Peconic Bay Medical Center Approved To Make Drastic Advancements In 2018

Peconic Bay Medical Center (PBMC) is schedule to make great advancements in the future. The Medical Center has received approval from a state health advisory panel for two cardiac catheterization (cath) suites as well as the relocation of the hospital’s helipad, a major element of Northwell Health’s unique SkyHealth critical care helicopter program.

The New York State Public Health and Health Planning Council’s (PHHPC) Establishment and Project Review Committee approved this application on November 17, 2016, though the committee’s actions require final approval from the PHHPC and State Health Commissioner, Howard Zucker, MD.

The new cath laboratories will be housed in a $43 million Critical Care Tower that will be constructed on the hospital’s Riverhead campus. This will provide life-saving capabilities for residents of central and eastern Suffolk County.

“In January when PBMC joined Northwell Health, we said that this was a new era in healthcare for the entire East End,” said Andrew Mitchell, President and CEO of Peconic Bay Medical Center. “Today we demonstrate this in the most concrete way with the approval of this extremely important and much-needed medical advance for our community. Given the distance our residents have had to travel for advanced cardiac treatment, and the fact that heart ailments require quick diagnosis and treatment, this facility will make a major difference in the quality of life here on the East End. I am thrilled with the council’s approval of our application and the immense support of Northwell Health. We look forward to starting our project as soon as possible.”

Cardiac cath labs are used to place stents in a patient’s heart to open blocked passageways and perform a range of other related life-saving procedures. These cath labs will feature the most recent advances in catheterization technology.

“Time and technology are the two most important factors in saving the lives of heart attack victims,” said Stanley Katz, MD, Chair of Cardiology and Chief of Interventional Cardiology at PBMC. “We have seen great advances in cardiac care in just the last few years and we are thrilled to be able to bring that technology to the residents of the East End.”

These cath labs will feature the most recent advances in catheterization technology. (Courtesy Photo)

The hearing was hosted by the Public Health Council in Albany on November 17. Steven Lederman, MD, an interventional cardiologist with Eastern Suffolk Cardiology and new member of Northwell Health Physician Partners, strongly advocated that PBMC is the optimal location for a cath lab.

“I have served patients who live on the East End of Long Island for more than 17 years, having done more than 1,000 interventional cardiac procedures during that time, and I am in strong support of a cardiac cath lab at Peconic Bay Medical Center,” Dr. Lederman said. “The geographic location of the hospital is the ideal position to be able to serve both the North and South Fork of Long Island.”

Construction is set to begin in early January 2018 on the proposed 17,850-square-foot Critical Care Tower that will house the new cath labs. The first floor will allow expansion of the hospital’s emergency department, while the second and third floors will house PBMC’s new heart center. There will also be new cath lab suites and advanced technology cardiac care and intensive care units designed to serve the entire East End. The hospital’s helipad will be relocated to the roof of the new critical care tower which will provide more immediate and safe transport for patients.

“Our community has long needed the kind of services we will now be able to provide through this comprehensive critical care tower,” said Sherry Patterson, PBMC Board Chair and long-time advocate for the cardiac catheterization facility.

“We are grateful for the support of so many generous members of the community in helping us fund this project,” remarked Emily Roy Corey, Chair of the PBMC Foundation. “Their dreams and ours are about to become a reality.”

PBMC is located at 1300 Roanoke Avenue in Riverhead. For more information, call 631-548-6000 or visit www.pbmchealth.org.