Southside Hospital Undergoes Changes: New Name, Parking Garage

BAY SHORE, NY – Southside Hospital announced on Tuesday several changes to the Bay Shore facility -- including the addition of a new 1,000-car garage and a name change.

First, the hospital opened a $56 million five-story employee garage, constructed to "ease congestion in the community," to allow for additional ground level parking spaces for patients and visitors. The garage, located on the corner of Union Boulevard and Aletta Place, is expected to open up additional parking to downtown Bay Shore and residents who live close to the hospital.

"The advancements made here, including this new parking facility, will ensure not just enhanced experiences for patients, but for friends and families, too," Michael Dowling, president and CEO of Northwell Health said.

In addition, a traffic light has been installed near the parking garage to help with the flow of traffic across Union Boulevard.

"Anyone who has visited Southside Hospital in the last few years or driven past the hospital knows that parking was one of the facility’s challenges," Angie Carpenter, Town of Islip supervisor, said. "We are thrilled that Southside created a solution that took local residents’ and the Town of Islip’s input into account and not only benefits the hospital’s visitors and patients but also our beautiful downtown Bay Shore businesses."

The hospital also announced the changing of the name of the facility from Southside Hospital to South Shore University Hospital.

The name was changed in order to better emphasize the fact that the facility is a teaching hospital, and the signs will begin to change soon, Northwell, which runs the hospital told Newsday.

The changes are part of a campus and health care treatment expansion of the hospital which started with tripling the size of its Bohlsen Family Emergency Department four years ago.

Over the past 10 years, Northwell has invested $470.4 million to improve the hospital’s infrastructure and strengthen its clinical and technological capabilities.