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North Shore University Hospital Dedicates New Palliative Care Unit

February 26, 2008
Looking to provide extra support for families and friends caring for loved ones with an advanced illness, North Shore University Hospital recently opened a new Palliative Care Unit that includes 10 private rooms and unlimited round-the-clock visiting hours.

Staff, donors and volunteers gathered at a recent news conference to commemorate the opening of a new Palliative Care Unit at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset. From left are: Dana Lustbader, MD, the hospital’s chief of palliative medicine; Charles M. Trunz, III, senior vice president and executive director of North Shore Healthcare Enterprises, who formed the Gerry Trunz Foundation on behalf of his late wife; Vivan Parisi, an artist who donated original work to decorate the 10-room suite; Joseph and Dorothy Forte of Manhasset, who worked with the Gerry Trunz Foundation to carry out her wish that hospitalized patients spend their last days in a tranquil setting; Kris Murphy, whose original black and white photographs hang throughout the suite; and artist Scott Payne, an artist who designed the mural that lends to the atmosphere of the unit’s Serenity Room.

Palliative medicine refers to medical care or treatment that concentrates on preventing and relieving suffering and improving the quality of life, rather than providing a cure. In the new Palliative Care Unit (PCU), for instance, about 40 percent of patients may recover enough to be sent to another facility or even to return home, but approximately 60 percent will die there. “As the population ages and many people live into their 80s and 90s with chronic life-limiting illnesses, the need for good palliative care will grow,” said Dana Lustbader, MD, the hospital’s chief of palliative care medicine. “Currently, 85 percent of Americans die in a hospital or nursing home, experiences often associated with pain, despair and terrible memories for loved ones.” Hospital-based palliative care programs aim to reduce those negative associations, and help patients and their loved ones make the most of the time they have left together, she said.

The new PCU includes a sleeper couch in each of the 10 patient rooms so loved ones can stay close, as well as a private family living room, coffee service for visitors and a quiet room for meditation. Traditional and innovative comforts, like original oil paintings and a centralized waterfall suspended between two panes of glass, promote a sense of relaxation and healing by making the atmosphere a little more
like home.

The PCU was made possible by the generosity of numerous individuals and organizations that donated funds, furnishings, artwork and supplies, including the Gerry Trunz Foundation; Charles, Chas, Christiaan, Max and Jack Trunz; Dorothy and Joseph Forte and family; the Manhasset Women’s Coalition Against Breast Cancer; the Munsey Park Women’s Club; North Shore University Hospital Auxiliary; Kris Murphy; Vivian Parisi; Phyllis Pullman; and Scott Payne.

Media contact: Michelle Pinto/Terry Lynam (516) 465-2649/2640

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