The following letter is from Long Beach Medical Center Chief Executive Officer Douglas L. Melzer.
On Sunday Oct.
28,, I witnessed the staff of Long Beach Medical Center evacuate
over 250 patients and residents from the Hospital and the Komanoff
Center for Geriatric and Rehabilitative Medicine in advance of the
approaching storm.
They prepared for and carried out the evacuation with
skill and compassion. At all times they put the safety and comfort of
our patients and residents above all else.
I witnessed their kindness
and reassurance to patients and residents as they made sure each had
their medications, pertinent sections of their medical record, supplies
and equipment when they arrived at the receiving facility.
Today that
staff is continuing to care for our patients and residents at the
receiving hospitals and nursing homes 24/7.
As a result of
flooding in the basement of the hospital and on the first floor of the
Komanoff Center, which does not have a basement, both facilities are
currently closed while we undertake repairs.
With the support and
cooperation of many agencies and private companies, we are moving
quickly to restore services.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, under the leadership of Secretary Sebelius and working through
the New Jersey Emergency Management Services and Hackensack University
Medical Center, has provided a Mobile Satellite Emergency Department
that has enabled Long Beach Medical Center physicians and nurses to
resume emergency care for community residents.
Prior to this, the New
York State Department of Health had secured a Disaster Medical
Assistance Team (DMAT) that will demobilize as the Medical Center takes
over services.
We anticipate that
we will be able to reoccupy the Komanoff Center within six weeks but
reoccupying the Hospital will take somewhat longer.
Once our assessment
of damages is completed we will have a more accurate projected date.
We recognize the
critical importance of reopening the Hospital as quickly as possible to
serve the health needs of this isolated community.
We are working hard
to accomplish that goal. In the meantime, we appreciate that the
temporary closure of Long Beach Medical Center and the impact of this
unprecedented storm has had a dramatic impact on other hospitals on Long
Island. To assist those hospitals, we are making our staff available to
supplement their staffs on a temporary basis.
We appreciate the support we have and continue to receive from our
federal, state, county and local elected officials, and agencies and our
colleagues and other hospitals and nursing homes. We, in particular,
thank South Nassau Communities Hospital for allowing us to establish our
incident command center at their hospital.
Our command center
has now moved back to Long Beach and can be reached at (516) 897-4327.
We invite members of the community to follow our restoration progress at
our website at www.longbeachmedicalcenter.org.
Lastly, I want to thank the Medical Center’s
dedicated staff for their commitment to the Medical Center and the
patients we serve. They indeed embody our core values of care,
competence and compassion.
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LB Medical Center Reopens Emergency Department
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AEA President May 20, 2013 at 12:20 pm
there are some us in other motorcycle clubs who are outraged by this - we would like to get together…Read More with these guys for a little talk
lbny11561 May 20, 2013 at 09:29 am
This is the first time I am hearing about those poor animals. I am curious to know if the City…Read More Manager and/or LBPD issued an evacuation order for the shelter animals? Was the evacuation order ignored? Either way, if this story is true and some pets did indeed drown is the City Administration investigating the matter or was the administration hoping citizens would never hear of this and sweep it under the rug and keep those Rescue Ink idiots in charge? Kudos to the brave volunteers. I wonder why their stories were never told?
john peri Jr May 19, 2013 at 09:02 am
Food is just one element of achieving health. There are probably thousands. For…Read More instance---exercise, clean water, sunshine, avoiding poisons, proper sleep, stress management, education, etc.
john peri Jr May 19, 2013 at 07:31 am
With my suggestion, the IRS could enforce compliance with bathroom inspection raids.
john peri Jr May 18, 2013 at 06:12 pm
Eddie, is it possible to put on gloves without touching the exterior of the glove?
Patrick Smith May 18, 2013 at 08:59 am
After looking at strongerthanthestorm.com and well Jersey completed the work they did,we got to…Read More replace the clowns we have running all of Long Beach
Warren Vogel May 19, 2013 at 02:01 pm
Biggert-Waters bill NEVER passed Senate:
watch Sen. Landrieu on YouTube.…Read More
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7LptibadAE
Leonard Bauman May 18, 2013 at 10:45 pm
For political reasons, nothing will be said or put in writing. Your request will meet deafness.…Read More Only people in Staten Island and in certain places in Rockaway will be bought out. Sorry, if you don't want to fix up your shack, Shokrian and other opportunistic developer sharks are circling you to buy your shack for 60 cents on the dollar. Sell! Sell! Sell to these sharks or fix it up, your choice!
Eddie May 17, 2013 at 10:19 am
Why can't Staples pay for an ad on Patch instead of posting this stuff here?
Eddie May 17, 2013 at 09:14 pm
Then think twice before you vote Democrat, Crystal. The blood will be on YOUR hands if you do.
Crystal G Piatnick May 17, 2013 at 12:18 pm
There is no question about it. Its not a matter of " right to choose" Its a matter of is…Read More abortion murder...I was so upset with the Orient and what they do to cats and dogs... Look what America does to our children...Cuomo will have their blood on his hands....I am not for abortion at all. But aborting the fetus in the third trimester has to be stopped.. Its murder.. These infants r about to be born..
Jonathan Kaplan May 17, 2013 at 10:19 am
I can get you a closet in the West End for only $2000 a month, let me know if you're interested
paul.d.spellman May 17, 2013 at 10:12 am
CMOS, The surfers from out of town come here all year long and add to the economy 12 months a year,…Read More what additional benefit do those people pushing shopping carts full of kid's toys add? Last summer the surfers were give only 1 in 3 beaches and that was base on increased demand, and this year more surfers are expected so it makes sense that more beach be set aside for them, or some kids are going to get hurt and then the city will need to pay for that.
