By JOSEPH KELLARD
"I think I may be the only person on this dais who was born at this hospital," Skelos said at the hospital's grand opening ceremony, just outside the lobby of the five-story, 170,000-square-foot medical facility last Sunday. The ceremony was preceded by a parade and fair.
Skelos was among several elected officials that SNCH administrators thanked for their support of the hospital, including former Senator Al D'Amato, Rep. Peter King, County Legislator Jeff Toback and Hempstead Town Councilman Anthony Santino. Other politicos in attendance were Mayors Eugene Murray of Rockville Centre, Anthony Panzarella of Malverne and Edward Cahill of Valley Stream, as well as Assemblyman Robert Bara.
"I simply want to say to you three things: thank you, thank you, thank you," said SNCH President and CEO Joseph Quagliata to all of them, but particularly to the hospital's boards of directors past and present.
"This is a milestone event in the history of South Nassau," said Dr. Akram Boutros, SNCH's vice president, chief operating officer and chief medical officer.
The new $98 million wing, part of the hospital's broader Renaissance Project of renovations that began in 1997, houses three 36-bed inpatient medical-surgical care units, a 36-bed behavioral health unit, a centralized maternity center with 24 private patient rooms, labor and delivery rooms, a six-bed neonatal intensive care unit and an expanded educational conference center. "This is the crown jewel in our Renaissance Project, which will include the opening of an expanded emergency room and housing for doctors," said Harold Mahony, chairman of SNCH's Board of Directors.
"No issue is more pressing today than health care, and South Nassau is in the forefront of providing the highest in quality and technology," said King, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, who secured grants to fund the SNCH's post-9/11 services.
In the Parade of Communities that preceded the ceremony, hundreds of people from various South Shore communities marched up Oceanside Road from School 6 to One Health Way, the street that leads into the new wing. Boutros lead the parade and was followed by a slew of antique cars. Among the marchers were staff members from various SNCH departments, from oncology to radiology to volunteer services, and their families. Other marchers included the Nassau County Color Guard; the Oceanside, Island Park and Bellmore chambers of commerce; high school bands from Oceanside and Valley Stream Central; veterans from Oceanside's Jewish War Veterans and American Legion; the Oceanside, Bellmore-Merrick, Atlantic Beach and Freeport fire departments; Girl and Boy Scouts from Oceanside and Freeport; and Rockville Centre's Hispanic Brotherhood and the Sandel Center.
The fair included free rides, food, arts and crafts, games, face painting and health information.
"Thank you for sharing in this day for this wonderful accomplishment," Mahony said to conclude the ceremony.
Comments about this story? JKellard@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 287.
