Oceanside, N.Y.-based South Nassau Communities Hospital completed the first phase of its $60 million emergency department expansion.
The first phase, a 10-bed, $4.5 million expansion, is expected to help maintain emergency services as other portions of the ED are renovated.
"This is the first step in our plan to increase efficiency and enhance quality of care to effectively meet the needs of the communities we serve," said Richard Murphy, South Nassau Communities Hospital's president and CEO. "It will help patients who visit the ED have a more comfortable and less stressful experience."
When the multi-stage expansion is complete, the 16,000-square-foot ED will nearly double in size. It will include a centralized nursing station, bedside triage, trauma treatment areas, a decontamination room and an enlarged waiting room.
The hospital is hoping to secure $10 million in funds from supporters to help finance the additional phases of the expansion. Thus far, South Nassau raised $6.9 million.