Castles Made of Sand May 17, 2013 at 09:30 am
Paul, after you give us numbers on the "driving" economics of surfers, please tell us how…Read More many surfers come the beach in the summer. Do you know? Or are you just guessing? Your argument that surf shops continue to exist as a result of surfers shopping there is darn near brilliant. I heard a report that supermarkets in town are being solely supported by hungry people. I can't attest to that though. I do know that Empire Kayak is secretly kept in business by Whirling Dirvishes from Instanbul, and not kayakers. But I digress.
Crystal G Piatnick May 16, 2013 at 07:46 pm
I think u r right Joseph. Its really disappointing..:( What the hec r they doing...????? Well they…Read More have 100 days to complete the boardwalk in the middle section. contract started March 12..or the 15th...60 days already and they did nothing...They have 40 more days to complete it. I really hope the town holds them to the contract.. I really do.
Elliot Zuckerman May 17, 2013 at 05:48 am
Paul as a life long resident, the first surfing school in LB and home owners hit hard by Sandy I…Read More thought it was only right to reduce our fee for summer camp.We have had many families here in the same position and just could not afford camp this summer and asked if we can help with local families so we did just that , we will fill up fast so please sign up soon as we do limit our camps to avoid any over crowding.
We also have posted our dates for the ONLY 501c3 special needs surfing foundation in Long Beach, please check out surfersway .org for more info.Its free and open to all special needs kids.
Elliot
paul.d.spellman May 16, 2013 at 07:51 am
Now if we could only get the City to reduce the outrageous fees forced upon the surf schools one can…Read More only imagine how low these prices would go. Does anyone actually know where the fees the schools pay go to?
john peri Jr May 16, 2013 at 11:36 am
Women don't have the right to commit suicide, to become a dope addict, or to sell their body parts.…Read More No one really knows how many post birth murders are being committed. Requiring a camera in abortion rooms would stop post birth murders.
Trying to Make Sense May 16, 2013 at 09:46 am
Eddie, you mislead a lot and lie occasionally. "Gosnell's actions wouldn't be criminal in a…Read More more enlightened state like New York, would they? " Yes, they would be. And you know it. In fact, if the reproductive rights of women were properly respected, pond scum like Gosnell would not take advantage of women whose options are limited and find it difficult to obtain the quality prenatal care and a safe abortion if the need one. I respect your right to be against late term abortion and I am not cheering them on but reproductive rights, control over one's body ought to be protected. And doing so would not only eliminate the Gosnells of the world, but would allow for a full range of services that decrease the likihood that women would face situations that bring them to abortion mills like his.
john peri Jr May 15, 2013 at 01:55 pm
"President Obama’s position on infants who survive abortion is exactly the kind of…Read More position that allows the horrors committed by Kermit Gosnell."
Source:http://www.lifenews.com/2013/04/21/obamas-position-on-infants-born-alive-mirrors-kermit-gosnells/
Warren Vogel May 21, 2013 at 12:07 am
Question:
Are there other religious groups with TEN or more TAX EXEMPT private homes in Long…Read More Beach.................That is over ONE MILLION dollars in taxes that have not been collected in the last decade
. How many of these PRIVATE HOMES are producing rental income, if any? We all know what happened to the last person that had the temerity to ask about this situation. Posters here have claimed there are a total of 67 of these homes in LB. How many belong to LBCS?
Patrick Smith May 19, 2013 at 08:13 am
Mesivta is at beach level ,LBCS is way higher ,they had no damage
Richard Eisenberg May 20, 2013 at 12:54 pm
The next set of complaints from the nickname people is that the boardwalk construction is too…Read More noisy, so noisy that they can't think of their next complaint.
Paul Carrella May 20, 2013 at 09:51 am
Another week goes by and still no visible progress, maybe I am missing something. Our city manager…Read More is advertising that the city is ready for summer. Really? The only thing they are ready for is to sell beach passes. No boardwalk, no retaining walls, just nonsense.
Patrick Smith May 19, 2013 at 08:08 am
Its costing more money in Long Beach to clean up the sand on broadway than to fix the sand dunes…Read More ,sand blowing everywhere . pathetic infrastructure .New jersey up and running
Tideline May 13, 2013 at 05:04 pm
If he was white, the Media would have been all over this. I am really looking forward to Obamacare.
john peri Jr May 13, 2013 at 09:21 am
This post could cause one to make a further investigation/research before making a decision.…Read More
“If excessive smoking actually plays a role in the production of lung cancer, it seems to be a minor one.” (Dr. W. C. Heuper, National Cancer Institute, quoted in NY Times 4/14/54)
Rachel Caruana May 13, 2013 at 08:56 am
If this info needs to be updated, why is it being posted? Please, like we don't have enough to…Read More worry about!
paul.d.spellman May 16, 2013 at 09:10 am
Fill a bucket up from the sink, be amazed and call Poland Spring.
Paul Carrella May 16, 2013 at 08:57 am
Slightly brown water in the toilest, does not appear to be coming out of the faucets, which I don't…Read More understand.
paul.d.spellman May 14, 2013 at 02:55 pm
Has the anyone investigated whether this could be related to the discharge from the Bay park Plant…Read More and the Goggin Propaganda piece about flushing hydrants is just a blatant coverup?