May 5, 2018 2 min read

The Bartolotta and Allridge families, who have been a part of the Mon Valley for decades, are strengthening their community ties.

Toni and Archie Allridge – owners of three Giant Eagle franchises that started with the opening of a Monongahela meat market in 1949 by Toni’s father, Aldo Bartolotta – recently made a contribution to Monongahela Valley Hospital for the renovation of the emergency department.

“Our idea was not to just buy a piece of equipment,” they said in a statement. “We wanted to do something for the employees of the hospital to give them a better and safer work environment.”

According to Dr. Sundeep Ekbote, medical director of the emergency department, the donation, given with Toni’s mother, Joan Bartolotta, benefits both employees and patients.

“(The renovation) makes it much easier for us to provide quick and safe care,” Ekbote said during a tour with the Allridges in April.

A renovation of the entire department was done in two phases.

The first phase, completed in November and funded by Range Resouces, was to overhaul and standardize patient rooms.

“Staff can walk into any room, and they are all the same,” Ekbote said, adding that the uniformity allows for expedited care.

The second phase, funded from the Allridge and Bartolotta donation, included encasing the work station for doctors, nurses and support staff in glass, allowing for greater privacy when discussing patients. Doctors are centrally-located and nurses outside, which allows them to make notes in patients’ computer charts while keeping an eye on their rooms.

“It’s easy to communicate … and we can see EMS as they come in with new patients,” said Ekbote.

Reworking the department also allowed for a larger and more organized storage room, where doctors can connect with UPMC neurologists for stroke consultations via teleconferencing equipment.

“The real purpose was to make everything easy to find, and create an efficient use of space,” said Ekbote, who had input into the design. This department has the capabilities any ER (emergency room) in the country has. It’s up-to-date.”

The Allridges were pleased with the results.

“I’m impressed,” said Archie Allridge after the tour. “They’ve done a great job with this.”