Governor Andrew M. Cuomo said Saturday that elective surgeries may resume at Suffolk County hospitals. The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations here has declined from 719 on May 1 to 544 as of May 13. And, 30 percent of total hospital beds are available.
However, the Long Island region still may not begin the first phase of NY Forward, the state’s re-opening plan. That’s because Nassau and Suffolk counties combined, do not yet meet two of the seven metrics required to begin the regionally-governed process.
The combined the 3-day rolling average of new COVID-19 hospitalizations remains above the threshold of 2 cases per 100K residents. And, the region does not yet have in place the number of contract tracers required under reopening guidelines, though Suffolk County officials say they are on track to meet this requirement soon.
[See this Gazette post to learn more about the seven metrics that govern NY Forward]
In addition to elective surgeries and some hospital-based ambulatory care, the governor also announced that some sports may resume, but without fans present.
“We’re looking at economic activities that you can start without crowds gathering,” he said. In New York, that means horse racing tracks and the state-owned car track at Watkins Glen can reopen, with events broadcast for fans.
Major League Baseball may resume too, Cuomo said, if teams and players are willing to go ahead with no fans in New York stadiums. Even as they reopen, places of business must adhere to protocols intended to protect workers and the public, and to contain the spread of the virus, he said.
Hospitals report drop-off non-COVID cases
The lifting of restricts on elective surgeries and other ambulatory care (which also applies to Westchester County) comes as hospitals across the country report concerns about lower than usual visits to emergency departments for non-COVID reasons.
“We want to be sure people who need medical services are getting medical services,” Cuomo said.
“Stony Brook Medicine is looking forward to resuming elective surgeries,” said Todd Griffin, MD. He’s president of the medical staff at Stony Brook Medicine (SBM) and chairman of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine
“Since the beginning of the pandemic, Stony Brook Medicine has been performing urgent or emergent surgeries in a safe manner,” he said Saturday in response to a Gazette inquiry. “Our free standing Ambulatory Surgery Center maintains a safe environment for patients and staff delivering surgical care. “
SBM is affiliated with several Suffolk County hospitals, including nearby Eastern Long Island Hospital in Greenport and Southampton Hospital. NorthwellHealth, another enormous medical services provider, runs Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead and numerous hospitals across Long Island.
All hospitals have put in place protocols to protect patients who are not suspected of COVID-19 from contracting the novel coronavirus, the governor said at Saturday’s news briefing.
“Hospitals are safe places to go,” Cuomo said.
Patient options on Shelter Island
Physicians have also kept offices open to see patients with chronic ailments, new health concerns, pre- and post-natal care and newborn pediatrics, and minor injuries that are not severe enough to go to the ER, Stony Brook Medicine says.
Here on Shelter Island, the SBM-affiliated clinic operated by Meetinghouse Lane Medical Practice is due to open at the end of May. The clinic building at 44 South Ferry Road is owned by the Town of Shelter Island and was recently overhauled for the new practice.
Opening was delayed, partly because one of the physicians expected to establish a practice — Dr. Josh Potter of Shelter Island — was completing his training. The office will be open part-time, with a senior physician providing supervision through June. After that, Dr. Potter is expected to see patients full-time.
Meantime, Shelter Island residents are advised to visit any one of the other Meetinghouse Lane Medical Practices offices on the South Fork. A PA from the group is also making home visits on Shelter Island. Follow this link for contact information.
Dr. Peter Kelt — a veteran Island physician who formerly occupied the front space at the Town clinic — has resumed his practice after moving to a smaller space there. Initially, he was only seeing carryover patients. But in a new partnership with ProHealth Associates he’s been expanding his practice to include new patients. The phone number for the ProHealth office is 631-749-9130.
[Editor’s note: This post has been updated with a statement from Stony Brook Medicine]
