How Long Island Hospital ICUs Are Holding Up Against Omicron

LONG ISLAND, NY — As the omicron variant of COVID-19 continued to wend its way through Long Island's population, about half of the region's hospitals with Intensive Care Units are operating at over 80 percent patient occupancy, according to statistics for the week ending Jan. 13 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that was released to The New York Times.

The outlet reported that about 1 in 3 hospitals with intensive care units nationwide — a total of 911 total hospitals — reported that a minimum of 95 percent of their ICU beds were occupied with patients. An average of 82 percent of ICU beds across the U.S. were full, according to the report.

Long Island Community Hospital in Patchogue was nearly maxed out at 99 percent ICU capacity with only 0.3 beds available. The hospital reported treating 101 COVID-19 patients, but the data does not discern between COVID and non-COVID patients in the ICU.

A spokesman did not respond to a request for comment by publication.

Farther west, a much larger hospital, Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow, came in a close second at 98 percent ICU capacity with only one bed open. The hospital reported treating a total of 159 COVID patients.

St. John's Episcopal Hospital in Far Rockaway, which, although located in Queens, serves some communities along the south shore of Nassau County, including the Five Towns and Long Beach area, reported treating 75 COVID-19 patients and had a 94 percent ICU capacity with only one bed left.

St. Joseph Hospital in Bethpage came in third at 95 percent ICU capacity with 0.6 beds available. Seventy-two COVID-19 patients were being treated at the hospital.

Southside Hospital in Bay Shore reported treating 163 COVID-19 patients, and was operating at 94 percent ICU capacity with only two beds available. Nearby St. Catherine of Siena Hospital in Smithtown had 73 COVID-19 patients with an ICU capacity of 92 percent with only two beds left.

Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park reported treating 652 COVID-19 patients and an ICU capacity of 89 percent with 10 beds left.

Jason Molinet, a spokesman for the medical center, said that the ICU capacity across Northwell's 19-hospital system was 75 percent. The system is caring for a total of 1,653 COVID-19 patients, but only 11 percent of the patients were in the ICU, according to Molinet.

Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center in West Islip had 181 COVID-19 patients, an 88 percent ICU capacity with seven beds left.

Huntington Hospital had 109 COVID-19 patients, and an ICU capacity of 86 percent with six beds left.

John T. Mather Memorial Hospital in Port Jefferson reported 84 COVID-19 patients and an ICU capacity of 83 percent with three beds left.

Plainview Hospital in Plainview had 70 COVID-19 patients, and an 82 percent ICU capacity with eight beds left.

North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset had 290 COVID-19 patients, and a 76 percent ICU capacity with 28 beds left.

Stony Brook University Hospital reported 229 COVID-19 patients and a 75 percent ICU capacity with 24 beds left. It was not immediately clear if the number reported concerned all of Stony Brook's hospital system, including its satellite locations, Stony Brook Southampton Hospital and Eastern Long Island Hospital in Greenport, as that data could not be searched.

As of Thursday, there were 179 positive COVID inpatients at Stony Brook University Hospital and nine positive COVID pediatric inpatients at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital, according to Stony Brook Medicine officials.

In a statement, officials went on to say that the health and well-being of the community "is our top priority and we continually monitor the number of COVID-19 patients we’re caring for, as well as the overall patient census."

"Like many healthcare systems across our region and the country, we have opened additional ICU space to receive an influx of patients in response to the recent surge," the statement continued. "We are prepared to reopen additional vacant units and other designated spaces to expand capacity if needed."

Mount Sinai South Nassau in Oceanside reported treating 108 COVID-19 patients, and an ICU capacity of 75 percent with seven beds left.

The region's smaller hospitals seemed to be faring better, coming in under 60 percent capacity in their ICUs.

St. Francis Hospital in Roslyn had reached 57 percent capacity with 34 beds still available, though it had 128 COVID patients. Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead reached 50 percent ICU capacity with eight beds still available. The hospital was treating 59 COVID patients.

St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson, which like St. Francis is a part of Catholic Health Services of Long Island, was slightly lower than its Nassau County partner with 47 percent ICU capacity and 14 beds available. The hospital was treating a total of 52 COVID patients.

In a statement, Catholic Health Services of Long Island officials said staffers "remain committed to treating patients and their families."

"We continue to manage the current surge without sacrificing care, returning close to 12,000 patients to their loved ones," the statement read.

"Due to our experience with COVID over the past two years, we are able to handle increases in capacity. Our dedicated and committed staff continues to deliver safe, quality care to all who turn to us."

"We encourage the public to get vaccinated and boosted, wear masks in public settings and continue with proper handwashing and social distancing," the statement continued. "Employing these safety measures have proven to work in the past and will help us successfully navigate this latest wave."

Glen Cove Hospital was treating 40 COVID patients and its ICU capacity was at 46 percent with 10 beds available.

Mercy Medical Center in Rockville Centre, also a CHSLI partner, registered the lowest ICU capacity at 38 percent with 18 beds remaining. The hospital reported treating a total of 73 COVID patients.

Data for NYU Langone Hospital in Mineola was not available.

On Wednesday Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that new hospital admissions were down by 18.4 percent on a seven-day average. New COVID-19 cases were down 43.6 percent from the prior seven days. Cases per 100,000 are declining in all regions. There were 1,617 people admitted to the ICU, which is an increase of 48 cases from the prior day. Nine hundred and 20 people were intubated in the ICU, which is an increase of 30 cases.

165 COVID-19 deaths were reported statewide on Tuesday.

This article originally appeared on the Patchogue Patch