Lawmakers to Feds: Open Long Beach Hospital

Lawmakers are urging the government to okay the opening of a brand new emergency department in Long Beach.

The new 24-hour facility was due to open Wednesday but due to a complication with government requirements, was delayed.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services have not yet approved the opening of the full facility, which reportedly needs a higher-grade emergency electrical backup system, according to Newsday. Officials have not yet determined how long it would take to install the system.

“We’re hoping that we can persuade the federal government to issue a waiver,” said South Nassau Communities Hospital spokesman Joe Calderone, according to the report.

The center may not be legally allowed to fully function for a month and instead opened Wednesday as an urgent-care center without the ability to accept ambulances through 911, according to the report.

Local lawmakers voiced their encouragement for the government to expedite the process.

“There is no reason Long Beach should have to go another summer without an Emergency Department,” said Rep. Kathleen Rice in a statement Wednesday. “There is a dire need for an Emergency Department in the aftermath of Sandy, and I welcome officials from CMS to come here and see for themselves that this facility is ready to provide the high-quality, round-the-clock care that the people of Long Beach deserve.”

“This project was completed in record time,” added SNCH President & CEO,Richard Murphy. “We hope the Long Beach community will continue to use the Urgent Care Center while we undergo these additional regulatory reviews, which are required before we can open as a full-fledged, off-campus Emergency Department. Our goal is to open as an Emergency Department as soon as we are legally able to do so.”

Image courtesy of the office of Kathleen Rice