OLEAN, NY – Olean General Hospital, a Kaleida Health facility, is proud to announce plans for a major expansion and complete renovation of its Emergency Department, including the addition of a dedicated Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (CPEP) designed to meet the growing mental health needs of the region.

The project, submitted through a Limited Review Certificate of Need (C.O.N.) Application, includes a 13,300-square-foot addition and full renovation of the hospital’s existing 10,100-square-foot Emergency Department space. Once complete, the upgraded department will significantly enhance patient care, improve emergency services capacity and create a specialized environment for behavioral health treatment.

“This transformational project represents a major investment in the future of emergency and mental health care for our community,” said Bradley J. Chapman, president, OGH. “Our region deserves timely, compassionate and specialized care, and this expansion will allow us to better serve individuals experiencing both medical emergencies and mental health crises.”

A centerpiece of the project is the development of a designated Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (CPEP), a dedicated, secure mental health treatment unit located within the Emergency Department footprint. Currently, patients experiencing mental health emergencies are treated within the general emergency treatment area. The new CPEP will provide a separate, locked behavioral health space featuring five adult beds and two pediatric beds, allowing patients to receive specialized care in a safer and more therapeutic environment.

The funding for the CPEP was announced in June 2024 and awarded from the New York State Office of Mental Health (NYSOMH). 

Mental health needs across New York State and the nation continue to rise. According to the NYSOMH, nearly one in five adults in New York experiences a mental illness each year, while emergency department visits related to mental health conditions have continued to increase statewide. Additionally, youth mental health concerns have escalated significantly in recent years, with anxiety, depression and behavioral health crises impacting children and adolescents at unprecedented levels.

As the need for psychiatric emergency services continues to grow in rural communities, the investment in OGH to have a dedicated CPEP will help improve access to timely behavioral health care close to home for patients across the Southern Tier and surrounding region.

The newly expanded Emergency Department will include 25 treatment rooms and several specialty treatment areas, including:

•           Four fast-track treatment rooms

•           Two trauma rooms

•           One patient-of-size treatment room

•           One airborne infection isolation room

•           Three behavioral health treatment rooms

•           A new CT suite

•           An interventional radiology room

•           A decontamination room

•           A Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) room

The redesign is intended to improve patient flow, reduce congestion and enhance treatment times while supporting the evolving healthcare needs of the community.

The remaining funding, $17 million, was announced in January 2025 as one of Governor Hochul’s transformative investments. Construction will occur in phases to ensure the Emergency Department remains fully operational throughout the project.

“This project is about more than expanding physical space, it is about strengthening access to emergency and mental health services for our neighbors, families and communities,” added Chapman. “We are committed to building an emergency department that supports exceptional care today and for generations to come. We’re very much appreciative of the NYS Office of Mental Health and Governor Hochul for their commitment and investments into our local healthcare.”

More information about construction timelines and project updates will be shared as the project progresses.