ELIH is Thoroughly Assisted by Stony Brook University Hospital

By Danny McCarthy
Eastern Long Island Hospital {ELIH} is located at 201 Manor Place in Greenport NY.
In 2005, ELIH gave “heartfelt appreciation to all who supported the year-long {ELIH} Centennial Celebration”.
ELIH Centennial Pillars {aka “powers-that-be” who helped to work on a committee together to organize ELIH Centennial events} garnered praise, attention, and rather good worthwhile judgment, and included:
North Fork Bank {who by the way became Capital One Bank – and as of the month of August 2019 Capital One Bank branches in Southold & Greenport are permanently closed. Also as of August 2019, the Mattituck Capital One Bank branch is open} – John and Colette Roe – Stony Brook University Hospital – Cambio Health Solutions, LLC – Eastern Long Island Hematology/Oncology – Garfunkel, Wild & Travis – North Shore-LIJ health System – Putney, Twombley, Hall & Hirson – Southold & Shelter Island Heights pharmacies – Brecknock Hall Foundation – Bridgehampton National Bank – The Corcoran Group – Diversified Benefit Services – Peconic Landing
NOW … ACCORDING TO THE BOOKLET/JOURNAL THAT WAS PRINTED TO PAY TRIBUTE TO THE 100TH ELIH ANNIVERSARY:
“The ELIH Board of Trustees Wishes to Express Gratitude to the Communities of the North Fork and Shelter Island for Their Steadfast Support Over the last 100 Years.
As ELIH begins its second century of serving our community, we pledge to continue to raise the quality of care and compassion shown to each of you and your families.
Thank You All”
“HEAR YE! HEAR YE!”
A letter that appeared in that ELIH 100th Anniversary booklet reads:
“August 2005
Dear Friends,
Eastern Long Island Hospital is proud of its rich history and its mission to provide quality healthcare close to home. Thanks to a caring community with a vision to establish a hospital east of Mineola, ELIH became Suffolk County’s first voluntary hospital in 1905.
Since its early beginnings as a Victorian mansion, donated by the benevolent Wood sisters of Greenport, ELIH continues to keep pace with changing technologies and deliver excellence in patient care for a growing year-round population. ELIH is also evolving into a primary medical resource for an increasing number of summer residents and visitors to the North Fork and Shelter Island each year.
As ELIH celebrates its many milestones, the Board of Trustees, Administration and Medical Staff look forward to a second century of caring. The next 100 years brings the promise of even greater medical advancements and opportunities for growth. Your continued support greatly impacts the lives of many generations to come.
Sincerely,
Thomas A. Murray Jr.
Chairman of the Board of Trustees
Paul J Connor III
President and Chief Executive Officer
Anthony E Mitarotondo Jr MD
President, Medical Staff”
“Eastern Long Island Hospital
LAURA GOODALE AWARD
Established in 1986 by lifelong ELIH supporter Carl Vail and the Southold-Greenport Rotary, the award was inspired by a former nurse who worked at ELIH in1918 when the hospital was just a {three-story} Victorian Mansion. Laura Goodale was ‘dependable, conscientious and caring – an inspiration to patients and staff alike.’ It is in the memory of Carl E. Vail, Sr. that this award is focused on Nursing and the embodiment of Laura Goodale “An Unforgettable Nurse”
“BITS AND PIECES”
This column was within the ELIH 100th Anniversary Journal that I am so definitely so honored to have.
“During World War II special permission was granted by the American Red Cross to use the hospital for Nurses’ Aid Training, and special steps were taken to have the hospital properly equipped and safeguarded in case of emergency raids.”
“The Auxiliary organized ‘Annual Donation Day’ when collecting food and cash for the hospital became a community project. Local farmers donated strawberries, potatoes, onions, rhubarb and other fruits and vegetables. They went out on trucks to pick up donations from their neighbors that included everything from household items to canned goods.”
