City Pledges $52M For Upgrades At Harlem's Metropolitan Hospital

EAST HARLEM, NY — A city-operated hospital in East Harlem will receive more than $50 million in funding for a variety of upgrades at the facility, city officials announced recently.

Metropolitan Hospital, located between Second and First Avenues on East 97th Street, will receive upgrades to its fire sprinkler and emergency power systems to bring the facility in line with up-to-date regulations, city officials announced. Funding will also go toward replacing windows in the behavioral health unit, replacing sections of the roof to fix leaks and replacing water cooling units.

"Metropolitan Hospital is a critical community resource for residents of East Harlem and we are proud to invest in it," Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Dr. Herminia Palacio said in a statement. "We are committed to preserving our public hospital system, making it financially sustainable and able to deliver the best healthcare services for all New Yorkers."

The renovations projects are expected to be fully complete by 2021, but some smaller upgrades will be completed before then, city officials said.

Here's how the $52 million in funding will break down:

• Fire sprinkler system upgrades: $12 million
  
• Emergency power system upgrades: $25 million
• New windows in the behavioral health unit: $13 million
• Roof upgrades: $1 million
• Replacing water systems: $1 million

"Our hospital has been an integral part of the East Harlem community since the 1950s," Alina Moran, CEO of Metropolitan Hospital, said in a statement. "Every day, we provide the highest quality of care to our patients. We welcome this level of capital investment that will allow us to upgrade our buildings and make the necessary repairs to our infrastructure."

Metropolitan Hospital is part of the NYC Health + Hospitals system. The facility is a full-service hospital that was founded in 1875 and has been affiliated with the New York Medical College since its founding. The hospital has operated out of its current location since 1955.

Photo by Brendan Krisel/Patch