When Soldiers and Sailors Hospital first opened its doors in 1924, it was named to honor the residents who served in World War I. On Wednesday, hospital officials were joined by local veterans, and members of the community to celebrate the Penn Yan hospital’s 100th birthday. UR Medicine Finger Lakes Health President and CEO Jose Acevado said it is so important for the hospital to continue recognizing the dedication and sacrifice of our local military members.
“It has always been a very supportive community,” said Dr. Acevedo. “We had veterans from Penn Yan Manor, the Homestead, our employees who are veterans, and at the end of the day, we, Americans, are passionate about the brave men and women of our United States Armed Forces and that’s exactly what we need to be.”
Dr. Acevedo noted that while the hospital has seen many changes over the past 100 years, one thing that has remained consistent is ensuring that the residents of Penn Yan and Yates County have access to high-quality healthcare as close to home as possible.
After the Penn Yan American Legion Honor Guard presented the colors, Homestead resident Gareth Fishbaugh sang the National Anthem, which concluded with the loudest applause of the day. During his speech, Assemblyman Phil Palmesano thanked Gareth for his rendition and said if the Yankees or Mets make the World Series, we need to get Gareth down to New York City to sign the anthem before a game!
The Pledge of Allegiance was recited by Charles Carter, who works at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hospital and is active in the U.S. National Guard.
Ryan Hallings, UR Medince Finger Lakes Health Board Chair, opened up the ceremony and discussed the many generations of Yates County residents Soldiers and Sailors Hospital has served over the last century, including his own family.
State Senator Tom O’Mara and Assemblyman Palmesano congratulated the hospital on its service to the community and thanked UR Medicine for its guidance and for maintaining the hospital’s vital services to the region. Senator O’Mara and Assemblyman Palmesano then presented a joint proclamation (see below) from the State of New York honoring the hospital on its 100th anniversary.
Today, Soldiers and Sailors operates a 25-bed general acute-care hospital, with a medical-telemetry unit for heart monitoring. Soldiers and Sailors also has a Swing Bed Program to give patients more time to recover from surgery or other acute care if needed, providing a smooth transition to skilled care in the same room—or providing skilled care even if their acute care was at a different facility. Additionally, the Homestead consists of 130 skilled nursing beds, a 20-bed neurobehavioral unit, one Respite bed for scheduled short-term stays, and a secure unit where skilled nursing and special needs care for cognitively impaired residents are provided. Short-term rehabilitation services also are provided on the Skilled Nursing units for those needing rehabilitation services while they transition to another level of care or discharge home.
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