Founded in 1910 and moved to its current location in 1960, the Ira Davenport Memorial Hospital is in need of an upgrade to keep up with current health care demands. Tuesday, plans for a new emergency department were announced and our Bill Mich has more on what patients can expect.

BATH, N.Y. -- The Ira Davenport Memorial Hospital in Bath has been in its current location since 1960 and has become an important fixture in its surrounding community.

"The next closest facility, believe it or not, in our area is about 25 miles away any which direction you go. So, it's very critical for our area to have this luxury of this type of facility," said Jerry Keeler, a trustee of the Keuka Health Care Foundation.

And to better improve the quality of care the hospital provides, officials announced plans for a new $3.1 million emergency department.

"Everything will be modernized. We'll have all new equipment, the lighting will be improved, privacy will be improved," said the hospital's CEO, Jim Watson.

The hospital will be adding an additional 2,800 square feet, allowing it to double the treatment areas from three to six and close off the rooms rather than use curtains. There will also be an area set aside for pediatric emergency care.

A fundraising campaign for the project was also announced Tuesday. There is still just under a million dollars to be raised to meet to the overall cost. And when it's finally finished, hospital officials are confident all the hard work put into the project will pay off for the patients.

"A lot of people have had an input to this design. Physicians, nurses, the administration, ambulance crews, a lot of the users of the department have had input in its renovation and I think it's really going to meet the needs of the community," Watson said.

Groundbreaking is set to take place in two weeks and the new emergency department is scheduled to be finished next spring