Cornerstone Update: Progress with Care and Intention

Cornerstone Forward: Progress with Care and Intention

As the seasons change in the Adirondacks, our commitment to strengthening care at Adirondack Health remains steadfast. The Cornerstone Capital Project continues to move forward with care, intention, and momentum—guided by one clear goal: creating modern, welcoming inpatient rooms that support healing, dignity, and comfort for every patient who walks through our doors.

 Following the extraordinary response from our community through the Foundation’s Cornerstone Capital Campaign, Adirondack Health is finalizing important financial steps to support the project, including refinancing existing debt in partnership with the United States Department of Agriculture. While this process has taken longer than originally anticipated due to recent federal government shutdowns, our leadership team remains actively engaged to complete all approvals and keeps us on track to break ground on the Cornerstone Project this spring. The total project cost is currently projected at approximately $21 million, representing a significant and carefully stewarded investment in the future of inpatient care for our region.

In the meantime, meaningful progress continues across the organization. A full-scale mock-up inpatient room has been created and is being reviewed by clinical and support staff, allowing teams to walk through layouts, assess workflow, and recommend refinements that enhance both patient experience and staff efficiency. At the same time, offices are being thoughtfully relocated so that patient rooms previously taken offline for administrative use can be returned to service. This careful planning will allow all 32 inpatient beds to remain operational during construction, ensuring uninterrupted access to care for our community.

We are also pleased to share that tangible investments are already underway. New inpatient beds have been purchased, dialysis machines are being replaced, and recent state funding will further enhance renovations within the dialysis unit. In addition, Adirondack Health has been awarded $1 million for dialysis upgrades through a Congressionally Directed Spending appropriation, made possible with the support of Elise Stefanik and Kirsten Gillibrand—a significant step forward in strengthening critical services for our region.

 Through every phase of this journey, your patience, confidence, and feedback have mattered deeply. Because of your support, we are shaping healing environments that will serve our community with compassion and excellence for decades to come. Thank you for being an essential part of the Cornerstone journey.