NYC Health + Hospitals/Coney Island Enhances Emergency Care for Patients with Life-Threatening Injuries and Illness
New Critical Care Room Features State-of-the-Art Equipment and Private, Dedicated Space to Treat the Most Serious Emergencies
Jul 06, 2016
NYC Health + Hospitals/Coney Island today marked the opening of its new critical care room in the hospital’s emergency department designed specifically to treat patients with the most serious, life-threatening injuries and illness. The new 450 square-foot area can be used to treat and evaluate up to two critically ill patients simultaneously and will help alleviate the busy community hospital’s emergency room. NYC Health + Hospitals/Coney Island Chief Executive Officer Anthony Rajkumar was joined by emergency department staff, Councilman Chaim Deutsch, Councilman Mark Treyger, Assemblywoman Pamela Harris, Assemblywoman Helene, Weinstein, Assemblyman William Colton, District Leader Nancy Tong, and representatives from community organizations during a ribbon cutting ceremony to unveil the new space.
“Thousands of residents in Coney Island and Southern Brooklyn rely on the essential health care services provided by NYC Health + Hospitals/Coney Island, including emergency and critical care,” said Dr. Raju. “I am grateful to the elected officials serving Brooklyn and the Coney Island community for their support as the hospital continues its transformation to improving the patient experience.”
“We are making improvements that will allow us to provide optimal health care and enhance the patient experience for the thousands of Coney Island and Southern Brooklyn patients and families who rely on our essential services,” said newly-appointed hospital CEO Anthony Rajkumar. “The new critical care room may be modest in its square feet but will make an extraordinary impact in our ability to respond to the most serious emergencies and save lives.”
The new, fully equipped space is constructed with two patient bays, both including state-of-the-art medical equipment and technology necessary for staff to care for the most complex traumas. The area is large enough to accommodate many hospital team members such as respiratory, radiology, medical critical care, cardiology, surgery and others who may need to respond and assist the emergency department team. The cost of construction and equipment for the new critical care room is approximately $100,000.
Last year NYC Health + Hospitals/Coney Island treated nearly 90,000 patients in its emergency department, of those 13,000 patients presented with critical conditions. Since 2014 visits to the Emergency Department increased 21 percent, demonstrating the continued demand for the hospital’s essential, critical care services.
“The additional critical care room will give our emergency professionals the needed private and dedicated space to evaluate, stabilize and treat critically ill and injured trauma patients as well as those who present with conditions such as acute strokes, heart attacks, and sepsis,” said NYC Health + Hospitals/Coney Island Chief Medical Officer Dr. Wehbeh Wehbeh.
“The new space is large enough to accommodate the many hospital team members needed to respond to our most critical patients and is prepared with new equipment and technology needed for lifesaving interventions,” said NYC Health + Hospitals/Coney Island Emergency Department Chairman Dr. Mark Kindschuh. “The emergency department volume continues to grow each year and this area will help alleviate the busy emergency room.”
“In a medical emergency, minutes and even seconds often determine matters of life and death — you need access to high-quality comprehensive health care as quickly as possible,” said Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams. “As the only hospital south of Kings Highway, home to hundreds of thousands of Brooklyn families, NYC Health + Hospitals/Coney Island provides critical health care services to families in need. With the demand for services increasing dramatically in recent years, this expansion of the critical care room in the Emergency Department will fulfill that need and allow the families of Brighton Beach, Coney Island, Gravesend, and nearby neighborhoods to access vital emergency medical services in their community.”
“It’s reassuring to see Coney Island Hospital’s continued commitment to delivering quality health care to South Brooklyn residents,” said Congressman Dan Donovan. “I was encouraged by their progress during a recent visit and I’m glad to see new state-of-the-art equipment at the facility.”
“I’m pleased to congratulate NYC Health + Hospitals/Coney Island on the addition of a Critical Care Room in the Emergency Department,” said Councilman Chaim Deutsch. “This Critical Care Room will play a significant role in ensuring that expedient treatment is given to the 13,000 patients in critical condition who visit the hospital each year. One of the great things about Coney Island Hospital is the commitment of the new leadership team to constantly refine and develop services to best address the expanding needs of our local community, and this addition to the Emergency Department is another example of that industrious spirit. Under the leadership of CEO Anthony Rajkumar, I am confident that NYC Health + Hospitals/Coney Island will enhance the patient experience and provide optimal care.”
“The addition of the new Critical Care Room is a significant step forward in NYC Health + Hospital/Coney Island’s effort to become a strong and reliable provider of health and medical care to residents of Southern Brooklyn,” said Councilman Mark Treyger. “State of the art technology and equipment will give the staff at the hospital more resources to treat patients with the most serious and life-threatening conditions, while allowing doctors, nurses, and staff to provide more focused and attentive care in the facility’s emergency room. This is a positive step for the health and well-being of Southern Brooklynites.”
Contact: Nicole Francois, 347-461-4109
About NYC Health + Hospitals/Coney Island
NYC Health + Hospitals/Coney Island has been providing comprehensive, quality, culturally responsive care to the Southern Brooklyn community since 1875. In 2015 the 371-bed hospital had more than 15,000 hospital stays and nearly 90,000 visits to its emergency room. The hospital has an extensive ambulatory care program that serves more than 250,000 outpatient primary care and specialty care visits annually. Clinical centers of excellence include: Primary Care, Adolescent Medicine and Behavioral Health. NYC Health + Hospitals/Coney Island received the 2016 Silver Plus award from the American Heart Association/ American Stroke Association.
About NYC Health + Hospitals
NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest public health care system in the nation with a network of 11 hospitals including six regional trauma centers, community-based health centers, nursing homes, post-acute care centers, and a correctional health services unit. The system includes a home care agency and a health plan, MetroPlusHealth. The health system provides essential services to 1.2 million New Yorkers every year in more than 70 locations across the five boroughs. Its diverse workforce of more than 42,000 employees are uniquely focused on empowering New Yorkers, without exception, to live the healthiest life possible. Visit nychealthandhospitals.org and stay connected: https://www.facebook.com/NYCHealthSystem or Twitter @NYCHealthSystem.