Community Corner

CEO Discusses State of Long Beach Medical Center

Editor's Note: The following information was provided by Long Beach Medical Center Chief Executive Officer Douglas L. Melzer on a special Facebook page set up for post-hurricane updates.

Dear Employees,

I hope each of you has fared well and escaped any real tragedy associated with Hurricane Sandy. This storm demonstrated unprecedented strength and fury, unlike any storm event I have seen in my 36 years at Long Beach Medical Center. I want to thank our engineering and maintenance staff for their extraordinary effort to protect the building overnight as the storm reached its peak. Their efforts were truly commendable in a very dangerous situation.

Now that the storm has subsided, we begin our recovery efforts. The following update is intended to keep you apprised of our efforts to restore operations of the Hospital and Komanoff Center and we will continue to post updates here during the coming days.

The Komanoff Center sustained flooding on its first floor. We have already engaged a restoration company to assess the extent of water damage and to begin cleaning the first floor immediately.

Our Nursing Home residents continue to be housed at facilities on Long Island and our employees have been very cooperative in staffing these temporary units. We appreciate their efforts and ask for your continued cooperation in caring for our residents.

The building at 249 E. Park Avenue suffered some flooding on its first floor, but minimal damage to operational equipment.

The Hospital sustained significant flooding throughout the basement. We are currently pumping out the basement with the assistance of the Nassau County Office of Emergency Management and once we are able to assess the extent of damage, will begin restoration.

Administration has temporarily established a Command Center at South Nassau Communities Hospital. We are trying to repair 249 E. Park Ave so that we may move our command center to that site and work from there.

We are working to re-establish our ambulatory services (Family Care Center, FACTS, Methadone, etc), and are exploring the possibility of establishing a trailer on site or relocating services to 249 E. Park Avenue.

Home Care services appear to be functioning relatively well, with many of their patients having evacuated the Long Beach area prior to the storm.

If, as part of the evacuation, you were assigned to work at Nassau County Medical Center with the hospital patients or at one of the other nursing home locations to which we sent residents, we ask you to please continue working at these locations as long as they need you. We will make arrangements for you to be paid for the time worked.

With respect to this week’s payroll, those who have direct deposit will find their deposit in their bank. Employees who receive a paper pay check will receive their paycheck via the mail except for those who live in Long Beach and Island Park. Long Beach and Island Park residents may pick up their paycheck in the Lobby of South Nassau Communities Hospital between noon and 4 pm Saturday, Nov. 3.

For those of you who are not working as we restore the facilities, we will post further information as soon as possible.

With respect to employee pharmacy services, please be advised that new prescriptions may be filled at any pharmacy and you will be charged the same co-payment you currently pay. If you need to refill a prescription, please bring the refill number or your prescription vial to any pharmacy and ask them to contact the 4D Pharmacy Provider Support services at 888-274-2031. 4D will authorize your prescription renewal and charge the same co-payment as you currently pay. If you are charged a higher co-payment than usual, please keep the receipt and we will make an adjustment.

We are working very hard through this unprecedented situation to get the Hospital and Nursing Home back to business as soon as possible and appreciate your patience and concern. As landline phone service is currently unavailable our employee hot line is not working. Therefore we will communicate as much information as we can through cell, telephone and whatever means are available.

Thank you again for your understanding, cooperation and assistance.





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