Gov. Hochul and the New York State Legislature have finalized the enacted FY 2025-2026 state budget that contains $450 million in capital to fully fund plans to construct a new hospital annex for SUNY Upstate that will include a new and expanded emergency department, a more modern burn unit, and some additional operating room capacity. This capital allocation led by Governor Hochul and the Central New York (CNY) delegation represents the largest capital funding allocation in Upstate’s history.

SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. said, “We are grateful to Gov. Hochul and the New York State Legislature for their unwavering support of SUNY's mission. SUNY is on the move with ongoing significant investment for our public higher education system and the hospitals we operate, and we know this funding will help us build a brighter, more prosperous, and more sustainable future for New York State.”

"We are deeply grateful to Governor Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart Cousins, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, and especially our CNY delegation—led by Assemblymember Bill Magnarelli and Senator Rachel May, as well as Senator Chris Ryan, Assemblymember Pamela Hunter, Assemblymember Al Stirpe, Senator Joe Griffo, Assemblymember Marianne Buttenschon, Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay and Assemblymember John Lemondes—for their extraordinary support of this investment,” said Upstate Medical University President Mantosh Dewan, MD. “This funding will allow Upstate to build a state-of-the-art emergency room, supporting our role as the region’s only Level 1 trauma center. Their commitment ensures that we can continue to provide lifesaving care to our community for generations to come. It will be in a space that provides the privacy and comfort that each person deserves.”

Funding for the new facility was proposed by the SUNY Board of Trustees in December and was included in the Governor’s Executive Budget proposal. The project garnered widespread support from the Central New York delegation of State legislators as well as local and statewide labor organizations

Upstate will now begin work with the SUNY Construction Fund to engage with architectural and engineering design teams for initial planning. The plan is subject to approval by the SUNY Chancellor and director of New York State Division of Budget. Key elements of the annex would be the expanded Emergency Department providing Upstate with between 55 and 75 bays, compared to the current 35. Also, the annex would add a new burn unit with between 6 and 8  ICU beds and between 2 and 4 new operating rooms.

Caption: Gov. Hochul with SUNY Upstate leaders highlight the state funding for construction of a new hospital annex to include a new and expanded emergency department.