North Shore University Hospital (NSUH) in Manhasset has completed the first of a three-phase, $25 million project to expand and renovate the Greene Emergency Department. On April 24, the hospital opened the Marilyn and Maurice Cohn Trauma Center - a new 15,000 square-foot, three-tiered facility. The second and third phases of the project are expected to be completed in the next two years.

The Marilyn and Maurice Cohn Trauma Center provides 14 state-of-the-art observation, evaluation and treatment rooms. The private rooms are designed with the patient's comfort in mind, giving more space for family members to accompany loved ones through the treatment process whenever possible. The area is bright and spacious, taking advantage of natural light and glass walls. Waiting areas have been redesigned to better accommodate family members. To streamline the admitting process, computerized check-in will be available at bedside, which allows staff members to better track patients.

"We are committed to providing the most advanced level of medical technology and the highest level of care to meet the growing need for emergency services on Long island," said Dennis Dowling, the hospital's executive director. "When the project is finished, North Shore University Hospital will be the preeminent emergency facility in the country, serving as a national model of excellence."

"In the last 10 years, especially in the New York metro area, there has been a major shift in the way people access urgent services and emergency care. Many people view the emergency department as their primary care provider," said Andrew Sama, MD, vice president for emergency services for the North Shore-Long Island Jewish (LIJ) Health System.

For example, he said, emergency room visits to NSUH in Manhasset have jumped from 51,000 in 1996 to 58,000 in 2001, an increase of nearly 12 percent. Upon completion of the emergency department project, there will be a 25 percent increase in the amount of treatment space, and a total of 51 beds and 48,000 square feet of space. With expanded capacity, the hospital will be capable of treating 75,000 annually.

"The North Shore - Long Island Jewish Health System is investing in the community with the renovation of the emergency department," said Dr. Sama. "The new facility has the latest technologies and resources for our highly trained medical personnel to provide the fastest, most up-to-date care in the most comfortable setting possible."

The Trauma Center also includes a 60-seat education and teaching center for emergency medicine professionals. New office space will house the hospital's Emergency Preparedness Center, which has teleconferencing capabilities.

The new facility when completed will include an advanced diagnostic center, a chest pain evaluation center, an observation and evaluation center, a pediatric center, a specialized OB/GYN section, an orthopedic suite and a fast-track center.

The Greene Emergency Department at NSUH is a New York State Level I Trauma Center, and one of the largest and most comprehensive in the metropolitan region. NSUH is the regional tertiary referral center for North Shore University Hospitals at Glen Cove, Plainview, Syosset and Forest Hills and Huntington Hospital and Franklin Medical Center as well as 40 other hospitals in the region.