the specific recommendations that we made were almost exactly what was in our report,” submitted to the state in October 2022.
Ketcham said the key to getting the deal done was increasing Kaleida’s role in Brooks-TLC finances. Whereas Kaleida previously had a loose relationship with the hospital, it will now be its “parental financial” unit, he said.
“It will be in Kaleida’s best interest to ensure that Brooks is successful,” he said. “Kaleida’s direct control and operation … gives incentive to operate in an economically viable effort.”
Ketcham noted the $74 million was based on an eight-year-old appropriation. “I do wonder what the total cost of the project would be today. I think it would exceed $74 million,” he said.
The Fredonia hospital, and a new medical building associated with it, are essential to Brooks-TLC and Kaleida in efforts to successfully recruit physicians, Ketcham continued. There aren’t enough of them in the area right now, he said.
“It’s absolutely critical to the success going forward. You can build hospitals, but people don’t go to hospitals, they go to doctors…Your physician has significant influence (in secondary care),” Ketcham said.
“Get doctors that patients want to see, and will support the local services,” he suggested.
Ketcham later added in a follow-up email that reuse of the current Brooks hospital in Dunkirk is an important issue.
“Repurposing or redevelopment of a closed hospital property is challenging, especially in communities such as Lockport and Dunkirk,” he said. (A recently closed hospital in Lockport is set to be auctioned off.)
“We have an opportunity, a great opportunity,” Ketcham concluded. “Now we have to execute.”
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While Ketcham eyes Brooks-TLC’s future, Fredonia Mayor Michael Ferguson is looking forward to what their new hospital could do for his village as a whole.
“This is a major step in the revitalization of our community,” he said. “Current residents, SUNY students, parents and those looking to move into our area can rest assured that world class healthcare will continue to be an essential part of their lives.”
He added, “This is going to open up an opportunity for many more grants. It would do our due diligence to investigate new business opportunities around the hospital,” especially medical-related ones.
Ferguson said he appreciated Gov. Kathy Hochul’s comments Monday when announcing the hospital funding, that while the new facility is expected to be finished in three years, she wants it done sooner. “It puts a lot of pressure on us, but that’s OK,” he said.
“It will bring new energy and excitement to that part of the community,” he said. “We’re already making plans on what we need to do to expand opportunities in the community.”
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Brooks/TLC Health System Inc. CEO Ken Morris, Dunkirk Mayor Kate Wdowiasz, and Chautauqua County Executive PJ Wendel also commented about Monday’s announcement.
“Gov. Hochul’s announcement is great news, and brings us one step closer to breaking ground on the new hospital off Route 20 in Fredonia. Perhaps the more exciting take-away is the preservation of access to healthcare for our communities in and around northern Chautauqua and western Cattaraugus Counties,” Morris said.
“We owe our gratitude to Gov. Kathy Hochul, Kaleida Health, our union partners and our local elected officials, who became especially unified these past two years to get this done,” he added. “Our objective from day one, has been and remains our unwavering commitment to our community to provide access to health care in the most efficient and fiscally responsible way possible, while attracting and retaining additional talent in this region. We are proud to be able to keep care close to home.”
Wdowiasz said, “Thank you Governor Hochul, your faith in our community is a gift. Today, we do not just celebrate funding; we celebrate hope renewed, possibility, and the knowledge that our best days are ahead. We toast to a future where healthcare is a right, not a privilege, where our streets buzz with life, and where every family has a place to call home. This is the promise of today’s announcement, and we are forever grateful.”
Wendel said, “Embracing the future of healthcare in our community is paramount to securing a thriving tomorrow. Gov. Hochul’s announcement of the collaboration between Kaleida Health and Brooks-TLC Health Systems to construct a new hospital in the Village of Fredonia signifies a monumental victory for Chautauqua County. This strategic partnership not only underscores our unwavering commitment to accessible, top-tier healthcare but also heralds a transformative era of growth and progress in our region. I extend profound gratitude to Hochul, as well as to Kaleida and Brooks-TLC for their steadfast dedication to advancing healthcare excellence in our county.”