New Affiliation Agreements Increase Collaboration to Improve Patient Care

To better serve the growing healthcare needs of seniors on Long Island and Queens, the North Shore-LIJ Health System today announced clinical affiliations with six organizations representing long-term care, short-term rehabilitation, assisted living facilities and senior residences.

“These new affiliations offer a tremendous opportunity for North Shore-LIJ to partner with local healthcare facilities and senior residences on a number of clinical and educational initiatives involving geriatric medicine,” said Michael J. Dowling, president and chief executive officer of North Shore-LIJ. “Through our coordinated efforts, the health system will be able to provide rapid intervention and referrals to specialists, as well as develop education programs for clinicians and patients to better serve older adults in the region.”

North Shore-LIJ signed affiliation agreements with:

• Grace Plaza Nursing and Rehabilitation Center (Great Neck) — A 214-bed sub-acute and long-term care facility that specializes in a full range of services for orthopedic care including physical and occupational therapy services. Last year the facility completed a $3 million renovation, which included a new state-of-the-art rehab gym and enhanced sub-acute services.

• Highfield Gardens Care Center (Great Neck) — A 200-bed facility that offers skilled nursing and physical rehabilitation services. It features a modern, state-of-the-art gym offering a full range of services, which will be expanded on June 1 to include aquatherapy.

• A. Holly Patterson Extended Care Facility (Uniondale) — An 889-bed facility that offers a continuum of services, including sub-acute and long-term rehabilitation, wound care, ventilator and respiratory care, HIV/AIDS care and hospice care.

• Parker Jewish Institute for Health Care and Rehabilitation (New Hyde Park) — A 527-bed facility that provides inpatient short-term rehabilitation/sub-acute care and long-term care/skilled nursing programs. Parker is also a teaching affiliate of LIJ Medical Center.

• South Shore Healthcare (Freeport) — A 100-bed sub-acute and skilled nursing facility with a 24-bed unit dedicated to a respiratory and ventilator-weaning program.

• Sterling Glen Senior Residences (Port Washington corporate office) — Offers seven luxury senior living residences located in the Long Island/Queens area. Senior living options include independent, supportive independent and assisted senior living and services for the memory impaired. The new affiliation will concentrate on outreach, community events and education, and developing a home visit program.

The range of services will vary, depending on each affiliate, but will include North Shore-LIJ staff physicians consulting in specialty medical areas; quality management/quality improvement consulting services; home care services; hospice care services; palliative care/end-of-life care, ambulance service through the health system’s Center for Emergency Medical Services; and onsite lab service and pick up by North Shore-LIJ’s Core Lab.

Other areas of collaboration include geriatric fellowship or residency education opportunities — both LIJ Medical Center in New Hyde Park and North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset have geriatric fellowship programs. Opportunities also exist to jointly participate in education and outreach services such as lectures and health screenings at certain facilities. In addition, the affiliations also pave the way to develop joint clinical research studies.

“While the health system has had long-standing working relationships with many of these organizations, the formal clinical agreement strengthens relationships between our institutions and allows us to work more creatively and effectively to serve the needs of older patients and their family members,” said Mr. Dowling.

Media Contact: Betty Olt/Terry Lynam 516-465-2645