New Day For East End Healthcare As Southampton Hospital Officially Joins Stony Brook Medicine

SOUTHAMPTON, NY — It was the dawn of a new day in East End health care recently as a celebration was held to to mark Stony Brook Southampton Hospital's joining the Stony Brook Medicine healthcare system.

“Today signifies a bold step forward in realizing a new vision for bringing advanced medical care closer to home for residents of the East End of Long Island,” said Stony Brook University President Samuel L. Stanley Jr., MD.

A new flag was raised over the hospital to signify the beginning of the new era.

"Today we stand at an intersection, where academic medicine and community medicine come together as one. Each partner brings unique strengths to this relationship, as we work to provide the very best in healthcare on Long Island," Stanley said.

Stony Brook Southampton Hospital now provides care under Stony Brook University Hospital’s New York State operating license, a release said.

“We are creating a new network of healthcare providers that spans from Montauk to Manhattan and beyond,” said Kenneth Kaushansky, MD, senior vice president, health sciences, and dean, Stony Brook University School of Medicine. “Bringing these two institutions together provides new opportunities to train our providers in a community-based setting — in the ‘real world’ outside the boundaries of academia.”

The two hospitals have already collaborated in bringing new educational and clinical programs to the community, the release said.

New York State Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul congratulated all involved on the merger. “I commend all of you for never giving up, for continuing to put the people of this community first and making sure that now as a result of your efforts, they will receive first-rate, world-class healthcare because of this day,” she said.

The two hospitals also obtained approval for a cardiac catheterization laboratory located at Southampton, which is slated to open on Sept. 5.

Earlier this summer, a groundbreaking was held for Phillips Family Cancer Center in Southampton, slated for completion in 2018.

“Since the founding of Southampton Hospital in 1909, our mission has been to provide access to the highest quality healthcare for the communities of the South Fork,” said Robert Chaloner, chief administrative officer, Stony Brook Southampton Hospital. “We are completing this mission — we’re now with Stony Brook going to be able to fulfill this mission in ways that our founders would never have imagined with new services, new technology, with new people and new programs.”

Stony Brook Medicine graduate medical education programs have also been introduced at Southampton — including internship and residency programs for internal medicine and family medicine, plus osteopathic medicine programs in surgery and transitional year resident programs; additional rotations are planned for emergency medicine students and residents, the release said.

New York State Senator Ken LaValle applauded the landmark moment.

“Today marks the true beginning of a major step forward in building on the excellent healthcare programs in Southampton,” he said. "The combination of Southampton Hospital and Stony Brook University Hospital will ensure that residents have access to specialists and vital services close to home."

New York State Assemblyman Fred Thiele said he's pleased to have partnered with LaValle to facilitate the merger. “The future is even brighter with this final agreement," he said.

The merger was official in the beginning of August, when Stony Brook University welcomed Southampton Hospital, which will now be known as Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, as a member of the Stony Brook Medicine health system.