New $35M Health Care Center Coming To Wantagh
WANTAGH, NY — A long island hospital is turning a former Verizon building in Wantagh into a modern medical facility that will provide various specialty health care services and advanced medical diagnostics.
Mount Sinai South Nassau, the flagship hospital on Long Island for the Mount Sinai Health System, said its new facility, located in a 60,000 square foot building, will provide critically needed medical care for residents, including in the nearby communities of Roosevelt, Merrick, Bellmore, Uniondale, East Meadow, Levittown, Hicksville, Bethpage, Wantagh, Seaford, the Massapequas, Amityville, Lindenhurst, and Babylon.
The four-story building is located on Wantagh Avenue, near Woodward Avenue, and will bring direct specialty care to eastern Nassau County in a state-of-the-art setting that will use the latest infection control measures during the coronavirus era. The project includes a $35 million investment by the hospital and the health system.
Mount Sinai expects the facility will open in 2022, adding high-skill jobs and economic opportunity to the property, which had been vacant for more than five years.
Clinical programs expected to be offered at the Wantagh location include centers for cancer, a digestive health, heart, women's health, diabetes, orthopedics, neurology, imaging and lab services.
Richard Murphy, president and CEO of the hospital, said the facility "represents the future of health care."
"An array of services all will be under one roof so patients are not ping-ponged from one medical office to another while seeking treatment," he said in a news release. "It will offer high-quality specialty and diagnostic services in a one-stop-shopping setting for patients in an area of the South Shore that we believe will benefit from greater access to additional specialty services."
An online public meeting is scheduled via videoconference at 6 p.m. Tuesday to discuss the project and answer questions.
The building was designed with a hospital-grade air filtration system and spacing guidelines to reduce the possibility of infection. Larger elevators will be installed to allow for proper social distancing, and entryways and restrooms will be motion-activated and touch free.
The interior design will feature dozens of comfortably furnished private patient examination and consultation rooms. Non-clinical space will include waiting areas and administrative areas, as well as mechanical space. The hospital also expects to give the building's exterior a facelift to complement the area's aesthetics.
After consulting with local officials and community leaders, the hospital team amended its original plan to allow for more parking and traffic flow. The building site includes a parking area with secure parking for staff and patients. The building is strictly an ambulatory site. There will be no overnight hospital beds and will not receive emergency ambulances from 9-1-1 calls.
The hospital said there is no plan to offer behavioral health or drug treatment services at the building.
Dr. Adhi Sharma, chief medical officer and executive vice president for medical affairs, said the facility will allow patients to receive vital care close to home, without needing to travel.
"A mother, for instance, can schedule her annual well-woman’s visit on the same day as her annual mammogram and have lab work completed at the same time," Sharma said. "And cancer patients can receive chemotherapy close to home.
Initially, the building will be open for most clinical services from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Hours on certain weekday evenings and Saturdays may be phased in over time if there's a need.
This article originally appeared on the Wantagh-Seaford Patch
