Jon Shay Medical Surgical Floor Opens

The year-long $1.1 million renovation of the third floor or Noyes Memorial Hospital in Dansville is officially complete.

UR Medicine Noyes Health celebrated with a grand opening ceremony of the Jon Shay Medical/Surgical Unit Monday, August 8. Many, if not all of the people at Monday’s ceremony had a close connection to Jon Shay, who was a major supporter of the hospital and many other causes in the community. Shay passed away at the beginning of 2021.

 “This was the perfect project to name in honor of Jon,” said Dr. Chad Teeters, President and CEO of UR Medicine Noyes Health Monday. “Jon meant so much, not only to the hospital, but to the community at large. And I will say, that was the thing that got people responding the most. If it wasn’t that they wanted the rooms to be nicer for themselves, it was that they thought it was appropriate to recognize Jon Shay for everything he has done for this hospital and the community.”

The floor has been completely redone with new walls, floor, lights, furniture, etc.

“Despite a pandemic, resignations, difficulty securing contractors, and supply chain limitations, a year later, here we are. I can say, this has turned out as well as we could have ever hoped,” said Teeters. “You will see it is now one of the crown jewels of the facility. With all of the renovation projects we’ve done, the renovation of the Ann and Carl Myers Cancer Center, with the imaging center for the Saunders family, you will see there are definitely areas that have improved as far as appearance and the potential offerings we have. Now the third floor really joins the ranks of adding to that as well.”

Throughout the renovation project, rooms were opened to patients as soon as they were completed. One year ago, Noyes, a 67-bed hospital, was averaging a 20-25 patients census a day. Now, Noyes is operating about 35-40 with the intention to be up above 60 by the end of the year 2022.

“We are becoming the transfer center for the southern region so that folks can get the care they need, close at home, from the providers they need to get that care from,” said Teeters. “This unit is going to make that possible.”

We knew him as a passionate and dedicated person. He loved the community of Dansville,” said Jon’s sister, Mimi Shay Burdick. “They say you should not have favorite causes. But I have to say, I think Noyes ranked right up there at the top of Jon’s list. On behalf of the entire Shay family, and also on behalf of the patients whose lives will be impacted by this renovation, thank you so very, very much to each and every one of you who have given your time, your talent, and your resources.”

Even after his death, Jon continues to have an impact on the hospital.

“About 24 hours of his passing, a few people got together and decided they need to do something for Jon,” said Tom Wamp, Chair of the Foundation for Noyes Health. “Another 48 hours, there had already been $150,000 raised in Jon’s name. We decided to use it for the third floor. Jon would be very proud of this renovation.”

The renovation was a long time coming, according to Patricia Derowitsch, Director of Medical/Surgical and Community Outreach.

“When I started here 24 years ago, I started on med surge,” said Derowitsch. “I’ve since moved on to other positions in the hospital. I did come back as a director on the third floor in 2019, and nothing had changed.”

She thanked the staff on the unit for their flexibility during the construction process.

Derowitsch also spoke highly if the new beds on the unit that have helped reduce falls in the hospital.

“These new beds have made all the difference in the world,” she said. “huge for patient safety in the hospital. We also now have chairs that are mounted on the wall for visitors. They can be folded up against the walls so the beds can move freely in and out of the rooms without damaging the walls. When you walk in on the floor, it is much brighter, much happier, not as dim as it used to be. You can feel a difference in the atmosphere when you walk onto the floor and I think that is going to be a benefit to the patients.”

Hospital renovations, additions and the fundraising that accompanies them is never done.

The next project for Noyes is the purchase of a desperately needed CT scanner for the Michael Saunders Medial Imaging Department.

The Night for Noyes Gala will help fund the purchase of the $2.5 million scanner. To learn more about the gala, and sponsorships, visit: urmc.rochester.edu/noyes/about/giving or you can contact Lynn White at Lynn_White@URMC.Rochester.edu or 585-335-4323