Friday, April 18, 2025
In an ambitious project that began in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, Mount Sinai South Nassau in Oceanside has unveiled its new, cutting-edge emergency department, ushering the hospital into a new era of patient care and community service.
“With this opening, we are taking emergency medicine on the South Shore to a new level,” said Adhi Sharma, President of Mount Sinai South Nassau. “Every aspect of this Emergency Department, from the entrance to the waiting area to the reception and triage areas to the patient treatment rooms, has been designed to provide our patients with advanced emergency care and a first-rate experience."
Mount Sinai South Nassau has opened the Fennessy Family Emergency Department, in the newly constructed Feil Family Pavilion, continuing the expansion to meet the acute and emergency medical needs on the South Shore.
A Vision Born from Crisis
Following the catastrophic impacts of Hurricane Sandy in 2012, which left Long Beach Medical Center underwater and ultimately in bankruptcy, Mount Sinai South Nassau seized the opportunity to rebuild and modernize. In a decisive move during bankruptcy court, the hospital secured a share of a $170 million FEMA funding pool, positioning itself as the sole institution to leverage this critical support during a period of statewide need.
By the Numbers: Investment and Expansion
Federal Emergency Management Agency funding: The new emergency department is supported by $160 million in FEMA funds, part of the larger $170 million available during bankruptcy proceedings.
Renovation Budget: The five-year, comprehensive renovation project totals $50 million, with more than $10 million raised through community donations.
Facility Size: The emergency department has doubled in size from 15,000-square-feet to 30,000-square-feet, now encompassing up to 54 private exam rooms designed with hard walls for enhanced privacy and infection control.
Patient Capacity: Once fully operational, the new ED is poised to serve up to 80,000 patients annually.
State-of-the-Art Features for Enhanced Care
The Fennessy Family Emergency Department isn’t just about space — it’s about smart design and improved functionality. Among the modernizations are:
Trauma Unit: A dedicated trauma room featuring 4 bays capable of handling up to 8 patients simultaneously.
Operating and Critical Care: The facility is part of a larger four-story, 100,000-square-foot Feil Family Pavilion, which includes 9 new operating rooms (ranging from 600- to 1,000- square-feet) and 40 critical care suites, with two new critical care floors (each featuring 20 private rooms) scheduled to open later this spring.
Efficiency Improvements: Upgraded triage areas and centralized nursing stations ensure faster patient assessment and emergency care—innovations inspired in part by design lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Community and Future Impact
Hospital leadership is confident that these upgrades will not only reduce patient wait times but also dramatically improve the overall quality of care across diverse medical needs — from pediatric and geriatric care to specialized behavioral health services.
Grand Opening
The Fennessy Family Emergency Department officially opened its doors at 9 a.m. on March 5, at the designated patient entrance on the east side of Oceanside Rd., south of Oswald Court and north of Nassau Parkway
