Health

PBMC’s trauma center expansion expected to clear next step

PBMC

The Riverhead Town Board is expected to grant preliminary site plan approval for Peconic Bay Medical Center’s $60 million proposed expansion at its Wednesday night meeting.

The expansion proposal still needs to go before the town architectural review board on Jan. 25, and in February, the Town Board expects to grant final approval, Supervisor Sean Walter said. The town’s code requires a preliminary site plan approval before a final approval can be granted.

The hospital, now affiliated with Northwell Health, is planning a three-story critical care tower of about 50,655-square-feet onto the existing facility on Roanoke Avenue and Route 58.

The addition will be used for emergency room space, a cardiac catheterization and electrophysiology suit and a new intensive care unit.

There also will be two new connecting bridges, a rooftop helipad, and elevators and stairs connecting to the existing building.

The Board met with Sherry Patterson, the chair of the hospital’s board of directors, and Kimberly Judd, the attorney for PBMC’s application, at its work session Thursday to go over final issues prior to the approval vote.

In November, PBMC received approval from a state health advisory panel for two cardiac catheterization suites and the relocation of the hospital’s helipad.

Ms. Judd said they expect final state approval soon.

“The [state health department] commissioner is due to sign it at the end of this month,” she said.

PBMC president and CEO Andrew Mitchell told the Town Board in December that heart attack patients at PBMC often must be transferred to another hospital, something the cardiac catheterization suites will enable PBMC to treat in-house.

The Town Board meeting is being held on Wednesday rather than the usually Tuesday night due to Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday.

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