BURRILLVILLE – Gov. Dan McKee shared new details this week on plans for the Burrillville campus of Eleanor Slater Hospital, announcing the intent to invest more than $100 million in enhancements to the facility.
According to a release from the administration, the new facility, “will broaden Eleanor Slater Hospital’s capabilities and better position the hospital to meet the needs of its current and future patients.”
“Eleanor Slater Hospital plays a critical role in Rhode Island’s healthcare system, and that is why it is important that we invest in the hospital’s future,” said McKee in a release on Monday, Feb. 6.
“This represents exciting news for Eleanor Slater Hospital, and for the State of Rhode Island,” said Richard Charest, director of the Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals, which oversees the hospital system. “Building a new, modern facility at the Burrillville campus will enable our dedicated teams to meet the care needs of more Rhode Islanders. It will also expand our services and allow us to offer care options that we do not presently have.”
Executive Office of Health and Human Services’ Acting Secretary Ana Novais pointed to the staff and hospital as an invaluable resource to the patients and families who rely on their care
“It is critically important that we continue working with staff, patients, families and the local community to build a Burrillville campus that best meets the state’s healthcare needs going forward,” said Novais.
While still in preliminary stages, an independent feasibility study is reportedly being used to identify the care needs of Rhode Islanders as well as the scope and size of the project. Plans for the enhanced services and new facility will be fully developed once the comprehensive review of the state’s needs is completed, noted the release.
Administrators also announced plans to visit Burrillville to provide locals an opportunity to learn more about the preliminary findings and share suggestions for the success of the project.
Members of the public are invited to attend a Community Town Hall on Wednesday, Feb. 22, starting at 2:30 p.m. The meeting will be held at the Beazley Building Medical Library at 2090 Wallum Lake Road in Pascoag. Members of the public can also attend virtually via Microsoft Teams Meeting ID: 243 595 038 577 and Passcode: P6tNkt.
“Gaining our community’s input is a critical component to the success of this process,” said Charest.
“By first gathering input from patients and families, staff and the community, we will be able to develop plans for a new facility that continues to meet those needs for many years to come,” McKee said.
The release noted that the results of the study will inform a review of architectural and engineering options and determine the size and scope of the project, which is expected to bring new jobs to the hospital. Once construction is finalized, the new facility will replace current operations in Eleanor Slater’s Beazley building. Patients and staff currently in the that building will transition to the new Burrillville hospital.
