History of UPMC Chautauqua

Chartered in 1885, the Woman's Christian Association of New York was a boarding house for young working women. It also served as a one room hospital for its residents and other sick or injured persons.

In 1907, "WCA Hospital" incorporated and continued to grow to meet the ever-changing health needs of our community.

And in August 2012, we expanded even more by affiliating with UPMC to become UPMC Chautauqua.

Milestones in Our History

1885

• May 23, 1885 – First Charter: Woman's Christian Association of Jamestown, N.Y.

1890

• Training school for nurses opens with three students.

1907

• "WCA Hospital" incorporates.

1909

• We built the Maternity Building facing Allen Street.

1925

• WCA Hospital receives its first accreditation from the American College of Physicians and Surgeons.

1928

• Addition to the Maternity Building along Allen Street. "Packard Wing" or "A" Wing completed.

1951

• Completion of the "B" Wing which replaces the landmark hospital.

1964

• WCA School of Nursing closes as the Jamestown Community College's Associate in Arts degree program in Nursing grows.

1965

• Completion of the "C" Wing - A four-story wing at the rear of the entrance, extending east and west along Sherman Street.
• $3 Million Expansion Plan to build a new Pediatric "Creche" Wing and ICU. The plan also let us expand the auditorium, Chapel, and business offices.

1967

• WCA Hospital opens School of Radiology.

1975

• Dedication of the "D" Wing - A $10 million project with a new Emergency Department, Ambulatory Care Unit, a sheltered ambulance entrance, and other enhanced patient services.

1979

• WCA Hospital opens Medical Laboratory Science Program preceptorship.

1982

• We established the WCA Foundation and W.C.A. Services Corporation.

1988

• Jones Memorial Health Center opens.
• Inpatient Mental Health Program opens.

1989

• Family Health Center opens.
• Inpatient Alcoholism Rehab Program opens.
• Inpatient Adolescent Mental Health Program opens.
• Medical Rehab Program.

1992

• Outpatient Alcoholism Rehab opens.
• Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy Programs move to the Jones Memorial Health Center Campus.
• We offer outpatient mental health services.
• Inpatient Adult Mental Health Program starts.

1994

• Partial Hospitalization Program starts.

1995

• Randolph Health Center opens.

1996

• Sinclairville Health Center opens.

1998

• Dunkirk Health Center begins Mental Health services.
• 17 Sherman Street Medical Office Building.

1999

• Completion of renovations in Women's Imaging and addition of Stereotactic Breast Biopsy equipment.
• WCA readies for Y2K with upgrades in computer programs.

2000

• Renovations to OR Waiting Room, Cast Room, Control area, Endoscopy Suite, Gift Shop and Snack Shop.
• Kickoff of Capital Campaign.

2001

• 3D Cancer Planning System.
• Sentinel Node Mapping and Biopsy.
• WCA Heart Center and Cath Lab opens.

2002

• Renovations to Maternity and Nursery.
• All new Dialysis machines.
• Computerized Pharmacy System.

2003

• January 2003 – Advanced Access at Family Health Centers.
• Patient-friendly Billing and Customer Service Call Center.
• PET Scan services begin.
• WCA Alcoholism Rehab renamed "Chemical Dependency Program."

2004

• Sleep Center opens.
• Completion of the Laparoscopic and Cystoscopy OR Rooms Electronic Medical Records Family Health Center.
• Refocus service lines on Heart, Cancer, Joint, and Women's Care to meet changing consumer demographic.

2005

• Winner 100 Top Hospital Performance Improvement 2nd Year.
• Established a Fix Site MRI.
• Opened Interventional Radiology Center.
• Expanded WCA's Sleep Center – 4 rooms.
• Upgraded to a 16 slice CT Scanner.
• Started ED renovation planning.
• New Blood Supplier – Community Blood Bank.
• PACS Radiology System goes live (Picture Archiving and Communication System).

2006

• New Hospitalist Program.
• Renamed Snack Shop Pearl City Café.
• Opened Lakewood Health Center and Outpatient Lab.
• Opened Riverwalk Outpatient Lab.
• Upgraded to PET/CT.

2007

• Opened Wound Care Center.
• Expanded Sleep Lab to 6 rooms.
• Expanded Dialysis.
• Medical Directorship at Lutheran Social Services.

2008

• Entered landmark affiliation with Roswell Park Cancer Institute for radiation medicine services.
• Opened Center For Imaging & Medical Arts At WCA.
• Opened Endoscopy Suite at Riverwalk Center, 15 South Main Street, Jamestown.
• Opened Occupational Health Office In Dunkirk, New York.
• Expanded Sleep Services To Include Pediatric Care.

