NYS Fair Infirmary Facility

Through a generous construction grant from the US Department of Health and Human Services, a 16-bed emergency services facility (expandable to 32 beds if required) was constructed on the grounds of the New York State Fair, replacing the existing the older and smaller infirmary.  The new infirmary is located behind the Horticultural building and is designed to serve several purposes.

First, it is used to provide medical care during the Great New York State Fair. Medical services are provided by the Department of Emergency Medicine of Upstate Medical University Hospital.  Emergency Medicine physicians, residents and nurses staff the infirmary during the Great New York State Fair from mid-August through Labor Day.  Second, it serves as a training facility for the Medical Reserve Corps, state, county and local groups, other emergency preparedness organizations and for planned joint civilian and National Guard exercises.

The New York State Fair Emergency Services Facility is a unique endeavor in the country. Other states have begun to look to our facility for assistance and guidance in developing similar structures. Thus, we have been able to be a national leader in this effort.

Community Education

Academic Health Center Consortium for Mass Casualty Management

We participate with Upstate Medical University and the academic medical centers in Albany, Rochester and Buffalo in the Academic Health Center Consortium for Mass Casualty Management. This consortium works to demonstrate the benefits of such a cooperative relationship in addressing service needs of upstate New York.

The current work of this group is focused in two areas: mass causality burn management and burn surge response, and in understanding the science of surge needs and response. We are also participating in the assessment of the utility of the S100B protein as a marker of head trauma which may be useful in patient assessment during mass casualty events.