2021 Highlights
Extraordinary efforts in 2020 and early 2021 limited the spread of COVID-19 in our region, and major advances at our health-care system improved the care patients receive.
Spring 2020:
- Cayuga Health and Tompkins County open the COVID-19 Sampling Center at The Shops at Ithaca Mall to handle a surge in demand for testing. LEARN MORE
- Schuyler Hospital opens a 15,000-square foot In-Patient Medical-Surgical Unit.
- Our robotic surgery program using the NAVIO System for joint-replacement procedures completes its first year. By May 2021, 64 NAVIO surgeries were done at CMC.
- Cayuga Medical Center Foundation and Schuyler Health Foundation open an online Community Resource and Donation Center during the pandemic to coordinate donations of items and volunteer time. LEARN MORE
- "Healthcare Heroes" from Cayuga Health leave on a medical mission to help treat a surge of COVID-19 patients in New York City.
Summer 2020:
- A Cayuga Health Partners team develops a web tool that nearly 20,000 people use each day to complete COVID symptom checks before arriving at work or school.
- Cayuga Health's online 24-hour Giving Day Campaign raises $155,260 to help cover the unexpected costs incurred through the response to the COVID-19 crisis. LEARN MORE
- The Cortland Orthopedic Clinic begins walk-in orthopedic care. LEARN MORE
- Cayuga Cancer Center opens a new Cortland office that offers on-site infusion services and appointments with our oncology specialists. LEARN MORE
- A new, advanced radiotherapy system begins providing Cayuga Cancer Center patients with shorter, more powerful cancer treatments delivered with pinpoint accuracy. These improvements open new treatments for cancers of the lung, breast, prostate, head and neck, and other malignancies. LEARN MORE
Fall 2020:
- Cayuga Health opens a COVID Processing Center & Laboratory. The facility operates 24-7 with advanced diagnostic equipment produced by Rheonix Inc. of Ithaca. By June 2021, the Cayuga Health laboratory in partnership with Cornell University had tested over 1.7 million COVID-19 samples.
- CMC surgeons complete their first year performing robotic abdominal surgeries with the da Vinci Surgical System. By May 2021, 494 da Vinci surgeries were done at CMC. LEARN MORE
- Cayuga Health forms a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Steering Committee to involves all segments of its workforce and the community in developing health-care programs.
Winter-Spring 2021:
- Cayuga Health and the Tompkins County Health Department open a Vaccination Center at The Shops at Ithaca Mall. Schuyler Hospital partners with the Schuyler County Public Health Department to open vaccination clinics. By June 12, nearly 75% of Tompkins County adults 18 and older have received at least one vaccination. LEARN MORE
- Schuyler Hospital opens a 9,185-square-foot Convenient Care and Primary Care Center located inside the hospital building.
- Cayuga Health launches a 10-year strategic partnership with Excellus Blue Cross/Blue Shield dedicated to delivering higher quality care at a lower cost.
- Construction plans gear up to begin 2021 construction of a 65,000-square-foot Cayuga Park Medical Office Building in Ithaca. It is part of a 10-acre project that will also include afforable housing, market-rate residential units, and retail space along Route 13.