Coronavirus: Huntington Hospital's Letter To Residents

HUNTINGTON, NY — Two Huntington Hospital executives wrote a letter to the community on Friday to update residents on the new coronavirus and thank them for their support.

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Below is the full letter from Nick Fitterman, MD, executive director of Huntington Hospital, and Michael Grosso, MD, medical director of Huntington Hospital:

Dear Neighbor,

These are unprecedented times. I will not mention the statistics here, because by the time you read this they will be wrong. Let me begin, instead, by saying how proud I am of the nurses and physicians, the technologists and administrators, and all the other people who make Huntington Hospital the exceptional institution and local resource that it is.

To meet the challenge of COVID-19 in our community, we have cancelled all elective surgeries and many other procedures, re-purposed beds to expand critical care capacity and redirected dozens of physicians and other providers – hospitalists, nurse practitioners, PA staff and residents – to create a vastly expanded workforce for providing intensive care. Some models predict a dire period of resource shortage, when the number of individuals requiring ventilators far outstrips the supply. On the other hand, if aggressive interventions – especially social distancing – have their desired effect, we may still avert the worst scenarios.

As this situation has unfolded, we have been amazed by the incredible support of our community. Food for our staff, donations of supplies, and offers to volunteer – these have been overwhelming illustrations of the big-hearted generosity that defines Huntingtonians, and I thank you for them on behalf of our team.

Please know that we are working very closely with our colleagues across Northwell Health, our town, county and state governments to meet this challenge of a lifetime. We stand ready to do what we all trained for – to heal the infirmed and save lives. Finally, I ask you to observe the tips listed below to stop the spread of COVID-19. Be well and be safe.

Tips for Huntington Residents:

1. Stay home.
2. If you have to go out, stay six feet away from others.
3. Use hand sanitizer.
4. If you have a fever, talk to your doctor or visit a Northwell Health-GoHealth Urgent Care Center.
5. Don't visit an Emergency Department unless you need to.
6. Donate blood if you can.

Yours truly,

Nick Fitterman, MD, MACP
Executive Director
Huntington Hospital

Michael Grosso, MD, FAAP
Medical Director
Huntington Hospital

Read also: Huntington Coronavirus Updates

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