Facility to provide top-notch health care to uninsured and underinsured women
The facility will provide free mammograms, cervical screening and cancer treatment for uninsured and underinsured women in Nassau County. From left are Nassau County Legislator David Denenberg; Arthur Gianelli, president and CEO of NHCC; trustees Dr. Leonard Benedict and Brad Gertsman; Ruth Unger, president of the National Mah Jongg League Foundation; Jerry La Ricchiuta, president of the Civil Service Employees Association; David Unger, NMJLF trustee; Michael Ade, vice president of planning at NHCC; Dr. Joan Goodman; Larry Unger, NMJLF trustee; and Nassau County Legislator Norma Gonsalves.
Nassau County Legislator Norma Gonsalves knows full well the difficulty and heartbreak of watching a loved one fight cancer. Her sister Margie endured a double mastectomy and the amputation of her left arm ‹ due to complications ‹ to beat breast cancer.
On Dec. 13, Gonsalves, a Republican from East Meadow, stood side by side with Nassau Health Care Corporation officials, board members, fellow legislators and members of the National Mah Jongg League Foundation to commemorate the grand opening of the Nassau University Medical Center¹s newly renovated breast cancer center.
According to NUMC officials, the center¹s goal is to provide a dignified setting where women who lack insurance or are underinsured can undergo annual mammograms and cervical exams. The facility is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment designed to detect cancer and provide treatment.
Arthur Gianelli, president and CEO of the NHCC, said, ³By combining cutting-edge technology with skilled clinicians in a more inviting and comfortable setting for women, especially those lacking private insurance, we have created a more reassuring environment for outpatients to receive the highest quality screenings and diagnostic follow-up care.²
Gianelli added, ³There is no other facility that screens as many uninsured and underinsured women, touching the lives of more than 5,000 woman and their families who are at risk of or are affected by breast cancer.²
Gonsalves commended Gianelli¹s efforts, and called the services at the center an opportunity second to none. ³This is a service women need regardless of their ability to pay, ³ she said. ³Breast cancer plagues every family, and my family has been plagued. Early detection is the key, and those who can be cured will be. Those who are beyond treatment will also receive the proper service. I will do everything to support this hospital.²
The center¹s renovations, totaling $800,000, were funded by the NHCC capital budget, fund-raising, a major donation from the LI 2 Day Walk to Fight Breast Cancer, the NUMC Auxiliary and the National Mah Jongg League Foundation.
David Unger, board member of the NMJLF, said, ³When my brother and I came here, we said that this facility needed work, and now it is one of the best facilities in Nassau County.²
The center, on the second floor of the NUMC¹s 19-story main building, comprises 5,000 square feet equipped with radiology imaging rooms, a reception and waiting area, and ultrasound and dressing rooms.
³The women in Nassau County deserve to be treated in a newly renovated center,² Gianelli said. ³[We are] replacing cramped exam rooms and waiting rooms in hallways with a more comfortable and inviting environment with more efficient use of space and technology, providing a more reassuring experience for thousands of women.²
The reception area is equipped with a waiting room, and replaces the existing waiting area, which is now shared with the remainder of the radiology service. New materials, in compliance with current hospital and health care facility requirements, have replaced the center¹s floors, walls, ceiling finishes and lighting.
Dr. Steven Walerstein, medical director and senior vice president for Medical Affairs, said, ³We are excited about the numerous benefits of the breast center for both patients and physicians. Because of the proximity of our Community Health Centers, we intend to work with community groups and our elected officials to ensure that no woman who needs to be screened goes without life-saving mammography services.²
Walerstein added that early detection can significantly reduce the number of deaths caused by breast cancer, the No. 2 killer of women in the U.S., second only to lung cancer. On Long Island, the frequency of breast cancer is among the highest in the nation. Three of the 10 areas in New York state with the highest incidence of breast cancer are in Nassau County. Breast cancer center patients will be able to obtain appointments for routine screenings within three weeks, and a board-certified radiologist will interpret all imaging studies, with the results mailed to patients¹ homes in three weeks. Uninsured women will be provided with assistance in determining their eligibility for Medicaid.
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