Anna Jaques Hospital celebrates completion of major renovations

Jun. 7—NEWBURYPORT — Anna Jaques Hospital leaders celebrated the grand opening of the facility's two new operating rooms, as well as a new main entrance and walkway, a project that was more than a year and $9 million in the making.

The Stepping Forward Project, which included $4.2 million in donations from the community, expanded the hospital's surgical capacity for the first time in 25 years with the completion of the two operating rooms to support the hospital's New England Baptist Orthopedic program and accommodate state-of-the-art orthopedic equipment.

"This project represents our vision of providing outstanding care right here in our local community," Anna Jaques Hospital President Mark Goldstein said to the hundreds of guests in attendance Thursday. "For the benefit of our patients, visitors, caregivers and staff, we focused on enhancing access to specialty services, while also creating a state-of-art environment that is reflective of the quality of care provided at our hospital. We appreciate and celebrate all of the generous donors who supported Anna Jaques Hospital as we continue to evolve and expand to meet the health care needs of our area."

Goldstein pointed out that the project included a new helipad, meaning for the first time since since 2021, medical helicopters can land on the hospital campus. During construction, medical helicopters landed at a helipad on Perry Way near the city's Department of Public Services.

In a separate interview Goldstein said it was an incredible responsibility to bring quality health care to the community and pointed to the hospital's new partnership with Beth Israel Lahey Health that made the project possible. He also said that the buy-in from the hospital's 1,300 employees was a key factor.

"We couldn't have done it on our own," Goldstein said.

Hospital officials originally planned to begin the project a year earlier, but it was put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It's wonderful," Goldstein said about the project being completed. "I'm so excited about it."

The entrance is named in honor of former Newburyport Mayor Byron Matthews and his wife, Helen, while the walkway is named after hospital benefactor Eleanor Woodman.

The event also marked the opening of the Gerrish Family Surgical Suite. The project connects the Virginia A. Capolupo Entrance and the first-floor main entrance with an open staircase to improve patient flow while retaining the historic look and feel of the hospital campus. The new layout maintains and improves outdoor seating and landscaping, according to hospital administrators.

Byron J. Matthews — who was born at Anna Jaques — served as the city's mayor from 1968 to 1978, while Helen Matthews gave birth to their two sons at the hospital. The couple have served as volunteers and in other roles at the hospital for more than 60 years.

Workers began construction in March 2021 — roughly four years after the project was conceived and donations were first sought. The Anna Jaques Community Health Foundation began fundraising in the fall of 2018 and was launched by a $500,000 gift from Gerrish Family Foundation.

While the ceremony, which included donors, hospital leaders and elected officials, took place Thursday, the entryway opened to the public on Monday.

"On behalf of the board, I am honored to share these new facilities with our patients and the community," Anna Jaques Hospital Board of Trustees Chairwoman Grace Connolly said. "We are deeply grateful to the many volunteers, Anna Jaques Hospital staff, and community members who have weathered the challenges of the last two years to help get this project to completion."

In December 2019, Anna Jaques established a clinical collaboration with New England Baptist Hospital, also part of Beth Israel Lahey Health, and a premier orthopedics specialty hospital. The New England Baptist Orthopedics Program at Anna Jaques was developed collaboratively between the local hospital and its affiliated physicians, along with New England Baptist Hospital.

"The space renovation and modernization of two operating rooms will allow for expansion of surgical services in all of our speciality areas and further integration of the New England Baptist Orthopedics program at Anna Jaques Hospital," Chief Medical Officer Glenn Focht said. "The state-of-the-art space, larger rooms, and new technology will allow us to serve more patients who choose to have their surgery performed close to home, whether it is a biopsy, joint replacement or outpatient surgery for hand, foot and ankle procedures."

Dave Rogers is a reporter with the Daily News of Newburyport. Email him at: drogers@newburyportnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @drogers41008.

Dave Rogers is a reporter with the Daily News of Newburyport. Email him at: drogers@newburyportnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @drogers41008.