By By Dan Hounsell

The COVID-19 pandemic changed nearly every aspect of operations for many healthcare facilities, from HVAC systems and entryways to staffing and budgeting. For one facility, however, very little changed, because the facility had barely begun to operate.

On March 17, 2020, the doors were about to open on a new $55 million, 87,300 square-foot, 15-bed, state-of-the-art medical facility — St. James Hospital in Hornellsville, N.Y., according to The Evening Tribune. Within hours, however, a dark shadow — the COVID-19 pandemic — would eclipse the hospital’s debut.

The new St. James/UR Medicine Hospital’s first 12 months coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic that disrupted nearly every aspect of life in the United States. The hospital closed multiple entrances, making it easier for staff to monitor who was coming in. Face masks, health screenings, and strict limitations on patient visitors were put in place. The hospital quickly transitioned its primary care programs to telehealth.