CCPEG Advisory Board Co-Chairs Weigh In On Brooks-TLC Relocation Efforts

New Brooks-TLC is a sound strategy for long-term healthcare, economic stability and growth in northern chautauqua county

Mark Geise and Daniel Heitzenrater, co-chairs of the Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth advisory board, recently wrote about the need for a new Brooks-TLC healthcare facility in northern Chautauqua County. Their commentary appeared in the Saturday, Oct. 21 edition of the Dunkirk Observer.

It is also provided below, in its entirety.

The Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth (CCPEG) brings together leaders from the public and private sectors to advance economic development efforts and achieve economic prosperity in our county. We do this by focusing on creating and preserving quality jobs, while also focusing on advancements to quality of life throughout Chautauqua County. Since our founding in 2019, perhaps no single development project more aligns with our mission and goals than the effort to build a new state-of-the-art Brooks-TLC Hospital.

Many of the reasons for building a new healthcare facility in Northern Chautauqua County are well known by now. To put it bluntly - the current Brooks-TLC Hospital is outdated and in drastic need of renovations and upgrades. Much of the roof needs to be replaced and there has been persistent flooding problems in several areas of the facility. Many of the hospital’s rooms are cramped and patient privacy is an ongoing challenge. Even basic patient services, such as access to bathrooms, are not ADA compliant. And the hospital’s infrastructure and equipment are old and in need of regular repair or replacement. This all adds up to a hospital that can no longer provide the necessary healthcare services needed in the 21st century.  

Besides the challenges associated with the facility itself, the current location of Brooks-TLC creates another set of challenges. A shortage of space at the hospital results in no centralized location for physicians to work. Currently, there is no location in the North County to bring together physicians for the purpose of creating synergies needed among various medical providers. The current hospital is also located in a residentially-zoned area of Dunkirk, providing hardly any space for expansion and making direct access a challenge, especially for EMS service providers coming in from outside of the city. The current location also faces potential environmental issues posed by the relatively close proximity to two railroads. By having a new Brooks-TLC Hospital situated at the proposed 30-acre location near the intersection of Routes 60 and 20 and in close proximity to I-90, it would not only ensure more space, but would also allow for easier and more convenient regional access. This is especially important considering an estimated 70% of the patients who depend on Brooks-TLC come from outside of the City of Dunkirk.

Healthcare services notwithstanding, a new Brooks-TLC Hospital would also have an enormous positive impact on the economic future of not only the immediate Dunkirk-Fredonia area, but also the entire Northern Chautauqua County region, including areas of southern Erie County and the northwestern portion of Cattaraugus County.

A top priority for CCPEG is the attraction and retention of professionals into Chautauqua County. A new, modern Brooks-TLC Hospital would include the latest technology and affiliation with tertiary care, as well as a new Medical Office Building which would become a regional hub for outpatient care. This will result in Brooks-TLC – and as a result Northern Chautauqua County – having the ability to attract and retain a wide variety of professionals, including physicians and nurses, along with specialists and other personnel.

CCPEG is also focused on supporting initiatives that help reverse the population decline we have experienced over the past several decades. The availability of and access to quality healthcare and modern medical facilities is a top priority for current and prospective residents.  By providing both rural and aging residents with a new North County medical facility, Brooks-TLC will help to bolster the effort to stem the tide of population decline and help grow the population by making it more attractive to prospective residents. This is especially true for seniors looking for convenient and nearby access to outpatient care – something that can only be provided by a new facility.

The new facility will also have a positive economic benefit on our educational institutions, particularly those at SUNY at Fredonia and its nursing program. Students who wish to enter a career in nursing covet the opportunity to learn and gain experience at modern medical facilities. By opening a new hospital, SUNY at Fredonia will have the ability to recruit and retain more students into its nursing program. A new hospital will also benefit general student recruitment as it ensures medical services will remain in place in close proximity to the college campus, one of the key considerations for parents and students when weighing their options for higher education. All of this will play a key role in helping to make SUNY at Fredonia a viable option for future students, which will in turn benefit the local economy.

CCPEG, in conjunction with the County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Agency, commissioned MRB Group to undertake an economic analysis related to a new Brooks-TLC Hospital. The study found that the project would have a significant temporary impact on the economy by generating approximately 115 construction jobs and an estimated $7.7 million in construction wages. The construction work would also have an indirect benefit of 42 jobs, totaling $2.2 million in wages. Once built, the new hospital would result in the creation and/or retention of at least 200 jobs with an annual economic impact estimated at $13.5 million.

The bottom line is clear: a new hospital in northern Chautauqua County is not only necessary for the healthcare and well-being of residents – both within and outside of the county – but also necessary to ensure a stronger and more vibrant economic future. We need it! If we are to build our community, we need quality healthcare and access to it. We urge the New York State Department of Health and other state officials to not only stand behind a new Brooks-TLC hospital, but also work to ensure it becomes a reality. 

Mark Geise is Chief Executive Officer of the County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Agency, and Daniel Heitzenrater is President of the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce President. The two serve as Advisory Board Co-chairs of the Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth.

About CCPEG – The Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth serves as the main convener of economic development partners and resources to advance key projects that achieve economic prosperity in Chautauqua County. It also serves as the catalyst and broker of resources for advancing economic prosperity efforts and is the central coordinating entity for the formation, retention, development, and attraction of quality jobs and advancements to the quality of life. For more information, please visit CHQPartnership.org.