In 1999, North Shore University Hospital and Long Island Jewish Medical Center, two well-established academic institutions, underwent a financial merger leading to the formation of one of the largest health care systems in the country namely, the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System. North Shore University Hospital and Long Island Jewish Medical Center had fully accredited free-standing and very successful General Surgery Residency Programs until 2001. Following an analysis of the potential educational opportunities deriving from the integration of the two general surgery residency programs, the Departments of Surgery and the General Surgery Residency programs were successfully integrated in what is now the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System General Surgery Residency Program. The integrated surgical residency began with its first complement of residents on July 1, 2001.

The first Chairman of the integrated Department of Surgery was Dr. H.Hank Simms, who was succeeded in April 1, 2005, by Dr. Thanjavur S. Ravikumar. As of June 13, 2005, the program director is Dr. Corrado P. Marini.