STONY BROOK UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER HOSTS PHASE I GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION OF $300 MIL MODERNIZATION PROJECT
Phase I completion of the $300M renovations reveals modernized Medical Center
STONY BROOK, NY, September 4, 2008 – Stony Brook University Medical Center
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celebrates the public opening of Phase I of its Major Modernization Project on Thursday, September 4, commemorating a new era in medical services provided at Long Island’s only academic medical center. The Major Modernization Project, which began in 2002 with “make ready projects,” ensures that Stony Brook will continue to be a respected healthcare leader by providing access to the latest medical developments and technology, as well as offering the greatest comfort and convenience for the region’s growing population. It is the first such renovation of the 28-year-old facility.
“This is an historic occasion,” said Stony Brook University President, Shirley Strum Kenny. “The professionals and staff that make up the heart of this world class institution will now have the facilities to support their efforts in providing better and more comforting care to their patients, and for the next generation of doctors, who are now training in the best possible environment.”
The Grand Opening Celebration marks the unveiling of 154,000 square feet of new construction and 48,000 square feet of renovation. It includes a new wing, which houses the Woman and Infants Center, an expanded Emergency Department and a state-of-the-art Surgical Suite with an OR Pharmacy. Many of the changes have been made to accommodate advanced surgical technologies and increased volumes, while other changes have been made to optimize the overall patient and visitor experience.
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Commisioner Daines from the DOH takes a guided tour through the new OR |
Dr. Richard N. Fine, Dean of the School of Medicine, said that the new facilities will add tremendously to the academic aspect of the Medical School. “Our medical students are working with expert faculty, now on the newest equipment in an excellent teaching environment, which provides an enormous advantage in their academic experience,” said Dr. Fine.
Hospital CEO, Dr. Steven L. Strongwater, will host the Grand Opening celebrations, which includes a private luncheon and group tours that begin at 1 pm on Thursday, followed by a special Grand Opening Ceremony at 3 pm, to which the public is invited. All festivities will be held in the newly completed hospital lobby on Level 5.
“This new facility is not only pleasing to the senses, it was designed to be easy to navigate for our patients, visitors and staff,” said Dr. Strongwater. “The open design and natural light-filled lobby really reflects the bright hearts and minds of our caregivers. The high technology in our new ED and OR provides our doctors and nurses with the best resources in the world to care for their patients. It is truly a world class setting.”
Christopher Brennan, Executive Director of Medical Center Facilities, praised Long Island’s Building Trades and contractors as well as the staff for their dedicated efforts. “They came together to build this state-of-the-art facility for our patients. Everyone involved put their heart and soul into making this project possible,” he said.
An important consideration in the design of the modernization project has been to create facilities and services that address the needs of a growing patient population and offer the newest technology and medical equipment to the community. To that end, 10 new Operating Room suites were added in the Surgical Services area, bringing the total number of hospital operating rooms to 24. The new rooms are situated adjacent to the Emergency Department and on the same floor as the Imaging Department, which is essential for treating trauma patients, and increases patient care efficiency across the boards.
The new Woman and Infants Center encompasses a 12-bed unit for high-risk obstetrical patients, a 36-bed postpartum unit, and two newborn nurseries. “We really wanted to provide a homelike atmosphere for our patients, yet have all the necessary medical equipment close at hand,” says Ronni Schultz, RN, Associate Director of Nursing for Women and Children’s. By 2010, new labor and delivery suites will open, and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) will relocate from its present location to the new Women and Infants Center.
The expanded Emergency Department “really reflects the way emergency services are delivered today,” says Eric Niegelberg, Emergency Department Administrator and EMS Director. “Once patients have been seen by a triage nurse, they are brought immediately to a treatment room for a physician consult, and their care can be initiated.” In addition to thousands of dollars worth of new technology, the new renovations have moved away from traditional emergency room curtain-cubicles, replacing them with actual patient rooms in deference to patient privacy and a more tranquil environment.
In addition to the modernization of the medical care facilities in the hospital, much planning went toward improving the service areas of the hospital, from the standpoint of infrastructure and guest services.
“Our goal is to put patients first by taking a holistic approach to customer service,” said Diane Carillo, Associate Director of Patient and Guest Services. “This includes concierge services, flower deliveries, room service, and in room amenities such as newspaper delivery and an amenity kit, as well as administrator visits to all units.”
The week following the Grand Opening, Stony Brook will host a series of Open House receptions to accommodate staff and visitors who are unable to attend the Grand Opening. These receptions begin on Monday, September 8 from 11 am to 2 pm; Wednesday, September 10 from 7 am to 9 am and on Thursday, September 11 from 6 pm to 8 pm.
Stony Brook University Medical Center is the only academic medical center on Long Island. It comprises Stony Brook University School of Medicine and Stony Brook University Hospital, which is the only tertiary care hospital and Level I trauma center in Suffolk County. With 540 beds and 5,100 employees, it is the largest hospital in Suffolk County. The Heart Center performs the only open-heart surgery in Suffolk and the Cancer Center and Cerebrovascular Center attract patients from throughout the region with cutting edge diagnostic and treatment facilities. Stony Brook has Long Island’s first kidney transplantation program and initiated the nation’s first Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Center. The hospital is also the regional referral center for trauma, perinatal and neonatal intensive care, burns, bone marrow and stem cell transplantation, cystic fibrosis, pediatric/adult AIDS, and is the regional resource center for emergency management. Stony Brook’s Stroke program is certified by the Joint Commission and the NYS Department of Health; and, Stony Brook is home to the Cody Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities.
– See more at: http://crc.informatics.stonybrook.edu/newsroom/Major_Modernization_Project_Phase_I:#sthash.Lmd9Pi2G.dpuf
