Southside Survives

Because of its proximity to the Great South Bay, Southside Hospital in Bay Shore was expected to take a beating from Hurricane Sandy Monday night and Tuesday morning, but escaped with relatively minor flooding damage. 

With nearby Good Samaritan Hospital in West Islip on diversion, Dr. Sunil Sood discusses how Southside Emergency Department dealt with the influx of patients seeking medical care during the storm.

Where You Can Find Relief from Hurricane Sandy

North Shore-LIJ wants its employees to know the health system is here for them – whether they’ve been directly or indirectly affected by the tragedies of Hurricane Sandy.

Through North Shore-LIJ’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP), employees can find emotional support and confidential counseling with a licensed counselor, at no cost.

All you need to do is call 877-EAP-4YOU (877-327-4968) or email EAP@nshs.edu.

The EAP offers many services and resources designed to help employees cope with a wide range of life issues, including grief, financial worries, job performance, substance abuse and more.

You can also visit EAP’s website on HealthPort by clicking on “Employee Assistance Program” in the Focus on Employees box on the homepage.

Looking to donate toward the Hurricane Sandy relief efforts or need information on shelters? Visit the American Red Cross of Greater New York’s website - http://www.nyredcross.org/.

Also – please know that early Tuesday, President Barack Obama declared New York a major disaster area, paving the way for federal money and resources to help New Yorkers recover.

The declaration allows individuals to apply for federal funds if they are on Long Island or live in New York City. Help can include grants for temporary housing, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and programs for businesses.

Residents and business owners may begin applying online at disasterassistance.gov or at 800-621-FEMA. 

ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES -- FACILITY CLOSURES FOR WEDNESDAY, OCT. 31

In the interest of employee safety, North Shore-LIJ administrative buildings will be closed on Wednesday, October 31.  

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 Wednesday.

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

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

New Life at LIJ, Despite Hurricane Sandy

These pictures were sent to us from North Shore-LIJ employee Amit Powar.  He welcomed his baby girl Arya Amit Powar into the world at Long Island Jewish Medical Center on Sunday. The damage to his home in Commack was certainly extreme, but has certainly been mitigated by the healthy, beautiful newborn baby brought into his world.  Congratulations to Amit & family! 

Storm Damage in Plainview

Allison Bunin, AVP of Internal Communications sent in these pictures from Plainview.  Downed trees and power lines, and mail is still being delivered! 

Stay safe everyone and do not go near any wires! Assume they are live!

Do you have pictures from Hurricane Sandy that you'd like to share with us?  Email them to Vicki Cangero (vcangero@nshs.edu).

Hurricane Sandy UPDATE - Tuesday Morning

As Long Island and the NY Metro area begin to recover from the effects of Hurricane Sandy, here is a summary of its impact on North Shore-LIJ hospitals and facilities: 

UPDATE 1: All North Shore-LIJ hospitals and emergenc

y departments are operational, although the following are relying on back-up power only: Southside Hospital in Bay Shore, NY, Staten Island University Hospital’s (SIUH) South Division, Glen Cove, Huntington, Plainview and Syosset hospitals, and the Stern Family Center for Rehabilitation in Manhasset, NY.

UPDATE 2: All hospital emergency departments are expected to be extremely busy on Tuesday. We are encouraging community residents NOT to go to the emergency room unless they are experiencing a medical emergency.

UPDATE 3: Community residents who have sustained damage to their homes and have to evacuate should go to a shelter, NOT the hospital.

UPDATE 4: Elective surgeries and physician appointments scheduled for Wednesday at hospitals operating on back-up power are cancelled (see list above). We encourage you to call ahead of time to confirm all medical appointments scheduled for Wednesday.

You can check back here and at the  North Shore-LIJ website for further updates.

EAP is Here for You

When disasters like Hurricane Sandy strike, it can be incredibly difficult for those who have family or friends directly affected by the catastrophe. For all North Shore-LIJ employees directly or indirectly affected by this tragedy, please know that the North Shore-LIJ Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is here to help.

Through the EAP, emotional support and confidential counseling with a licensed counselor are available to all health system employees at all locations within North Shore-LIJ at no cost.

The EAP offers many services and resources designed to help employees cope with a wide range of life issues, including grief, financial worries, job performance, substance abuse and more.

All you need to do is call 877-EAP-4YOU (877-327-4968) or email EAP@nshs.edu.

You can also visit EAP’s website on HealthPort by clicking on “Employee Assistance Program” in the Focus on Employees box on the homepage.

The Streets of Long Beach

Coastal towns in New York are already beginning to experience the wrath of Hurricane Sandy. Below is a video taken around 11:00a.m. today from Long Beach, sent to us from North Shore-LIJ employee Siu-Wan Elsie Low.

Have pictures or video of the storm you'd like to share on our blog?  Email them to vcangero@nshs.edu.

Michael Dowling: "We're Fully Prepared"

North Shore-LIJ's President & CEO Michael Dowling says the health system is extremely prepared for whatever Hurricane Sandy may bring.  He is visiting as many facilities as possible today to ensure that everything is running smoothly both for our patients, and our employees.

Watch this video to hear more from Michael Dowling on North Shore-LIJ's Hurricane Sandy preparations.
Video courtesy of North Shore-LIJ Media Studios.

Beginnings of Hurricane Sandy via: Brooklyn

Check out the pictures below from Brooklyn, sent in from North Shore-LIJ's VP of Talent, Elaine Page.

If you happen to capture any videos or pictures of the storm, send them our way! Just email vcangero@nshs.edu.  We of course encourage all employees to stay inside and stay safe as winds pick up and the water levels begin to rise!