NUMC Accommodating Hospital Evacuees

As Hurricane Irene approaches, (NUMC) is welcoming new patients.

According to Shelley Lotenberg, director of Public Affairs for NUMC, 52 patients from Long Beach Medical Center were transferred to NUMC starting at 7 a.m. Saturday. This includes nine psychiatric patients, five rehabilitation patients and a mix of intensive care and general medical/surgical patients.

Also, 50 Long Beach Komanoff Nursing Home residents were moved to the A. Holly Patterson Extended Care Facility in Uniondale, and they will remain there for the duration of the hurricane.

The emergency room at NUMC is seeing increased traffic Saturday as well, hospital officials said.

"As a result of emergency departments closing on the south shore of Nassau County, we are experiencing an increase in emergency room visits at NUMC," Lotenberg said.

Arthur Gianelli, president and CEO of NuHealth, said that NUMC is "playing the most important role of any hospital."

"Particularly because of the number of transfers we've accepted, and the fact that we are the southern-most hospital that's accepting patients," Gianelli said. "The new emergency department, which is no longer susceptible to flooding, was built in the nick of time.”