Health

Major upgrades planned at Eastern Long Island Hospital

Medical equipment to be hung on booms from ceiling to improve surgeon access to patients (Credit: ELIH Courtesy photo)
Updated surgical rooms at Eastern Long Island Hospital are expected to look like this. (Credit: ELIH Courtesy photo)

Eastern Long Island Hospital has announced plans to remodel and rebuild its existing operating room suites in a four-phase, $4.5 million project the Greenport hospital has dubbed “Operation Renew.”

The first phase of the project is expected to begin this summer and will be scheduled to allow the surgery department to continue running in full swing, said hospital CEO Paul Connor. The initial phase includes a complete remodel of one of three operating rooms, including a reinforced steel-beamed ceiling that will enable medical equipment to hang on booms.

Currently, medical equipment is rolled in on carts as needed — taking up space around the patient on the operating table, Mr. Connor said.

“If I’m a patient, I want my caregivers to be as well-positioned and comfortable as they can around me and my table — so really there’s minimal effort to do what they have to do professionally,” he said. “It’s a significant improvement over the current design.”

The first phase, expected to cost about $1.2 million, will also allow for wireless technology and improved integration among various systems and equipment, he said. New LED lighting and high-definition wide screen monitors will also provide enhanced vision and video displays.

Major electrical upgrades will be needed to provide enough power for the equipment, Mr. Connor said.

The hospital, located on Manor Place, has three operating rooms and one procedure room. The four suite remodels will be completed in separate phases. The operating rooms last underwent a major renovation in 1976.

The hospital is still in the midst of raising enough funds to begin the initial phase and is “fairly close” to its goal, Mr. Connor said.

A reception to present information about the project will be held Wednesday, April 16, at 5 p.m. on the hospital’s west lawn.

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