Specialty Services To Be Added At TRH
Bassett Healthcare Network is adding outpatient specialty services at Tri-Town Regional Hospital (TRH) and launching a fundraising campaign that will help establish the specialty clinic in memory of Bruce Wilhem, the hospital’s first chief executive officer, who passed away in April after battling cancer for nearly two years. The cornerstone of the planned establishment of specialty services will be medical oncology, which is the management and treatment of cancer with medicines, including chemotherapy. In addition to cancer care, Bassett plans to offer orthopedic care and plastic surgery. Additional specialty services may be added later.
Current CEO Dan Ayres notes, “When Bassett opened TRH in Sidney four years ago, it was with the promise that we would continually evaluate the need for additional services. Access to specialty care is an identified need in the Greater Tri-Town region, especially with regard to cancer care. It’s tough for cancer patients to have to travel, so having a clinic in Sidney will be a great help to the people living in Delaware County.”
The outpatient specialty clinic at TRH will be located on the hospital’s second floor. Renovations to accommodate the new clinic are expected to begin within the next couple of months and should be completed by fall.
At the same time, Friends of Bassett Healthcare Network, in conjunction with the Tri-Town Regional Hospital Board of Trustees and in consultation with the Wilhelm family, has committed to raising funds in support of the project and establishing the specialty clinic in memory of Bruce Wilhelm.
“Bruce championed the re-establishment of a hospital in Sidney, his boyhood hometown, and served as its first CEO,” says Michael Stein, vice president of Fund Development and Friends of Bassett Healthcare Network. “He looked forward to the day more services could be added because he knew how important access to medical care is for people living in rural regions. Establishing a new outpatient specialty clinic in Bruce’s honor will be a lasting legacy and is a fitting way to honor his years of service to both TRH and Bassett.” Gifts in Bruce’s memory may be mailed to the Friends of Bassett, One Atwell Road, Cooperstown, NY 13326.
Bruce started his career with Bassett in 1982 and worked in various capacities in Human Resources throughout his 30 years. In 2007, he was tapped to lead the effort to re-establish a hospital in Sidney and, on Feb. 5, 2008, he cut the ribbon on TRH as its CEO. A year later, having achieved success opening a new hospital in Sidney, he was asked to return to Bassett as vice president of Human Resources. Last year, Bruce was honored with the Lifetime Ambassador Achievement Award for all he did to help the organization and employees over his three decades of service. In addition, he was active in a number of community organizations and served on various councils and boards of directors, including ARC Otsego, Sidney Federal Credit Union and the Iroquois Workforce Development Council.
Tri-Town Regional Hospital is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week as an emergency care facility serving the Tri-Town region, which includes the communities of Sidney, Unadilla and Bainbridge. The physician-staffed emergency department averages around 9,500 visits annually.
In addition to emergency services, laboratory and radiology services are also available at TRH.
