BROWNS MILLS – The Deborah Heart and Lung Center has been approved for an $88.2 million loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), giving the hospital funds for its planned $100 million capital improvement project.
The funds will be used to upgrade Deborah’s double-occupancy in-patient rooms to private suites, pay for the construction of a new in-patient tower of individual patient rooms, and provide other improvements.
“We are delighted to receive word of the loan approval,” Joseph Chirichella, President and CEO at Deborah Heart and Lung Center said. “We had this project on the drawing board before the pandemic, and even with the enormous difficulties and stresses placed on healthcare during the past year, our team forged ahead with our planning for the future.”
“As a rural hospital located in Burlington County, New Jersey, we are critical to the health of our community, the residents of which may not otherwise have access to the high-tech heart, lung and vascular services we offer. This construction will ensure this access, and offers a vibrant opportunity for the area,” Chirichella said.
“USDA Rural Development is extremely proud to be a part of this exciting project. Although our Community Facilities Program can help provide financial support to many different essential community projects, those projects that improve the health and safety of our residents would certainly be among the most important. Having access to high quality medical service is critical to the future of our rural New Jersey communities,” Acting State Director Brandon Pfeilmeier said.
Approximately 800,000 rural residents fall within Deborah’s service area, according to the USDA announcement.
Within the next few months, the building project called “DEBORAH®100” will begin, with construction scheduled for completion near the end of 2022.
According to Deborah officials, “the new three-floor addition will be constructed on top of existing hospital space and will include two floors with 18 private, critical care rooms on each floor, and a third floor dedicated to mechanical space. This project will give the Hospital a total of 95 beds.”
One construction is done, the remaining double occupancy rooms in the hospital will be converted to private rooms. There will also be upgrades to the hospital’s cardiac catheterization labs, a new pharmacy clean-room, and new technology and construction in the electrophysiology labs.
“This is an exciting project and marks another milestone in Deborah’s storied 100-year history,” added Chirichella.
For more information about the project, visit Deborah100.org
