we apologize: do to a computer glitch the comments were off COMMENTS ARE NEVER TURNED OFF BY THE BLOG ADMINISTRATOR EVER
Ridgewood Campus Will Be Maintained for Outpatient Services
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Paramus, NJ, The Valley Hospital will build a new, state-of-the-art hospital in Paramus, announced Audrey Meyers, President and CEO of The Valley Hospital and Valley Health System. Meyers, who was joined by members of Valley’s Board of Trustees, elected officials, and community leaders in making the announcement, said the new facility will allow Valley to meet the long-term healthcare needs of northern New Jersey and ensures that residents have access to the highest quality of care.
On February 1, Valley will file a Certificate of Need application with the New Jersey Department of Health, which must approve the hospital relocation. Valley anticipates breaking ground in 2019 and the new hospital could open as early as 2023.
The planned site for the new hospital campus is conveniently located on Winters Avenue in Paramus, just 2.5 miles from Valley’s current location in Ridgewood and directly across the street from the hospital’s comprehensive cancer and same-day-surgery centers (The Luckow Pavilion). Winters Avenue runs parallel to Route 17 and the Garden State Parkway between East Ridgewood Avenue and A&S Drive. The hospital’s property is located near the Fashion Center and Paramus Park mall.
While the new hospital has not yet been designed, it will be a state-of-the-art, welcoming hospital that incorporates the best practices in healthcare facility design. Conceptual plans call for a 372-bed, approximately 910,000 square-foot facility that will range in height from three to seven stories. The facility will be designed, constructed, operated and maintained using “green” or environmentally friendly principles and processes and will be in full compliance with the Paramus’ zoning ordinances.
Moving inpatient and emergency services to Paramus will allow Valley to repurpose its current campus in Ridgewood for a broad range of healthcare services, including an urgent-care center, and laboratory, radiology and endoscopy services. In addition, Valley plans to consolidate existing ambulatory and outpatient services and health system business functions back to the Ridgewood campus.
“The ‘New’ Valley Hospital will combine Valley’s exceptional level of care and dedicated staff with the latest innovations and advancements in healthcare,” said Meyers. “This new state-of-the-art facility will allow us to raise the bar in all that we do – providing world class healthcare, strengthening our communities and helping people and families live healthier lives.”
U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5), State Senator Bob Gordon, Assemblyman Joseph Lagana, Bergen County Executive James J. Tedesco III, and Paramus Mayor Richard LaBarbiera were among the elected officials on hand to show their support for the new hospital. Senator Menendez, Assemblyman Lagana and County Executive Tedesco also reside in the Borough of Paramus, “Valley has long been a valued member of the Paramus community and we are excited to be the future home of The Valley Hospital,” said Mayor LaBarbiera. “The ‘New’ Valley Hospital will help revitalize an aging industrial and office-use area of Paramus, bring much needed roadway improvements, provide economic benefits for the entire town, and diversify a retail-dependent tax base. Valley has always supported Paramus through sponsorships and community programs, and consistent with their philosophy of giving back, Valley has committed to work with us on new initiatives.”
“Valley’s continuous efforts to innovate and elevate the level of care they provide demonstrates their steadfast dedication to the people they serve,” said U.S. Senator Bob Menendez. “The “New” Valley Hospital means increased services for patients, more jobs for area residents, and greater access for families across northern New Jersey to the latest advancements in healthcare now and in the future.”
“I am excited about the potential for Valley’s new, modern hospital to transform care for our residents and bolster our economy by supporting local businesses and bringing good jobs to northern New Jersey,” said Congressman Gottheimer.
“For all of us who live here, raise our families here or work here, access to quality healthcare is an essential component of our quality of life. Valley has been the hospital of choice for my family, and this new project will ensure future generations have access to the highest quality care,” said Senator Bob Gordon.
“This is a milestone day for Bergen County,” said County Executive Tedesco. “Valley’s commitment to the community has been unwavering, and this exciting project will not only provide greater access to healthcare for the residents of Bergen County, but will also strengthen our local economy by creating new jobs. Bergen County is well on its way to becoming the healthcare hub of the state.”
The “New” Valley Hospital will incorporate cutting-edge technology and the latest innovations and best practices in healthcare facility design. It is being designed from the ground up to integrate innovative technology and the flexibility required to accommodate new and emerging healthcare models. To enhance privacy and comfort as well as improve the quality of care provided, the new hospital will be built with single-patient rooms. Research has found that patients cared for in single-patient rooms experience shorter lengths of stay, fewer sleep disturbances and lower rates of hospital-acquired infections.
The plans for the new hospital also call for the creation of universally sized rooms for surgery and procedures. These rooms will be designed to accommodate the latest in healthcare technology and meet all of the standards to allow them to be used for general surgery, minimally invasive robotic surgery, cardiac catheterizations or endovascular procedures.
“While our staff has long been recognized for the quality of care they deliver to our patients in Ridgewood – where we consistently rank at the top of patient satisfaction in New Jersey – modern, single-patient rooms in our new facility will allow us to provide our patients and their families with an even higher level of care and service,” said Meyers.
Meyers said that Valley is committed to working with the town to improve traffic flow in the area and that one of the advantages to this site were its multiple entry and exit points, which would mitigate any impact to local streets.
“We very much look forward to continuing to work with Mayor LaBarbiera and the Council, and will be hosting Town Hall meetings for the residents of Paramus to introduce our project to the Borough,” said Meyers.
