ConnextCare has concluded a nearly 10-month construction project at their Pulaski location and is now seeing patients at their new External Respiratory Center (ERC).
Last summer, ConnextCare broke ground on a site-wide construction project that included 800 square-feet of additional clinical space, with a covered canopy and testing center; four electric car charging stations; a gazebo powered and equipped with Wi-Fi; an 1,100 square-foot walking trail for staff and community use and .7 acres of new parking spaces and reconstruction of the existing staff parking lot.
On Friday, May 5th, ConnextCare will begin seeing their first patients in the new External Respiratory Center, which includes three new exam rooms, two of which are negative-pressure rooms. These spaces will be used for acute care appointments to allow for the continuous air exchange within the space to keep staff and patients safe from suspected communicable diseases. The negative pressure rooms will also be utilized to complete Pulmonary Function Testing for patients with COPD as well as Spirometry Testing to assess asthmatic patients, as these two tests have not been easily accessible locally throughout the COVID pandemic. There is also a small lab on site to allow for point of care testing for things such as flu, COVID and strep throat, so when possible, patients will leave with a confirmed diagnosis and treatment plan to address their condition.
Patients who are slated to be seen in the new clinical area will receive a text message prior to their appointment time, which will have instructions on the check-in process. The message will instruct patients to drive directly around to the back of the Pulaski building and park under the new covered canopy area. Once parked, the patient will be able to use a link provided in the text to complete a form to complete their check-in process. When the form is completed and submitted, a nurse will call the patient with further instructions. Patients seen in the ERC will be escorted directly to an exam room and forgo any waiting area.
“We are very excited to introduce our patients, staff and community to this progressive model of care,” stated Tricia Peter-Clark, President and CEO of ConnextCare. “The External Respiratory Center is the first clinical space of this kind in our region. Over the last three years of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ConnextCare staff have witnessed the many challenges that our patients have encountered when trying to seek services that they need most and these updates to our Pulaski office will greatly improve our ability to deliver these vital services and the best quality of care to them.”
This project was made possible, in part, due to an ARPA award received from the U.S. Treasury and awarded by the Oswego County Legislature, as well as funds received through American Rescue Plan and National Grid as part of their NY EV Make-Ready Program.