2009

• July 1, 2009 – WCA Hospital goes tobacco-free.
• WCA Hospital launches a $16.5 M capital campaign — the largest in history. Appoints Dr. Lillian Vitanza Ney as the Chair of the Sharing the Gift of Health campaign to head up project to construct and equip the hospital's new Emergency Department, and $10 M to build endowment for the future of our community hospital.
• WCA Hospital completes construction on:
• "New" WCA Center For Orthopedics, Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation, New York Surgical Hospitalist at WCA Hospital Outpatient Clinic.
• "New" Occupational Health Suite.
• "New" Health Information Management Office Suite.
• WCA Hospital completes program expansions including, Sleep Center, Respiratory Care, and Wound Care Center.
• WCA Hospital builds foundation to implement multi-million-dollar, enterprise-wide Electronic Health Records system.
• Becomes first rural community hospital to introduce HEALTHeLINK—a secure, electronic information exchange that leads to quicker access to critical patient health data.
• WCA Hospital ranked top performer among hospitals across U.S. by Data Advantage LLC.

2010

• WCA Hospital celebrates commemorative 125 anniversary year on May 23, 2010.
• Construction begins for “new" state-of-the-art Emergency Department, slated to open in 2012.
• Through strategic consultation plan:
• Relocated Human Resources Office to 103 Allen Street.
• Relocated Inpatient Medical Rehabilitation program from JMHC to WCA Hospital campus.
• Relocated New York IB/GYN Hospitalist at WCA Hospital to 103 Allen Street.
• Completed consolidations, renovations, upgrades, and expansions on:
• Cardiology
• Sleep Center
• Respiratory Care
• New York Surgical Hospitalist at WCA Hospital Suite
• Neurology
• Inpatient Adult and Adolescent mental Health Units
• 5D nurses station
• Hospitalists Suite
• Physical Therapy and Inpatient Medical Rehabilitation Gym
• WCA Hospital Orthopedics
• Employee Exercise Room
• Inpatient Chemical Dependency Gym
• Fire protection project.

2011

• WCA is the only Hospital in Southern Tier to provide residents breakthrough robotic technology through sophisticated robotic platform.
• Building construction continues on $16.5 M state-of-the-art Emergency Department.
• Opens WCA Hospital Orthopedics.
• WCA Hospital Clinical Laboratory expands laboratory testing capabilities to include molecular testing.

2012

• WCA Hospital welcomes first patient through the new front door of healthcare—a 18,000 square foot 21st Century Emergency Department on November 13, 2012.
• Opens WCA ENT (Ear, Nose, & Throat) Center.
• August 2012. WCA Hospital signs affiliation agreement with UPMC Hamot in Erie, Pa. that brings together two organizations to expand services throughout the Western New York and Northwestern Pa.
• WCA Hospital ranks Top 12% of all hospitals in U.S. for EHR adoption.

2013

• March 1, 2013 — implemented hospital-wide electronic health record system.
• Opens Outpatient Lab draw station at Riverwalk, 15 South Avenue, Jamestown.
• WCA Hospital receives first-time accreditation honors in radiation oncology from American College of Radiology.

2014

• WCA Hospital first hospital in Southern Tier to perform new angioplasty procedure that treats peripheral artery disease.
• WCA Hospital introduces WCAMyChart Patient Portal that gives patients' access to portions of their medical record anywhere they have access to the internet.

2015

• WCA Hospital celebrates 130 commemorative year anniversary on May 23, 2015.
• WCA Gynecology Services opens.
• WCA Hospital Outpatient Chemical Dependency and Mental Health Offices relocate to the main building of Jones Memorial Health Center.

2016

• Cancer Treatment Center First In Region To Introduce Treatment for Advanced Prostate Cancer.
• Sleep Center Upgrades Technology
• WCA MRI Takes Imaging To a New Level.
• Randolph Health Center Relocates.
• Robotic Firefly Technology Keeps Robotic Surgeons on the Forefront of Care.
• Surgery Team Performs 1,000th Robotic Surgery Procedure.
• WCA UPMC Integrate To Officially Form UPMC Chautauqua WCA.

2017

• UPMC Chautauqua WCA Launches Television Commercial.
• WCA Launches New Website: UPMCChautauquaWCA.org.
• Human Resources Moves to JMHC Campus.
• UPMC Chautauqua WCA Announces Long-Term Residential Services.
• UPMC Chautauqua WCA ENT Relocate to Main Campus.
• Heart Center Performs 5,000th Heart Catheterization Procedure.
• Groundbreaking Ceremony Held Friday, May 19, 2017, to mark the construction for the new women's and maternity care center and inpatient adult and adolescent mental health units.