UPDATE: ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES - FACILITY CLOSURES

In the interest of employee safety, North Shore-LIJ administrative buildings will be closed on Tuesday, October 30.  Each department head will be contacting team members individually to advise if their job function is considered critical during this period and if so, where and when they should report to work.

A decision regarding the status of administrative facility closures for Wednesday will be made on Tuesday afternoon.

If you have any questions or have not been notified, please contact your immediate supervisor directly.

Share Your Pictures & Videos with Us!

Share with us! We encourage our dedicated employees to connect with us. Your experiences are worth sharing!

Got photos or videos of the storm? Have an interesting story about yourself or a co-worker during the Hurricane? Are you in one of our hospitals and seeing tremendous teamwork? We want to hear about it - inspire us and your co-workers!

Send your stories, videos or photos to vcangero@nshs.edu and they may be posted right here on the blog! Note: Please do not send any photos or video of patients and remember to keep patient information confidential.

What's in Your GO! Kit?

As Hurricane Sandy rapidly approaches the east coast, employees are being urged to prepare a GO! Kit – an emergency kit that will keep you and your family safe in uncertain times when you least expect to be without necessities such as food, water and electricity.

If you can still get to the store safely, stock up on some of the items below to make sure you’re prepared for whatever the storm may bring. Stay connected to your local stores and ask employees when they expect items to be restocked in the event they’ve run out of anything.

Prepare Your ‘GO! Kit’ Today!

Recommended items to include in a basic supply kit:

           

- Water (1 gallon per person per day for at least 3 days)

- 3-day supply of non-perishable foods, such as bars and canned goods

- Flashlight and extra batteries

- First aid kit

- Prescription medications/glasses

- Chargers for cell phone and computer

- Cash or traveler's checks

- Copies of personal identification (e.g., license, social security card, birth certificate) - suggest this be stored on a flash drive in a waterproof container

Other important items:

- Can opener

- Hand hygiene gel (e.g., Purell)

- Whistle to signal for help

- Dust mask to filter contaminated air

- Plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter in-place

- Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation/personal hygiene

- Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities

- Battery-powered or hand crank radio and NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert, and extra batteries for both

So – tell us, are you prepared for Hurricane Sandy?  Share comments or advice on your GO! Kit below.

Attention NURSES: Volunteers Needed!

Nurse volunteers are needed. If you are able to volunteer, please contact us. Call 516-719-5100 and ask for the staffing desk. Or, email: nursestaffing@nshs.edu. Someone will get right back to you with details. 

Thank you for your ongoing dedication to providing exceptional patient care.

Hotline for North Shore-LIJ Patients

North Shore-LIJ has created a Patient Information Hotline in light of Hurricane Sandy.  Family members and loved ones can check on the status of transferred patients by calling 1-855-473-6399.

All North Shore-LIJ Hospitals and emergency departments will remain open throughout Hurricane Sandy, although patients who are dependent on a ventilator from Staten Island University Hospital and Southside Hospital have been evacuated.

Also, all elective surgeries and procedures scheduled for Monday and Tuesday at Physician and Ambulatory Network Services (PAANS) have been cancelled, and all North Shore-LIJ Medical Group Practices will be closed.

The health system will continue to closely monitor the conditions of Sandy and make amendments to its plans in the best interest of patient and employee safety.

Employees who are scheduled to staff patient care facilities today have already been advised to be prepared to work beyond their regular shifts, and the health system is prepared to provide food, beds and beverages to all those staff members during the storms.

Please know that North Shore-LIJ is continuing to provide exceptional care as usual to those within our facilities and to those in the community who need us.  Get the word out about the Patient Information Hotline (1-855-473-6399) and encourages those with loved ones at our facilities to call for the latest updates.

ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES - FACILITY CLOSURES

In the interest of employee safety, North Shore-LIJ administrative buildings will be closed on Monday, October 29.  Each department head will be contacting staff members individually to advise if their job function is considered critical during this period and if so, where and when they should report to work on Monday.‬
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A decision regarding the status of administrative facility closures for Tuesday will be made on Monday afternoon.‬
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If you have any questions or have not been notified, please contact your immediate supervisor directly.‬

Preparing for the Storm Continues

Preparations for Hurricane Sandy continue across the North Shore-LIJ Health System, taking precautions to ensure our patients, employees and community members remain safe and well. In the interest of patient safety, all elective surgeries and procedures scheduled for Monday and Tuesday are cancelled.  In addition, all North Shore-LIJ Medical Group offices and ambulatory sites will be closed on Monday and Tuesday. Employees working in those sites will be notified.

More information about additional office closures will be posted shortly. 

Stay connected 
We care about your safety! Be sure to check back on this blog for frequent updates. Stay close with your supervisor and facility to be in-the-know. Check your email through Employee Self Service (http//:ess.nslijweb.com). Updates will also be shared on the Employee Intranet which can be accessed from any computer. Go to NorthshoreLIJ.com > HealthPort > Remote Access Portal and then login with your North Shore-LIJ Universal ID & Password.

Preparing for Hurricane Sandy

It’s been over a year since Hurricane Irene made its way up the east coast, but the effects of that storm are still fresh in our minds. The health system demonstrated in extraordinary fashion how our preparedness measures are second to none, and that our team members are the most reliable when it comes to protecting the wellbeing of our community no matter the conditions.

Now, as Hurricane Sandy approaches Long Island and New York City, the North Shore-LIJ Health System is taking the same cautious steps it did last year to prepare all facilities to respond to this potentially destructive storm, while also making sure all employees remain safe.

The health system is currently working to make sure all hospitals and long-term care facilities have back-up power generators, pumps, and other emergency equipment and supplies that will be needed in the event of power outages.

Be Prepared!

As we take these steps to ensure our patients are being taken care of, we are also urging all employees to take care of themselves.  Read the health system’s emergency preparedness brochure, which outlines the steps needed to be prepared for a hurricane, including items you should have on hand this weekend and into next week.  You should also take a moment to update your personal/emergency contact information in Employee Self Service (http://ess.nslijweb.com).  You can do this from any computer with Internet access.

We recognize team members’ concerns about keeping their families safe.  At the same time, we need to keep our facilities staffed appropriately to support patient care.  Please note that those employees who are scheduled to staff our patient care facilities from Sunday, Oct. 28, through Wednesday, Oct. 31, should be prepared to work beyond their regular work shift. 

The Storm’s Projected Path

Hurricane Sandy is expected to make landfall as early as Monday afternoon as a category one hurricane.  Based on its current trajectory, the storm will likely cause severe flooding and widespread power outages in our area.  For the latest updates on the storm, visit HealthPort and check out the Emergency Management Department’s synopsis on the main page.  If you are not on a North Shore-LIJ network computer, you can get the latest forecast information at www.weather.com. 

Weekend at NSUH

Elsie Low from Facilities Services at North Shore University Hospital shared how she was able to pitch in over the weekend. Elsie said the staff worked together throughout the weekend to address all patient needs during the storm. They loaned out over 170 Aerobeds and countless linens for team members who slept at the hospital, to be available around the clock for patient care. 

Elsie said she had a great experience with the incredible staff at NSUH. She shared photos of the bedding distribution areas and from Long Beach where luckily she didn't have any home damage.

Lucky Break

Joyce Donohue from Corporate Human Resources shared these photos of her Hurricane Irene experience.

In the top of the picture, you can see Joyce pulling her car out  slowly from under fallen tree branches. Ironically, Joyce had just gotten her car back from the collision shop after having more than $7,000 worth of damage from the hail storm at the beginning of August. Luckily, she was able to pull her car out and the tree fell on the ground with little damage to her car. The new hurricane damage to her car was able to be quickly repaired Monday night.

This is her grandson, Nicholas who was helping find fish that floated out of neighborhood ponds and into the storm drain in front of his house.