There’s a concept in emergency medicine called “the golden hour,” a precious window of time in which access to care is critical for someone who’s experienced a traumatic injury or medical condition.
But for first responders in Montauk, that hour is often spent caring for patients in ambulances that battle traffic en route to Stony Brook Southampton Hospital. On a good day that approximately 30-mile drive can take at least that long — and in the summer, it often takes even longer.
That’s about to change.
Stony Brook Southampton Hospital leaders, elected officials, donors, first responders, and community members cut a ceremonial red ribbon Saturday, April 5, to celebrate the new East Hampton Emergency Department, a freestanding facility devoted to critical care for patients who live, work, and play in some of the South Fork’s easternmost parts.
“The quicker we’re able to get our patients to definitive care, the better the health of the community,” said Tom Flight, a Montauk E.M.T. who also happens to also be a member of the East Hampton Town Board. “I’m really, really happy today to see this happen.”
“This means a quicker transport,” said Agnes Cindrich, a fellow Montauk E.M.T. and one of its lieutenants. “We can get back to where we’re needed in the community. It’s going to make a huge difference because in the summer… it might be an hour to Southampton and two-and-a-half hours back. We have three ambulances. Many times all three are out and we have to get mutual aid, so this will make a big difference.”
Hospital officials expect to officially open the doors later this spring to the 22,000-square-foot East Hampton Emergency Department, which is located at 400 Pantigo Place — a literal stone’s throw from the East Hampton Healthcare Foundation building that houses a cluster of medical offices that serve thousands of patients each year.
“It’s a great day for the residents of East Hampton and it’s a great day for Stony Brook Medicine’s mission to improve access to health care across the East End,” said Dr. William Wertheim, executive vice president of the Stony Brook Medicine system. “…I am privileged to stand here today as we celebrate bringing the vision to life – a vision that has been in the works for more than a decade.”
During tours of the facility on Saturday, it was evident that each room, each piece of technology and each amenity was designed with considerations for speed and precision of care and a diversity of medical needs.
The facility includes a state-of-the-art resuscitation room, two isolation rooms, 11 exam rooms, additional fast-track treatment rooms for general care, pediatric care, obstetrics and gynecology, and ophthalmology patients, suites for MRI, CT scans, X-rays, and ultrasound services and an ambulance transport area for incoming patients as well as those who need to be taken to the main hospital campus in Stony Brook. There are even environmental considerations, such as solar panels on the roof and a rain garden to manage water runoff on the property.
Wertheim specifically thanked Jim Forbes, president of the Southampton Hospital Association and chair of the Emergency Department Campaign committee, and Hollis Forbes, Jim Forbes’s wife, for their efforts to raise the money needed for the project. New York State provided a $10 million grant, and many donors stepped up lend support as well.
“I want thank all of you, all of those who played a role in this endeavor,” Wertheim said. “You have given this community something invaluable, and you will save lives for generations to come.”
Forbes added that “together as a community,” we made this happen.
“Residents here on the East End have always wondered, what would they do in case of an emergency?” he said. “If you lived in Montauk or Amagansett and in May, June or July had to get to the emergency room in Southampton, the traffic was the issue. Today we have an answer — the Stony Brook East Hampton Emergency Department… You all answered the call to ensure the future of quality healthcare on the East End of Long Island.”
