DOYLESTOWN, PA – In the latest milestone of its $100 million capital campaign, Doylestown Health celebrated the dedication of the new Clark Center for Critical Care Medicine on April 14, 2021, in a ribbon-cutting event held at Doylestown Hospital for a select group of major donors.

The opening of Clark Critical Care allows for the expansion of Doylestown Health’s successful intensivist program, led by pulmonologist Les Szekely, MD, FCCP, DABSM, who is the medical director of the Clark Center for Critical Care Medicine, Respiratory Care at Doylestown Health, and the Doylestown Health Sleep Center. Intensivists are board-certified physicians who specialize in the care of critically ill patients.

The Clark Center for Critical Care Medicine is the overarching program name that encompasses all critical care services at Doylestown Hospital, including the new 32-bed Putman Intensive Care/Intermediate Unit (ICU/IMU) located on the third floor of the Cardiovascular and Critical Care Pavilion.

The brief dedication ceremony was held to recognize the generous investment made by Angela and Dick Clark, visionary benefactors and chairs of ONE VISION: The Campaign for Doylestown Health. Jim Brexler, President and CEO of Doylestown Health, welcomed guests alongside Joan Parlee, Chair of the Boards of both Doylestown Hospital and Doylestown Health Foundation; John Mitchell, Vice President, Cardiovascular and Surgical Services; and Dr. Szekely.

A small group of donors who selected naming opportunities in the new Putman ICU/IMU attended the dedication, as well as members of the clinical team who will be working in the new unit. Also present were elected local officials: Sen. Maria Collett, Sen. Steve Santarsiero, Rep. Shelby Labs, Rep. Todd Polinchock and Rep. Wendi Thomas, as well as Doylestown Mayor Ron Strouse; Barbara Lyons, Esq., Chair, Doylestown Township Supervisors; and Vail Garvin, President of the Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick could not be present, but on his behalf, Constituent Advocate Kevin Bongarzone presented Brexler with a citation and a national flag in acknowledgment of the dedication.

“This Center will help Doylestown Health continue to maintain its high standards and to be a resource for future generations,” said Clark before the ribbon-cutting. “Now we’ve taken that standard of clinical care and matched it with the highest standard in facilities with the new critical care unit. I’ve been in hospitals throughout the world, and I can guarantee you, there is no better facility than the one we’re standing in right now.” The Clarks have been generous supporters of Doylestown Health for years; their generosity was most recently recognized in the opening of the Clark Outpatient Rehabilitation Center in December, located in the new Ambulatory Center on the hospital campus.

The new Putman ICU/IMU—named in recognition of the generosity of Paula and Kevin Putman Sr. of Penn Color Inc.—adds 28,500 square feet of dedicated care space to the hospital, including 14 negative pressure rooms and four isolation rooms. The larger rooms offer more space to accommodate specialized equipment like ventilators for critically ill patients. Special attention was also given during design to reducing ambient noise and creating a soothing, restful environment for patients and their loved ones. Patients will be relocated from the hospital’s south wing to the Putman ICU/IMU on April 19 and care will continue seamlessly.

“It means so much to my colleagues and me to practice critical care medicine in a place where our community believes in us and steps forward to support the highest quality care for themselves and their families and friends,” said Dr. Szekely just before the ribbon was cut. “Thank you for your tremendous support.”

Construction at Doylestown Hospital continues on other priorities of the One Vision campaign, creating new space on the ground floor to expand the Women’s Diagnostic Center, now reopened as the Clark Center for Breast Imaging, and renovating the hospital’s operating suites to accommodate advanced equipment, technologies and procedures. Plans are also underway to rebuild Children’s Village, the on-campus early child learning and daycare center that was destroyed during Hurricane Isaias last August. Additionally, donors can choose to support the Legacy Endowment Fund for Doylestown Hospital, which supports the leading priorities of the hospital in perpetuity.

One Vision campaign priorities will also include continued renovations that will allow for Doylestown Hospital to expand to an all-private bed facility in the future.