IRVING, N.Y. (WKBW) — When an accident happens, from a broken bone to a heart attack, neighbors in northern Chautauqua County say they have nowhere to go.
"At one point, my heart rate was very, very high," Marcia Ernst, who has atrial fibrillation, said. "Didn't know if I was gonna even make it. We need something to help you immediately."
Neighbors in the area (including Cattaraugus County, northern Chautauqua County, southern Erie County and the Seneca Nation) used to go to Lakeshore Hospital until it closed in 2020.
"It's really scary to know that we'd have to go either to Buffalo or to Dunkirk to get services," Lynda Osterstuck said. "Right now, you hope for the best, you call an ambulance and see which way you're gonna go."
WATCH: 'This is the closest we've come': Push continues to bring emergency room to old Lakeshore Hospital
The building has been empty ever since. But in April, signs of hope emerged with the New York Medical Center.
Phase 1 is to open a facility for drug dependency and behavioral health issues, according to Louis Pelletter, Town Supervisor.
"And we're thinking they're gonna have to have an emergency room, which is on the table," Pelletter said.
That's phase two, which is scheduled for 2028.
"Phase 2 of the project is scheduled to begin after Phase 1 concludes. Likely in the third year post-occupancy," Raymond Manning, CEO of New York Medical Center, said in a statement.
"Everybody is pulling on the same rope, in the same direction to get this place open," State Senator George Borrello, who represents the area. "I understand that people want a guarantee, but at this point, this is the closest we've come."
Phase 1 is slated to open in December 2025.
