UTICA, N.Y. (WKTV) - A $13 million emergency department and cafeteria center project is complete. Friday, St. Elizabeth Medical Center received a $400 thousand grant from the government to help pay the bills.

The project consisted of renovating the emergency department, which included upgrading the trauma center.

Specific upgrades to the center include a cardiac monitoring system and making private rooms.

St. Elizabeth staff say last year over 27 -thousand patients in the Mohawk Valley were treated, and this year the that number is expected to increase to 30-thousand.

Anna Giannico says those are 30- thousand people who at one time did not think they made need the E.R. Services, but are thankful they were available.

"Most people don't plan that to happen to them but were glad were here to provide that service and were prepared for whatever it might be whether its the sniffles to the major trauma, were here to do it all and do it well." said Giannico.

The emergency departments portion of the renovations totaled just over $7 million. The $400 thousand federal grant from Congressman Michael Arcuri will cover 3% of that cost.