Healthy development

With about $23 million in funds accumulated through a grant and past settlements with tobacco companies, Nassau Health Care Corporation officials aim to break ground on the new department in September. Plans include an $18.5 million overhaul, as well as a $4.9 million enhancement of NUMC's radiology services.
      "We are significantly improving an area that has been deserving for many years," said Paul Rowland, NHCC's senior vice president and chief operating officer, who is overseeing the project.
      Utilizing existing space on the east side of the main tower, most of which now comprises staff dining and meeting rooms, the E.D. will expand from about 26,000 square feet to 39,000, Rowland said. Currently housed on the lower level, the department will expand to two floors. During construction, the hospital will open temporary dining facilities in another area of the campus. Officials have not yet determined where they will permanently relocate the staff cafeteria.
      The current E.D. handles 75,000 visits a year and provides all of its services in tight quarters, where the medical staff often finds it difficult to move around. "The room is inadequate," said Dr. Steven Walerstein, the hospital's medical director. "We're constantly tripping over each other."
      Although hospital officials do not expect a major increase in emergency visits, Rowland explained that the changes would measurably improve the department. "It's an exciting project," Rowland said. "It fixes a lot of things we have that are problems with existing operations."
      Initially, the modernization plans called for a new building for the Emergency Department, which would have cost some $55 million. Because of the economic downturn and state budget cuts, the project was scaled down to $35 million last October. In its current form, slimmed down by another $12 million, the plan utilizes existing space in the main tower rather than any new buildings.
      Enhancements to the hospital's radiology department include the installation of a 320-slice CT scan, an additional CT scan, a radiology room and a sonography room. The 320-slice CT scan was described by Rowland as a "top-of-the-line" system that he expects would make NUMC a regional showcase for CT scanning.
      The E.D. modernization plans also include the creation of a fast track center for patients seeking medical help from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Once construction is completed, the department will have separate areas for services it provides. For example, the plans call for an area limited to emergency care of inmates, which will separate them from the general pool of patients.
      The additional space should create more privacy for patients, who are usually doubled up among a limited number of treatment bays. "It will address issues such as patient privacy and comfort, while making it easier for families," Walerstein said. "It will also allow staff to spend more time by the patient's bedside to provide more care."
      The redesign will also create more spaces for emergency vehicles, and a parking area for those using the urgent care center.
      Richard Cardozo, president of the Carman Avenue Civic Association, explained that despite a scaling down of the plans, an upgrade of the E.D. is essential. "Whatever they do is an improvement," Cardozo said.
      As proponents of the modernization plan await the various approvals of the state, they face a significant deadline: The money from the New York State HEAL grant must by spent by next January, officials said. "We are up against a time frame that is a little bit challenging," Rowland said. "We hope to start construction by the end of summer."
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