MSSN plans specialty medicine facility in Wantagh

Leading-edge hospital slated for 2022 launch

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Mount Sinai South Nassau, in partnership with Mount Sinai Doctors, will completely refurbish a 60,000-square-foot building in Wantagh and open a state-of-the-art medical facility that will provide multi-specialty health care services and advanced medical diagnostics to better serve the South Shore of Long Island.

The new facility, located in a former Verizon building on Wantagh Avenue, will provide critically needed medical care for residents of Long Island—including the communities of Seaford, Wantagh, Amityville, Babylon, Bellmore, Bethpage, East Meadow, Hicksville, Levittown, Lindenhurst, Massapequa, Massapequa Park, Merrick, Roosevelt and Uniondale — while bringing new jobs and economic activity to a shuttered site.

The four-story building will bring specialty care directly to eastern Nassau County and will include the latest in infection control measures in the Covid-19 era to ensure patient, staff, and community safety. The project cost includes a $35 million investment by Mount Sinai South Nassau and the Mount Sinai Health System.

The facility, projected to open in 2022, will allow families seamless access to high-quality specialty care, right in their local community, while providing high-skill jobs and economic opportunity to a location that has been vacant for more than five years. Clinical programs planned for the location include an oncology center, a digestive health center, a cardiovascular care center, a women’s health center and a diabetes care center, as well as orthopedics, neurology, imaging and laboratory services.

“This facility represents the future of health care. An array of services all will be under one roof so patients are not ping-ponged from one medical office to another while seeking treatment,” said Richard J. Murphy, president and chief executive officer of Mount Sinai South Nassau. “It will offer high-quality specialty and diagnostic services in a one-stop-shopping setting for patients in an area of the South Shore that we believe will benefit from greater access to additional specialty services.”

Mount Sinai South Nassau is planning to hold an online public Zoom meeting on Tuesday, August 11, at 6 p.m. to discuss the project and answer residents’ questions.

The building has been designed with a hospital-grade air filtration system and with space planning guidelines to reduce the possibility of infection. Expanded elevators are to be installed to allow for proper social distancing, while entryways and restrooms will feature touchless and motion control sensors. 

The entire facility will be used for medical services. The patient-centered interior design will feature approximately 50 comfortably furnished private patient examination and consultation rooms. There will also be nonclinical space, such as waiting areas and administrative areas, as well as mechanical space. Plans also include refurbishing the exterior of the facility to complement the aesthetics of the Wantagh business district and community.

Mount Sinai South Nassau is being assisted at the Wantagh site by Simone Development Companies, which will act as construction managers for the project. Simone oversaw construction of a similar Mount Sinai Doctors facility in Greenlawn on the North Shore that has received high marks from patients, health care providers, and community leaders.

As a result of discussions with local elected officials and community leaders from the Wantagh area, the Mount Sinai South Nassau team made several changes to its original design plan, including increased parking and traffic flow adjustments to ease any impact on the local neighborhood.

The building site includes a parking area with ample secured parking for staff and patients only. The new medical office building in Wantagh is strictly an ambulatory site with no overnight hospital beds and will not receive emergency ambulances via the 911 system. Behavioral health or drug treatment services are not planned for this location.

“This model of health care delivery ensures patients can receive the care they need, close to home, without having to travel. A mother, for instance, can schedule her annual well-woman’s visit on the same day as her annual mammogram and have lab work completed at the same time. And cancer patients can receive chemotherapy close to home,” said Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs Dr. Adhi Sharma. “This facility will feature the latest advancements in health care design and infection control to ensure patient, staff and community safety. We look forward to offering our services in this area.”

Initially, the hours of operation for most clinical services will be between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday-Friday. Hours on select weekday evenings and on Saturdays may be phased in over time, as warranted by patients’ demand.

“This new facility will greatly benefit Wantagh and the entire South Shore,” said Joseph Fennessy, the volunteer Chairman of Mount Sinai South Nassau’s Board of Directors and a long-time Wantagh resident. “Our neighbors will be able to receive quality, comprehensive care, close to home. Mount Sinai South Nassau and Mount Sinai Doctors build and operate their facilities at the highest standards, so this should be a welcome asset for Wantagh.”

Aside from the convenience of providing comprehensive health care at one location, the facility is expected to have an economic benefit. It is located just around the corner from Sunrise Highway and close to the Wantagh Parkway and Seaford-Oyster Bay Expressway, and Mount Sinai South Nassau officials project that this location will facilitate job creation and contribute tangible economic activity to the Wantagh business district.