BY ALEX HELLINGER | The Lenox Hill HealthPlex emergency department became the first freestanding emergency department in Manhattan when we opened our doors to the public on July 17, 2014. This has truly been a mission-driven endeavor. We were aware of the hardships that the community had to endure due to the closure of St. Vincent’s Hospital and we wanted to do our best to address the healthcare needs of the West Village.
When we looked at developing an emergency department, we wanted to think out of the box and lead in a new era of healthcare services. We stepped back and took a fresh look at how healthcare services should be delivered, from the patient’s perspective. Being able to develop an emergency department from nothing and having the vast resources of the North Shore-LIJ Health System to make the vision a reality was an amazing feeling.
Prior to opening our doors we held a dedication ceremony. We were joined by about 200 guests, including elected officials, such as Manhatttan Borough President Gail Brewer, state Senators Brad Hoylman and Kemp Hannon, Assemblymembers Deborah Glick and Richard Gottfried and City Councilmember Corey Johnson, as well as representatives from Congressmember Jerrold Nadler’s office. There was a true sense that we were being welcomed into the community.
Our emergency department (which is open 24/7/365 and cares for all patients regardless of their ability to pay) has seen more than 20,000 patients, of which roughly 50 percent have come to us via ambulance from the 911 system.
We’ve administered clot-busting medications to patients with strokes. We’ve provided critical care to hundreds of patients with heart failure, COPD, aneurysms, respiratory failure, pneumonia, influenza, diabetes, allergic reactions and more. We’ve cared for hundreds of psychiatric patients and thousands of patients with drug- or alcohol-related emergencies. We’ve sutured more than 1,000 lacerations — including hundreds that required plastic surgery.
Should a patient require admission or transfer, we use our on-site advanced life-support ambulances to immediately move them to the hospital of their choice.
We put our patients first and keep them at the center of everything we do. Our patient satisfaction scores are in the 97th percentile nationwide and the 99th percentile for the region.
Here at Lenox Hill HealthPlex we believe in community. We have sponsored the Greenwich Village Little League, an L.G.B.T. Sports League and renovation of the L.G.B.T. Center. We have opened our doors for innumerable tours of the facility, free flu shots and CPR classes, and our staff has performed health screenings at various health fairs.
In addition to the emergency department, North Shore-LIJ Laboratories has opened a blood collection center on the first floor. This means that if you have a prescription to get your blood drawn, you can come to the HealthPlex without an appointment.
As for what’s next, construction has begun on the building’s fourth and fifth floors. The fourth floor will house an outpatient imaging center with a full spectrum of radiology services. The fifth floor will be an outpatient surgery suite offering the highest quality outpatient surgery technology and clinical care.
Construction will begin shortly on the sixth floor. This floor will consist of doctors’ offices and conference room space that will be available to the community. The expected opening for all of these services is first quarter of 2016.
We will strive to make our medical services the best they can possibly be, and we will also continue to build our relationship with the community.
Hellinger is executive director, Lenox Hill HealthPlex
