From left, University of Vermont Health Network CEO John Brumsted, New York state Sen. Betty Little, Elizabethtown Community Hospital President John Remillard, Elizabethtown hospital board member Rolly Allen and state Assemblyman Dan Stec pose Thursday in Ticonderoga under a newly unveiled sign that shows Moses Ludington Hospital is now part of the University of Vermont Health Network, under the auspices of Elizabethtown Community Hospital. (Photo provided by UVM Health Network)

TICONDEROGA — Moses Ludington Hospital has become part of the University of Vermont Health Network, under the auspices of Elizabethtown Community Hospital.

Moses Ludington staff, board members, network officials, state Sen. Betty Little, Assemblyman Dan Stec and local leaders celebrated Thursday with a sign unveiling and employee-focused celebration.

After years of working together to align clinical and administrative processes, the two organizations became one legal entity on Tuesday.

“This is an exciting day for our organization,” said John Remillard, president of Elizabethtown Community Hospital. “The joining of Elizabethtown Community Hospital and Moses Ludington is due to a great deal of work by many people.”

Becoming part of Elizabethtown Community Hospital means Moses Ludington is also part of the University of Vermont Health Network. Though Moses Ludington has had a clinical affiliation with UVM Medical Center in Burlington, Vermont, for years, joining the network brings additional benefits including improved communication between doctors throughout the network and increased access to specialists, so patients may not need to travel as often or as far for specialty care. The network is also undertaking a project to unify its electronic medical records system so providers can have instant access to the same, up-to-date information on their patients.

An additional advantage is the opportunity to access network resources when working toward regional projects, such as the one to develop the Health and Living Center in Ticonderoga — a project that will redefine the manner in which health care is structured within the region. Moses Ludington is now the cornerstone of the Health and Living Center, comprising of a number of health-related organizations along with assisted living and senior living facilities, located next to one another, for the convenience of patients.

Elizabethtown Community Hospital has been working with Moses Ludington for a few years to align many of the administrative and operational functions. The organizations share a president, administrative staff and department leaders. The organizations have also been working to align their clinical functions, processes and procedures. According to Remillard, the process of affiliation has been gradual, allowing plenty of time to implement the changes effectively.

According to board Chair Dominic Eisinger, the separate organizations have each had a board of directors; this is something that has also changed due to the affiliation, as the combined organization now enjoys one board.

In addition to its alignment with the network and its development as part of the Health and Living Center, the facility is undergoing a physical transformation. A $9.1 million renovation project is underway to reconfigure and renovate each Moses Ludington department. The new emergency department opened earlier this month with a much larger, modern space for clinical staff to provide care with a private registration area, family waiting room and observation beds, for those patients who require additional care and monitoring. The new lab space is located close to the emergency department and next to the main lobby, making it convenient for patients.

Other departments are also being transformed and modernized. Renovation of the specialty physician clinic space at Moses Ludington was completed in fall 2017. The radiology department is currently being renovated, enlarged and reconfigured — a project that is expected to be complete this summer. The physical therapy department will be the final space to be renovated, once radiology is complete.