“Besides its function for raising money for renovations, supplies, furnishings, coal and medical equipment, the Auxiliary had a committee in charge of keeping linen, bedding, and clothing in good repair and another committee to inspect regularly the operations of the hospital and repair its findings to the Board of Directors.”
JUST A LITTLE CONFUSION …
Within my LINKEDIN.COM post re: Dr. Barton Skinner I have this:
“ I was reminded on page 87 in Greenport Yesterday & Today ~ The Diary of a Country Newspaper {by Elsie Knapp Corwin in collaboration with her husband Frederick Langton Corwin – The publishers of Suffolk Times}:
“In June, 1907, the Eastern Long Island Hospital was opened to the public, the first hospital east of Mineola. Patients from the entire East end, including the South fork of the Island were accepted. Working for the support of this institution became one of the chief interests of the community and has continued through the years of its growth.”
Just for the sake of it - Here’s a link carrying that Dr. Barton Skinner “post” by me:
~ Dr. Barton Skinner ~ | North Fork, NY Patch
July 1, 2019, patch.com staff member Lisa Finn placed online: “Eastern Long Island Hospital Joins Stony Brook Medicine”
“ELIH will now be referred to as Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital” – {SBELIH}.
FREEDOM OF THE PRESS …
In honor of saluting this new “bonding-like connection” between ELIH & the Stony Brook University Hospital:
Having been an editor and now being a freelance writer – I have taken the July 1, 2019 Lisa Finn patch.com entry here within my post and thought too to either quote directly or create her article too with “my own words” since I previously entered some ELIH-related discussion. The item by Lisa Finn was taken from press releases and I’m “combining about this merge in my own fashion!”
GREENPORT, NY —
Eastern Long Island Hospital and Stony Brook Medicine had been formally affiliated since 2006, with the decision for the 90-bed {ELIH} {acute-care} hospital to join the Stony Brook Medicine health system coming in 2015, according to Stony Brook.
Eastern Long Island Hospital has officially joined the Stony Brook Medicine Healthcare System, providing services under Stony Brook University Hospital’s New York State operating license where the partnership became effective as of July 1 {2019{!}
The agreement between SBELIH and Stony Brook required a series of reviews and approvals by various New York State regulatory and legislative authorities; it also required final approval from the Suffolk County Supreme Court. ~ A key benefit of the agreement has long been the shared belief that the provision of healthcare should stay local.
In addition, Eastern Long Island Hospital and Stony Brook University Hospital {SBUH} have been working collaboratively for more than a decade, along with Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, to provide healthcare services to the East End of Long Island, with services that are highly complementary in nature.
SBUH, Southampton Hospital and Eastern Long Island Hospital formally affiliated in 2008, as recommended by the Berger Commission Report issued by New York State Department of Health in 2006.
“By welcoming Eastern Long Island Hospital into the Stony Brook Medicine Hospital System, we remain on the cutting edge of healthcare, implementing new strategies to improve the health of the communities we serve,” said Kenneth Kaushansky, MD, MACP, Senior Vice President, Health Sciences and Dean of the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University. “We’ve taken many bold steps to strengthen our infrastructure across systems to promote excellence in research, education and clinical services.” “{A} new Mastery in General Surgery Fellowship program provides Stony Brook surgical fellows with four months of rural surgery experience, thereby also improving surgical physician staffing in the SBELIH operating rooms and emergency department.”
ALSO: “Stony Brook Medicine offers a psychiatric residency program at SBELIH, which {in-turn}, serves as a clinical campus and training site, increasing the number of physicians, specialists, allied health professionals and nurses on the East End of Long Island.”
“With the help of Stony Brook Medicine, ELIH has gradually grown its footprint during the past few years,” said Paul Connor III, Chief Administrative Officer of SBELIH. “We welcomed neurological surgery and urologic oncology specialists, and we now have general surgeons from Meeting House Lane Medical in Southampton performing procedures in our surgical center of excellence. I’m gratified that we can offer all these new programs and services to our community.”
