LIJ Breaks Ground on $300M Inpatient Pavilion to House Katz Women's Hospital, 88 Private Patient Rooms for Mothers, Parents and Family Members
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New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg today joined with members of the New York Mets, patients, physicians, administrators, trustees and other supporters of the North Shore-LIJ Health System in breaking ground on LIJ Medical Center’s Katz Women’s Hospital, to be housed in a new $300 million, 10-story pavilion being built in front of the existing 54-year-old hospital in Queens. The project, made possible by the support of Saul Katz, chairman of the North Shore-LIJ Health System and president of the New York Mets, and his wife Iris, will create 250,000 square of space that will include 88 private patient rooms equipped with amenities to accommodate both patients and family members, and a range of maternity and women’s health services. The project, the largest in the history of LIJ Medical Center and the North Shore-LIJ Health System, will involve the construction of two separate and distinct lobbies and entrances, including one for the Katz Women’s Hospital, which will occupy seven of the 10 floors in the new building. This bold new initiative, scheduled for completion in 2011, coincides with the start of construction on the Katz Women’s Hospital at nearby North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, NY, which will feature 73 private, spacious rooms, each designed to provide mothers, family members and visitors with the highest level of comfort. Other features include a family resource center, concierge services for women and a dedicated lobby. The North Shore project is scheduled for completion in 2010.
The LIJ and North Shore projects will create an estimated 240 construction jobs, and approximately 75 new jobs at the two hospitals once construction is completed.
LIJ Medical Center and North Shore University Hospital have the second- and third-busiest maternity programs, respectively, in New York State, delivering more than 11,000 babies every year. But the mission of the Katz Women’s Hospital will extend far beyond maternity, diagnosing and treating a full gamut of women’s health issues, from birth to end-of-life. “It’s a proud moment for us, as we take this bold first step toward creating a hospital that will devote itself to the full spectrum of women’s health issues,” said Mr. Katz, who also is supporting the creation of a Women’s Health Institute that will focus on community education, screening and prevention, lifestyle and wellness, and research. “It has long been clear that women have unique needs when it comes to healthcare. The North Shore-LIJ Health System has always recognized this fact, and now the time has come to direct even more attention and resources to meet these needs."
Under the banner of the Katz Women’s Hospital, both LIJ Medical Center and North Shore University Hospital will continue to deliver a full range of obstetrical and gynecologic services, including: preconception counseling, antepartum testing, high-risk maternal/fetal medicine care, infertility and reproductive endocrinology, urogynecology and pelvic reconstructive surgery, gynecologic oncology, and care of the menopausal woman. In addition, the Katz Women’s Hospital will coordinate the delivery of enhanced clinical care essential to the health and wellbeing of women across their life span, targeting a wide spectrum of diseases that often manifest themselves differently in women, including heart disease, which is the number-one killer of women, cancer, thyroid conditions, orthopedic problems, and bleeding, neurological and emotional disorders.
“We know statistically that 90 percent of all medical decisions are made by women of the household,” said Mrs. Katz. “Many sacrifice their own physical and mental health and wellbeing to look after the needs of their husbands and children. We will create a state-of-the-art medical system that recognizes and appreciates the unique physiological differences involved in treating women.” “Whether women go to North Shore or LIJ to have their babies or receive other women’s health services, the Katz Hospitals on both campuses will have the same look and feel,” said Michael Dowling, president and chief executive officer of the North Shore-LIJ Health System. “Both will reflect our commitment to family-centered care, and both will become synonymous with service, comfort and elegance.” While the New York area’s population of women of child-bearing age has declined by about eight percent since 2000, it is projected that the volume of obstetrical cases will begin increasing in 2015, so the two hospitals – located two miles apart – will be well positioned to meet the current and future needs and expectations of women in the New York area. “Both LIJ and North Shore are leaders in the North York area in providing antepartum, delivery and postpartum care of normal and high-risk deliveries,” said Adiel Fleischer, MD, the hospitals’ acting chairman of obstetrics and gynecology. “As major teaching hospitals, both have recruited the highest-quality obstetricians, perinatologists, neonatologists, anesthesiologists and residents to their medical staffs. The new Katz Women’s Hospitals will further enhance our reputation.” For instance, the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at LIJ and North Shore currently consists of 35 full-time faculty and 140 voluntary physicians, as well as a highly skilled team of registered nurses and nursing support staff. It also features a residency program with 40 physicians in training. Two women who participated in today’s groundbreaking at LIJ, Stephanie Wilkins, of Corona, Queens, and Kathleen Stanley of Hicksville, are among the thousands of patients who have benefited from North Shore-LIJ’s expertise in women’s health. In addition to Mayor Bloomberg, numerous other elected officials were scheduled to participate in today’s groundbreaking ceremony, including US Representative Carolyn McCarthy, Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi, State Senator Kemp Hannon, State Assemblyman Mark Weprin and Lake Success Village Mayor Ron Cooper. The event was also attended by a large contingent from the New York Mets, including Fred Wilpon, the team’s chairman and CEO; Jeff Wilpon, chief operating officer; Omar Minaya, general manager; outfielder Ryan Church; and catcher Brian Schneider and his wife Jordan. View photos of the event. For more information about the Katz Women’s Hospital go to www.katzwomenshospital.com. Contacts:Terry Lynam/516-465-2640 |
