ONEONTA, N.Y. — Bassett Healthcare Network’s A.O. Fox Hospital in Oneonta opened a new eight-bed universal inpatient care unit on Tuesday, July 1 to serve patients admitted to the hospital who need varying levels of inpatient care. “With the highest volumes of emergency department visits across Bassett Healthcare Network, A.O. Fox Hospital is uniquely positioned […]
ONEONTA, N.Y. — Bassett Healthcare Network’s A.O. Fox Hospital in Oneonta opened a new eight-bed universal inpatient care unit on Tuesday, July 1 to serve patients admitted to the hospital who need varying levels of inpatient care.
“With the highest volumes of emergency department visits across Bassett Healthcare Network, A.O. Fox Hospital is uniquely positioned to care for patients in a more densely populated area,” Bassett Healthcare Network President/CEO and A.O. Fox Hospital President Staci Thompson said in an announcement. “The universal care unit, which houses eight beds, contains acuity-adaptable rooms that have the resources to accommodate a wide range of patient-care needs. We need more beds, and Fox is the perfect place to grow our space.”
The new rooms will allow the hospital to admit a greater variety of clinical cases and reduce the need to transfer patients to Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown or out-of-network.
The A.O. Fox emergency department in Oneonta drew 25,837 visits in 2024.
“A.O. Fox Hospital resides in the health system’s most populated municipality,” A.O. Fox Hospital VP of Medical Affairs Jonathan Daniel Croft said. “It is the best interest of Bassett Healthcare Network that we embrace Fox’s space and amenities to the fullest, including, importantly, inpatient accommodations. By opening more beds in a universal-care unit, Fox is equipped to treat more patients and keep intensive care unit beds open in Cooperstown for patients with the most critical care needs. Additionally, Bassett Healthcare Network’s partnership with Equum, a tele-critical care service, ensures we have 24/7 access to specialized critical care with on-call tele-intensivists.”
The goal is to increase the number of beds open in the universal care unit at Fox, Bassett Healthcare Network Senior VP and Chief Nursing Executive Angela Belmont said. “By the end of this year, we aim to have eight beds. But this will grow in time, especially as we continue working to recruit caregivers. It will also be an opportunity for our terrific nurses and other caregivers at Fox to expand their skills.”
Bassett has plans to continue to grow services at A.O. Fox including ear, nose, and throat (ENT) and orthopedic services. In 2024, Friends of Bassett launched a $2 million fundraising campaign for an expansion of FoxCare Center’s cancer-treatment clinic.
