The health system will invest $100 million into Long Island Community Hospital as part of the merger. Proceeds will be used to implement NYU Langone's integrated electronic medical records system, upgrade information technology systems, grow Long Island Community Hospital's ambulatory presence and improve infrastructure, Brotman said.
The rollout of the Epic electronic medical records system will occur immediately. The implementation is hoped to be concluded by December 2022, Brotman said.
The merger was meant to bolster Long Island Community Hospital's ambulatory programs as it lacked "adequate cash flow to make significant investments," according to the certificate-of-need application. The health system is still fleshing out Long Island Community Hospital's ambulatory growth strategy, but it had typically convened multispecialty practices comprising up to 12 physicians, with combinations of primary care and other subspecialties, Brotman said.
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"We're not looking to acquire large stock-and-barrel-type groups, but speaking with individual physicians to join our group," he said. The first such group for Long Island Community Hospital could be ready by the second quarter, with the options for constructing new facilities for those practices, he added.
"Growing LICH's ambulatory presence in Patchogue goes well with the practices we opened in Riverhead and Bridgehampton," Brotman said. Those two sites opened in April.
Upgrades have been planned for the 306-bed hospital as well. Single-room wards and upgraded operating rooms for the inpatient facility, a dedicated ambulatory operating room and an update of the emergency department are some of the initial infrastructure projects planned, Brotman said.
"The $100 million might not be enough to cover all the plans we have for LICH, but it's a strong start," he noted.
As part of the merger, NYU Langone will also be taking over Long Island Community Hospital's hospice and home care services. That required a separate application, which has been submitted to the state. The health system is anticipating a decision in the first half of next year, Brotman said.
This represents a continuation of NYU Langone's efforts to grow its home care arm, Brotman said. The health system has been committed to that ever since NYU Langone-Brooklyn (formerly Lutheran Medical Center) joined the network in 2015 and NYU Langone-Long Island (formerly Winthrop Hospital) joined in 2019.
Long Island Community Hospital, formerly Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center, was established in 1956 and serves 400,000 people.
NYU Langone has six inpatient facilities in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Long Island and over 350 ambulatory facilities.
This story first appeared in our sister publication, Crain's New York Business.
