Local hospitals being upgraded

North Shore-LIJ Health System President and CEO Michael Dowling, along with others from the health system, visited North Shore Towers (NST) on Wednesday, October 24, at which time residents learned about the many different improvements it is working on.
Dowling said that the health system is currently in the process of rebuilding both LIJ and North Shore University Hospital (NSUH). Both facilities were built in the late 1940s and opened in the early ‘50s.
Jeff Kraut, the health system’s head of planning, went into further detail about the many improvements being made to both hospitals, which focus on investing in the patient experience and quality. He said that one of the first things being done at LIJ is rebuilding the power plant and putting in a cogeneration system that will allow them to create their own energy.
The long list of changes also includes rebuilding patient rooms, creating single patient rooms, renovating the nurse’s stations, opening a new surgical care unit and increasing the number of intensive care beds. A new emergency room has been opened and the only available space is now being renovated. A 1,100 capacity staff-parking garage is also being built. LIJ is being rebuilt and a new structure will be placed in front of the old one.
The hospital will also include Katz Women’s Hospital. The already existing Schneider Children’s Hospital will have an improved neonatal intensive care unit and a separate pediatric emergency room.
Kraut also detailed the changes going on at NSUH. The emergency room is being rebuilt, there will be a new entrance and there will be a new building for intensive care beds, recovery beds and operating rooms. It will also have a women’s hospital.
In the pavilion at Nine Monti at NSUH, there will also be single rooms that will offer concierge type services and be similar to a hotel.
Dr. Nick Sgaglione, the associate chairman of the Department of Orthopedics and chief of the Division of Sports Medicine, spoke briefly about orthopedics. He said that musculoskeletal injuries are the number one reason that people in the United States seek health care. Along with emphasizing the importance of exercise, he noted three trends - surgeries that are less invasive, more patients want to recover quicker and doctors are looking at prevention.
For more information on the North Shore-LIJ Health System and its many projects, visit www.northshorelij.com.