YNHH unveils plan for $838M neuroscience center

IMAGE | Contributed Artist's rendering of the proposed YNHH neurosciences center on George Street.

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By Michael C. Bingham

It’s been seven years since Yale-New Haven Hospital swallowed up its foundering Catholic counterpart, the Hospital of Saint Raphael.

That was 2012. On Monday New Haven got its first glimpse of what the former St. Raphael’s campus will look like in 2024.

That’s the scheduled completion date for YNHH’s new $838 million, 505,000-square-foot Neurosciences Center, plans for which were unveiled Monday afternoon at a media event at 659 George Street that brought out top brass from the health system, city government and even Hartford, in the person of Gov. Ned Lamont.

Lamont didn’t have much to say (“New Haven and Connecticut will be a leader in neuroscience research,” he ventured) but his presence was apt, because the new YNHH project is the largest of its kind in the state — and in state history.

The new facility will offer the full spectrum of neuroscience treatment — from early diagnosis of neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s Disease, ALS and stroke to advanced brain interventions and restorative care. The new center will allow YNHH “to change the landscape of health care and draw patients from throughout the region and the nation,” said YNHH CEO Marna P. Borgstrom.

In the clinical realm the neuroscience center promises to “push the frontier of neurological care,” Borgstrom added.

“The impact this new facility will have on patient care is enormous,” said Robert J. Alpern, MD, dean of the Yale School of Medicine. “Parkinson’s disease, ALS, stroke and other neurological disorders take a tremendous toll on patients and their families. We hope to directly address these challenges through innovative research, education and exceptional patient care.”

In addition, the new unit will house 204 inpatient beds, which will ease the existing bed shortage at the hospital. “For many years now our beds have been full nearly every single day,” noted Borgstrom. The overcrowding has been most acutely felt at the 66-year-old East Pavilion on York Street.

New Haven Mayor Toni N. Harp spoke of the impact of the project on her city, in terms of both job creation and direct economic benefit. YNHH will make a one-time payment of $3 million to subsidize health-care costs for city employees, and in addition prepaid building fees will contribute $8.9 million to city coffers over the coming fiscal year.

“The investment this project represents — in long-term prosperity, long-term relationships, jobs, stability and yes, dollars and cents — sends the strong signal that Yale/New Haven Health and the city of New Haven will continue walking side by side long into the future,” Harp said.

The project will be built within the existing footprint of the hospital campus, bordered by Sherman Avenue and George Street. The main entrance to the HSR campus will move from Chapel to George Street.

Parking for the new facility will come from an expansion and renovation of the existing parking garage on Orchard Street. In addition, a new 200-space garage will be constructed beneath the new building.

With regard to the new facility’s more than $800 million price tag, Borgstrom — who began her career at Yale-New Haven four decades ago — quipped, “When I started here we thought $80 million was a lot of money.”

Plus ça change, as they say...

Contact Michael C. Bingham at mbingham@newhavenbiz.com