Northwell Health debuts new $560 million surgical pavilion

Photo courtesy of Northwell Health

Seventy years after North Shore University Hospital (NSUH) first opened its doors, the Level I trauma center and quaternary care teaching hospital announced the completion of the Petrocelli Surgical Pavilion – a $560 million, 288,000-square-foot tower that's expected to complement cardiac, neurosurgery and transplant programs.

NSUH is owned by Northwell Health, one of New York State's largest healthcare providers. It called the tower "one of the most significant projects of its kind" in the New York Metro area. About 40% of all patients at NSUH come from Queens, while another 5% travel more than 100 miles to seek care there, the health system said.

Michael Dowling, president and CEO of Northwell, said the Petrocelli Surgical Pavilion has been a part of the health system's master plan for more than a decade.

"It took guile and determination to see this massive project through to completion," he said. "It took the belief of so many town, county and state officials, along with the vision of countless donors, to help make it a reality."

WHAT'S THE IMPACT?

New York-based Skanska USA broke ground on the capital project in April 2020, which was made possible, in part, through a gift from Attilio and Beverly Petrocelli. For nearly 30 years, the Kings Point, Long Island couple has supported the health system through numerous development projects and programs at NSUH and Cohen Children's Medical Center in New Hyde Park. Several other donors also contributed.

NSUH, which has 756 licensed beds and treats more than 90,000 patients each year, is home to the Sandra Atlas Bass Heart Hospital (SABHH), the Katz Women's Hospital, neurosurgery, multi-organ transplant services and a busy emergency department. NSUH is a Magnet-recognized hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, which spotlights excellence in nursing.

In 2023, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services gave the hospital its highest 5-star rating, while US News & World Report named the hospital No. 1 in New York State and top 22 nationally.

The Petrocelli Pavilion will feature 18 operating rooms, including three hybrid rooms with advanced imaging, along with 132 intensive care rooms. Hybrid ORs combine a traditional OR with an image-guided interventional suite, allowing for highly complex, advanced surgical procedures.

The project will also upgrade and expand the hospital's critical care capabilities. Following a period of intensive staff training, patients will relocate to new critical care units, and surgeries will begin later this month.

The new pavilion will serve as home to the Sandra Atlas Bass Heart Hospital and feature a concierge entrance for cardiac patients and their families. In 2022, the cardiac program logged 660,000 ambulatory visits, 38,000 inpatient discharges, 8,700 coronary interventions, 3,900 thoracic surgeries, 3,300 cardiac surgeries and 2,800 cardiac ablations.

The cardiac hospital was also named one of America's 50 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Surgery by Healthgrades.

THE LARGER TREND

The Northwell Health Transplant Institute at NSUH features Long Island's only heart, liver and lung transplant programs. In 2023, it completed its 150th liver transplant since the program first began in 2019, while the heart program celebrated its 100th heart transplant since 2018. 

Northwell's transplant program began with kidney in 2007 and added lung in 2022, opening access to thousands of New Yorkers who otherwise would have to go into Manhattan for care.

Jeff Lagasse is editor of Healthcare Finance News.
Email: jlagasse@himss.org
Healthcare Finance News is a HIMSS Media publication.