Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Post Sandy at Plainview

Kathleen Lanzo, RN, Clinical Practice Coordinator sent us these pictures from Plainview Hospital in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.

All staff across the entire health system is coming together in the same way these folks are at Plainview.  Do you have pictures to send us from your facility?  Email vcangero@nshs.edu.


Administrative Director of Plainview Hospital Periop, Kelly Treacy, discusses hurricane preparedness with her staff during their huddle on Monday.


Plainview Hospital Staff, the morning after Hurricane Sandy hit. The staff was deployed to several areas around the hospital in order to chip in as best as possible. Everyone went above and beyond to make patients and staff comfortable.

Hurricane Sandy UPDATE 10/31

All North Shore-LIJ hospitals are open. All are operating on full power – with the exception of Staten Island University Hospital (South)- which is open and operating on back-up power. 

Emergency Departments (EDs) are expected to be extremely busy. Community residents should NOT to go to the ED unless they are experiencing a true medical emergency. 

If you are seeking shelter, click here or see the blog post below for a list of Red Cross shelters and NYC Evacuation Centers. 

For those who have a scheduled medical appointment to see one of our physicians, please call the physician office to confirm prior to traveling. Get more information here: http://www.northshorelij.com/NSLIJ/hurricane-sandy-preparedness-information

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Emergency Shelters

If you or a loved one are in need of shelter in light of Hurricane Sandy, please check out the links below for New York City Evacuation Center locations, as well as American Red Cross shelters.

Red Cross Shelters (New York State)
NYC Evacuation Centers

The New York City Office of Emergency Management says all of these locations have electric and oxygen capability if patients bring their oxygen compressors. They are also wheelchair accessible.

If you live in New York City and your situation is less severe (downed trees in your yard, power outages, etc.) you can call 311 to report your incident or visit http://www.nyc.gov/apps/311/

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.