NYU Langone Medical Center is set to reopen today, nearly two months after it was flooded by Superstorm Sandy, causing the hospital to evacuate hundreds of patients.
The hopsital announced that, effective today, inpatient services at Tisch Hospital and its Schwartz Health Care Center resumed for multiple programs and specialty services. In addition, by working with the New York State Department of Health, the Medical Center plans a return of nearly all services available on the main campus before Hurricane Sandy by the end of January.
“We have overcome many challenges over the last two months, yet our faculty and staff at NYU Langone truly rose to the occasion so that we could get back to doing what we do best—providing world-class patient care, conducting groundbreaking research, and educating the next generation of physicians,” Robert I. Grossman, M.D., dean and CEO, NYU Langone Medical Center, said in a statement.
According to NYU Langone’s website, no date has been determined for the re-opening of its Emergency Department (ED). The ED, located on the ground floor level of Tisch Hospital, was in the initial stage of a major construction and expansion program when Hurricane Sandy hit. As a result of the damage incurred, it is not possible to open or immediately relocate the ED at this time. Recognizing the key role the ED plays in providing healthcare services to the community, NYU Langone will establish an Urgent Care Center, which will be staffed by ED clinicians and will handle a range of walk-in cases. Patients presenting for medical care will be evaluated and those with minor complaints will be discharged once treated; those requiring additional evaluation will be admitted to the appropriate inpatient unit; and patients who require services currently not available at the Medical Center will be transported via ambulance to an appropriate facility.
