Medical

It is the mission of River Hospital to provide compassionate, cost effective and accessible primary health care to the year round and seasonal residents, and visitors of the River Communities. The hospital prides itself on high quality outpatient, inpatient and specialty services to meet individual and community needs through partnerships with our patients and communities we serve.

Threatened with closure of the hospital in 2000, a group of concerned citizens formed a task force to appeal to the New York State Department of Health to become an independent institution. Through their efforts, the hospital is ‘reborn’ as an independent facility and named “River Hospital” on April 15, 2003. In the years that followed the opening of River Hospital in April 2003, until the conclusion of the 2006 fiscal year in December 2006, River Hospital was confronted with many challenges as a start-up operation. There were many obstacles to overcome in establishing services in the area such as attracting staff, and physicians, and assuring the community that River Hospital was a viable entity. Fortunately, there was tremendous community support for River Hospital including significant philanthropy which was of great assistance to River Hospital in navigating the difficulties in establishing financial viability.

Fortunately, at the end of fiscal year 2006 all the initially planned elements for services at River Hospital were about to be initiated. In September of 2007, River Hospital opened its Ambulatory Surgery Unit, The Anthony C. “Tony” Malara Operating Suite. This addition to the services provided by River Hospital now offers the option of having minor surgical procedures and colonoscopies performed on an outpatient basis, close to home. In 2008, River Hospital celebrated its fifth anniversary of operation, the opening of the new modular building housing River Community Clinic and the opening of Jefferson Eye Surgeons Ophthalmology clinic. The movement of River Community Clinic into the new building will allow the Clinic to serve more patients and allow room for new Physicians joining the hospital. Electronic Medical Records (EMR) were implemented in River Community Clinic in July of 2011 helping to better our goal of delivering the best patient care possible while improving efficiency and enhancing security.

In 2012, several services were added to River Hospital including Convenient Care, Observation Unit and River Community Wellness Program. The Hospital had seen significant growth and the new service lines reflected that. In addition, River Community Clinic was re-named River Family Health Center to more adequately define the primary care practice.