Valley has launched a new website, www.TheNewValleyHospital.com and a Facebook page, Facebook.com/TheNewValleyHospital, where interested visitors can learn more about the proposed healthcare facility and stay up-to-date with the hospital’s plans.
sorry folks still not sure why the comment function was not working on the original post
Valley should thank the concerned citizens of Ridgewood for enlightening them.
This is a better location and makes better sense than the original plan.
I wish them good luck!
This is such an excellent outcome that nothing else really needs to be said. Why open one’s mouth an potentially spoil the moment? …oh. ahhh…can’t help myself…WOO HOO! Way to read the tea leaves, Audrey Meyers! Like the proverbial broken clock, apparently even an arrogant, overpaid and tone deaf chief hospital administrator will choose the appropriate course of action once every bloody decade.
A big thank you to The Concerned Citizens of Ridgewood who have done more to preserve Ridgewood and for keeping Valley in check over the last few years. This should have happened years ago. Congratulations.
This news is great. I live on North Van Dien and now the street will not be enlarged on the corner of Van Dien and Linwood.
Their decision is purely money driven. Paramus is willing to give them a significant break on property taxes, which will save them millions each and every year. Hospitals are no longer considered to be tax exempt in the State of NJ.
Now we don’t need so many cops or fire EMT
Been part of Ridgewood for over 66 years, was the largest employer in the Village, and should have been making payments in lieu of taxes all these years… what happens to their properties, will they go back on the tax rolls?
you really should read the article oh thats right the FAC members are agenda driven and dont read
Why hasn’t the Council used the Morristown precedent and sued Valley challenging their “not-for-profit” status? At least get them to contribute payments in lieu of property taxes to cover for public safety and municipal services they’ll receive until they leave in 2023 (six years). Why is the Council just leaving this source of revenues on the table?
Why did Aronsohn ?
This is great news and solves a good amount of the issues facing the village. When the hospital leaves we can build large apartment buildings to meet the COAH requirements. Should not create too much traffic and resolves the building in downtown issue. We can also clear the old relic of a house on Schiendler before someone gets hurt, and also put up some apartments there to help meet the required number of units. When the hospital leaves we can reduce the fire department, police, and size of the village workforce
If we put a ball field or two there we can make everyone happy, reduce expenses, reduce property values, reduce tax base and avoid further lawsuits.
Be careful what you push for, sometimes you get it.
Rei is on the FAC and he reads all the time. And he really likes Susan too, so…
than none of these issues should be any problem
This certainly is a great development – many thanks to the CRR who suggested this move for Valley years ago. Glad they finally listened. There is still work to do though: 1. Reverse the Master Plan amendment that would allow Valley to double the size of their Ridgewood campus should they change their minds about Paramus. 2. Dispose of their lawsuit against the Village and force them to pay legal fees for bringing this frivolous action. 3. Assess and tax the Ridgewood campus – estimates are in the $4+ million per year range or nearly 10% of our non school municipal budget.
So what’s the plan to reduce the size of the Village budget now that we won’t be able to count on potential payments in lieu of taxes from Valley for municipal services rendered? What’s the plan to reduce the Village workforce? James used to ficus in issues like these, what happened
Concerned Residents of Ridgewood has been out in the trenches and lawyers’ offices for a decade. They must not be allowed to hold the bag financially as well. I just sent my third or fourth (tax-deductible) check for as much as I could afford. From $5 to $5,000, everybody in town should do the same out of sheer gratitude for their perseverance. Checks made out to: Concerned Residents of Ridgewood. Mail to: Concerned Residents of Ridgewood, P.O. Box 150, Ridgewood, NJ 07451, or via PayPal or credit card online at https://www.stopvalley.com/Donate.html They have earned more than lip service appreciation from all of us. And the fight is not yet done. Lawyers are expensive. Let’s all participate.
Ten years late but a good and logical outcome for both as Valley maintains access to the lucrative market and towns maintained access to services at sites that are not only close but suitable. No reason why RWD should still not be receiving PILOT today from present campus
10:54. Wha????
11:08
Awesome. Way to speak befor knowing anything.
12:43: Valley will maintain its current location in addition to building in Paramus – for outpatient and administrative, etc. services. Please read the article more carefully.
…and…WOO HOO! This is such great news, and everyone should be so grateful for CRR and its hard work over the last decade, not to mention the expense!
Hey guys, a doctor from Ridgewood, during an office visit, told me that Valley Hospital was going to relocate to Paramus, he told me this over a year ago. When I told friends about it, they said it will never be done because of the no taxes for Valley in Ridgewood. The doctor said the hospital executives figured they could build a whole new up to date hospital in half the time it would take for them to rebuild in Ridgewood.
Plus, I think the fact that Valley would have had to compromise their size due to CRR fight and court decision, probably influenced their decision.
Tedesco’s daughter is an elected official in Paramus. Isn’t a conflict of interest that her father, County Exec Jim Tedesco, had a hand in closing this deal…?
Oh well…I guess I shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth….
Let’s be real…the Ridgewood campus is too big for an “urgent care” & doctor offices. Once the hospital is built in Paramus that properly will be sold—all or most at least. Valley is not stupid, they want a quick, easy approach to getting approval for the new hospital and know being up front about closing the Ridgewood campus is horrible press. The neighbors may think they have won but wait what’s in store for them when they get high density housing there.
11:15 I agree careful what you wish for hopefully not an abandoned lot
223 North Van Dien Avenue will become a Psychiatric Hospital.
7:48 p.m. Good, as an oldie, I may need it as I age gracefully!
@11:15, that is an appropriate site for some HDH. Age restrict half of it at least, and we are good.