“This is an exciting time for Eastern Long Island Hospital,” said Thomas E. Murray, Jr., chairman of Eastern Long Island Hospital’s board of directors. “A lot of hard work has taken place, but the reward is here now — to be part of Stony Brook Medicine. Becoming part of the Stony Brook Medicine family allows us to continue our mission, offering the best possible care to our patients and community.”
“Bringing these two institutions together is another example of the extraordinary growth Stony Brook Medicine has pursued to serve our patients and address a variety of health care needs,” said Margaret McGovern, MD, PhD, Vice President for Health System Clinical Programs and Strategy at Stony Brook Medicine. “The collaboration will allow the three hospitals to work even more closely together to enable new, local access to additional medical and surgical services and new community-based health programs.”
New York State Senator Kenneth P. LaValle, chairman of the New York State Senate Higher Education Committee, said he was pleased that “our shared vision of increasing accessible, quality, affordable health care across the East End today becomes a reality with the addition of Eastern Long Island Hospital into the Stony Brook Medicine healthcare system. This will provide residents with greater access to specialists, clinical trials and advanced technology, all combined with the convenience and personalized care of a community-based hospital.
As for insurance, patients with in-network insurance coverage at Eastern Long Island Hospital prior to the transition will continue to have in-network coverage at SBELIH after the transition.
Employees’ and physicians’ experiences will not change. Eastern Long Island Hospital employees will maintain their status as private sector employees. Any representation of employees by the private sector unions at ELIH and collective bargaining agreements at EIIH will not be affected.
The hospitals in the Stony Brook Medicine healthcare system are working together to address healthcare gaps for East End residents, including specialty areas such as trauma, neurology, psychiatry, gynecology, pulmonology, hematology/oncology and orthopedic services; many residents have long had to travel to receive much-needed services.
Stony Brook Medicine has maintained a fleet of critical care ambulances and first responders to enhance emergency care and for transport services to be available to North Fork and Shelter Island residents. Patients at SBELIH that require intensive care are transferred to Stony Brook University Hospital. As a result, patients quickly and easily receive treatment and benefit from enhanced services including shared medical records, clinical care protocols and quality assurance programs.
AND ~ Stony Brook Medicine clinicians have staffed and assisted in the development of Eastern Long Island Hospital’s inpatient behavioral health programs, cared for patients who needed specialty care not available at Eastern Long Island Hospital, and provided support and patient transport services via Stony Brook Emergency Medical Services’ two {fully-equipped} fly cars — first responder EMS vehicles where patients are stabilized for transport — in emergency situations.
Skin cancer screenings to all inpatients are available through the Mollie Biggane Melanoma Foundation.
Future plans include a telehealth program that will provide Shelter Island residents with direct access to Stony Brook Medicine specialists. And, through Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, wellness services are already being offered in Greenport at the Ed & Phyllis Davis Wellness Institute adjacent to SBELIH.
ELIH Foundation will continue to be governed by its local board of directors and all funds raised by the Foundation and Auxiliary will remain local.
(The North Fork and Shelter Island are retirement destinations, making these communities the oldest population per capita in New York State, with an aging population that has unique needs, SBELIH will respond to the changing healthcare environment with expanded coordinated care, while maintaining high patient safety and satisfaction, all involved maintained.)
ELIH will continue to make business decisions locally based on the needs of the community and, at the same time, will gain the support of a large, successful healthcare system.
HERE’S TO GOOD HEALTH BY A WINNING “TEAM” OF SBELIH!

* You know something folks - {?} - Whenever you happen to view an advertisement relating to SBELIH and the headline does not read SBELIH and merely ELIH - it might be "the-powers-that-be" wishing the reader to think about the former Eastern Long Island Hospital before the STONY BROOK UNIERSITY HOSPITAL merge with ELIH due to the fact that Eastern Long Island Hospital does have a legend of its own