CMH

Photo: CMH staff and nursing leaders share a quiet moment in the hospital's new "Serenity Room." Hudson, New York – Columbia Memorial Health has opened a "Serenity Room" in the main hospital at 71 Prospect Avenue. The room is intended as a resource for any person seeking a quiet place to reflect, pray or calm their mind. The new room on the first floor of the hospital across from patient registration, is adorned with artwork donated by Patricia Lemmerman and the family of Jeanette Winant, and a quilt handmade by CMH Pharmacist Kim Plass. The room was also designed to incorporate the original pews and stain glass window panels from the former CMH Chapel. "We are so very thankful to everyone who made this room possible. Sometimes the simplicity of just a moment or two of quiet reflection can be extraordinarily helpful in coping with stressful or trying moments in life. This room is both a symbol of the caring the CMH team provides to our community, and a special place of healing for many of our families, friends, neighbors and colleagues," Mary Ellen Plass, CMH's chief nursing officer said in a press [...]

Funds Will Secure Upgrade To CMH’s Cardiac Telemetry Technology Hudson, N.Y. August 20, 2020 – The Columbia Memorial Health Foundation today announced it has received a $50,000 grant from the HRBT Foundation to upgrade Columbia Memorial Health’s (CMH) state-of-the-art cardiac telemetry technology. The technology, known as the SPACELABS Telemetry System, has been in use at CMH for several years. The upgrade to the system to be acquired via the HRBT grant will offer improved real-time recognition of cardiac waveform changes and provide immediate notification to the CMH medical team of irregularities. The benefit to patients is an even more rapid response, diagnosis and treatment of cardiac related events. The system will further enhance CMH’s pursuit of constantly improving clinical outcomes by providing seamless data acquisition and exchange across the hospital, and affording providers remote access to patient data. The upgrade will also allow CMH to monitor patients on every hospital unit, including the Emergency Department and Rapid Decision Unit. This was a critical need identified during the COVID-19 health crisis that will continue to enhance the delivery of care into the future. Carl A. Florio, President of the HRBT Foundation said: “The Foundation [...]

Hudson, N.Y. October 24, 2019 Medical and community leaders joined today in Hudson to unveil state-of-the-art 3D breast biopsy technology that will significantly improve the diagnosis, treatment and outcomes for breast cancer patients in Columbia and Greene counties. The stereotactic 3D biopsy system, known as Affirm, will provide more precise targeting of tissue abnormalities identified through CMH’s 3D mammography capabilities, yielding earlier and more accurate detection of breast cancer. The technology was acquired through the generosity of community members who contributed to the Columbia Memorial Health Foundation. “This life-saving 3D biopsy technology, paired with our 3D mammography service, provides our patients with the most advanced diagnostic care available in locations that are comfortable, convenient and close to home,” said CMH President and CEO Jay P. Cahalan. In addition to offering 3D mammography and 3D biopsy services, CMH has significantly augmented its radiology and pathology expertise through its affiliation with Albany Med. The Albany Med and CMH radiology and pathology services are now fully integrated, which means that mammograms, and all imaging and diagnostic studies, are interpreted by the region’s leading experts. Tariq Gill, M.D., Chief of Radiology at CMH said: “Each year in [...]

HUDSON, N.Y. - A leading national health care research firm recently recognized Columbia Memorial as a Five-Star Community Value Leadership Award Winner for achieving a series of high rankings as a top-quality, low-cost health care provider. Cleverley + Associates’ recently published 2014 State of the Hospital Industry report uses the Community Value Index® (CVI) to measure and rank the value a hospital provides to its community. Columbia Memorial achieved a series of CVI scores within the top 20 percent of all hospitals in its peer group to become a Five-Star Community Value Leadership Award Winner. The Hospital was one of 47 hospitals in New York that earned a Five-Star distinction. “We are proud to have earned the Five-Star Hospital designation and we believe that it shows our commitment to high-quality care, community support, and smart financial management,” said Jay P. Cahalan, President and CEO of Columbia Memorial. Cleverley + Associates, based in Columbus, Ohio, is a leading healthcare financial consulting firm specializing in operational benchmarking and performance enhancement strategies. The Community Value Index was created to provide an assessment of a hospital's performance in four areas: financial strength and reinvestment, cost of care, [...]