Suozzi: 'Positive and Productive' Meeting with Hospital Officials

Editor's Note: The following piece was written by Glen Cove Mayor Ralph Suozzi. 

I am pleased to report that I had a positive and productive two-hour meeting on August 13th with Michael Dowling, CEO of the North Shore Long Island Jewish Hospital System (NSLIJS), Board Chairman Richard Goldstein, and Executive Director of the Glen Cove Hospital, Susan Kwiatek. Also in attendance were Director of Constituent Services, Seema Bhansali, and Senior Legislative Aide, Colleen Nguyen, from Congressman Steve Israel's office; six local physicians, Dr. George Dunn, Dr. Andrea Kaplan, Dr. Phil Deluca, Dr. Martin Moskowitz, Dr. Yelena Rosenberg and Dr. Eric Hochberg, as well as Former Deputy Mayor and Current President of the SAGE Foundation, Marilyn Brenner.

The conversion of Glen Cove Hospital will be less severe than indicated earlier. There is flexibility in the initial plan and there's a willingness to include the voices of the medical practitioners and our community in future plans. Mr. Dowling is cognizant of the public's adverse reaction to the initially reported plan and indicated that NSLIJ is very sensitive to that.  He did make clear that healthcare is an evolving environment and that Glen Cove Hospital must change to survive and committed to me to review the decision to eliminate all inpatient beds.

Mr. Dowling made clear that the hospital will not be closing and that there is no plan to decertify hospital beds although some beds will be moved to other facilities.

I asked how many of the 265 certified beds are actually being staffed. The hospital currently staffs only 148 of those beds, so 90 filled beds (the average census figure reported) is actually a much higher percentage of occupancy.  By not decertifying beds, the hospital will maintain the ability to increase beds as necessary.  There is however a plan for the system to significantly change Glen Cove Hospital to a mostly outpatient facility with an increased focus on geriatrics.

Mr. Dowling indicated that he is sensitive to the economic hardship that changes to Glen Cove Hospital would create for our local businesses and community, and he is working to identify what NSLIJ services may be reallocated and added to the Glen Cove facility to keep jobs in Glen Cove.

My office will continue to keep you informed of developments. Mr. Dowling and I have agreed to set future meetings as part of the ongoing process.

Please, sign the petition, if you haven't already, and spread the word to others to do so.  Petitions are available on the City website at www.cityofglencove-li.us and at many local businesses.  I will forward all petitions, concerns and comments to Mr. Dowling, the NYS Health Commissioner and to Governor Cuomo.

Ralph V. Suozzi

Mayor

City of Glen Cove