Executive leadership, Board of Trustees members and medical staff cut the ribbon together for the Medical Intensive Care Unit at Richmond University Medical Center on Aug. 3, 2022 (Staten Island Advance/Shaina McLawrence)Shaina McLawrence

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Richmond University Medical Center (RUMC) staff, community members and interfaith leaders gathered Wednesday afternoon to celebrate the unveiling of its brand-new $15 million Medical Intensive Care Unit.

People convened in the main hall of the new unit to look and pray over the new addition to the West Brighton hospital.

The state-of-the-art MICU has expanded from 10 to 14 patient care rooms to accommodate the growing need for RUMC’s critical area services. Each patient room is equipped with built-in gear lifts, smart televisions for telemedicine consults, couches to accommodate families, and full bathrooms with showers.

“It’s a fabulous, fabulous day,’' said Dr. Daniel J. Messina, the hospital’s president and chief executive officer. “It’s the start of several major ribbon cuttings that will bring a whole different level of care to the Staten Island community. Not only for the patients and giving our staff even better tools, but also really extending better support opportunities for the families.”

New patient rooms at the Richmond University Medical Center Medical Intensive Care Unit were unveiled on Aug. 3, 2022 (Staten Island Advance/Shaina McLawrence)Shaina McLawrence

RUMC is a full-service hospital which treated and discharged more than 10,000 individuals with coronavirus since the start of the pandemic. The MICU is the first in a series of over $250 million in new upgrades and expansion projects scheduled for completion this year and in 2023, the hospital has announced.

“This is one of the best days in the history of this organization because it is going to serve thousands of Staten Island residents who will come here feeling as ill as possible, but will walk out of here safely and securely,’' said Borough president Vito Fossella.

Borough president Vito Fossella speaks at the Richmond University Medical Center ribbon cutting ceremony for the Medical Intensive Care Unit on Aug. 3, 2022 (Staten Island Advance/Shaina McLawrence)Shaina McLawrence

The hospital has announced that later this fall it will open the 35,000-square-foot emergency department in partnership with Mount Sinai Health System.

The medical center will also be getting a power plant that will provide electricity, heating and air conditioning to the entire hospital. Next year, RUMC plans to welcome 10 new ultramodern surgical suites that will be housed directly above the emergency department. Additions also include a mother-baby care center that will have single-bed private rooms in order to enhance privacy and family bonding

Shown is a patient bathroom in the Richmond University Medical Center Medical Intensive Care Unit on Aug. 3, 2022 (Staten Island Advance/Shaina McLawrence)Shaina McLawrence

“RUMC is just a magnificent institution for the people of Staten Island,’' said Ronald A. Purpora, chairman of the RUMC Board of Trustees. “It has a rich history, rich tradition, great medical staff and this is a new day. If you look around you, you can feel the positive vibe. The future is bright and this took a lot of effort and a lot of struggle, but the only thing we can say is that it’s a brand new day and the future is bright for RUMC and by extension the people of Staten Island when it comes to healthcare.

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