Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Health and Hospitals Corporation President Alan D. Aviles today announced the opening of the new Ambulatory Care Pavilion at Kings County Hospital Center.  The $50 million facility houses six stories of modern outpatient suites and brings the adult and pediatric primary care and specialty services previously spread out across the hospital's vast 44-acre campus under one roof.  The new remodeled center will expand access to preventive health services, build capacity for advanced technology and is expected to accommodate more than 400,000 patient visits annually. 

"This facility is an investment in Brooklyn's future that will pay dividends for years to come," said Mayor Bloomberg. "I am proud that our City hospitals are among the best in the world.  I am glad to be opening this pavilion so our health care workers can continue delivering high quality care to all New Yorkers." 

"This most recent milestone in the transformation of Kings County Hospital's campus reflects our commitment to efficient patient-centered care," said HHC President Aviles.  "The new ambulatory care pavilion brings together nearly all outpatient medical services efficiently organized for maximum patient convenience.  This new sleek and therapeutic environment also will make maximum use of advanced technology to continue to drive improvements in care." 

"We are excited to be more than mid-way through our very ambitious rebuilding and renewal project, said Kings County Hospital Center Executive Director Jean Leon. "We are very proud to be able to provide high quality health care in a state-of-the-art facility that makes our patients feel cared for and valued."

The new ambulatory care center features open, light-filled spaces, inviting reception areas and private waiting and exam rooms for the cardiac, pulmonary, orthopedics and women's health specialty services; ear, nose and throat clinics; a geriatric center and outpatient pharmacy services.  The new pavilion, remodeled and designed by the international architectural firm of Skidmore Owings Merrill, successfully ends phase three of a $500 million, five-phase hospital redevelopment project scheduled to be completed by 2009. 

The rebuilding and modernization of Kings County Hospital is the largest renovation in the history of the Health and Hospitals Corporation.  Kings County Hospital is a 627-bed facility that serves New Yorkers primarily from the communities of East New York, Brownsville, Flatbush, East Flatbush and Crown Heights and is one of the largest providers of medical care in Central Brooklyn.  In Fiscal Year 2006, there were approximately 670,757 outpatient visits and over 100,000 emergency room visits. The hospital ranked among the top 5 best hospitals in the city for the quality of care provided to prevent surgical site infections. 

The New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC), the largest municipal hospital and health care system in the country, is a $4.9 billion public benefit corporation that serves 1.3 million New Yorkers and nearly 400,000 who are uninsured.  HHC provides medical, mental health and substance abuse services through its 11 acute care hospitals, four skilled nursing facilities, six large diagnostic and treatment centers and more than 80 community based clinics. Kings County is a Level 1 Trauma Center, AIDS Center, a Stroke Center and has also been designated as a Center of Excellence for Diabetes and Parkinson's disease. For more information about HHC, visit www.nyc.gov/hhc.