After a decision was announced today by Peconic Bay Medical Center to join the North Shore-LIJ network, Eastern Long Island Hospital is “still negotiating,” according to President and CEO Paul J. Connor III.
“We have been and wil continue to negotiate with North Shore-LIJ and Stony Brook,” Connor said Friday. “Our timeline is the end of May.”
Connor said a board meeting would be held on May 28 and a decision would be made at that time. “We’re still negotiating. Each partner has their own set of requirements. Our overarching focus is that we are the first hospital in Suffolk County; we’re 110 years old. We have a significant history and mission to our community in the Town of Southold and Shelter Island. Our goal is to go with whatever partner that will continue that mission to the evolving health needs of the community.”
He added, “Our board is very committed to taking the extra time to make sure we make the right decision. We have a lot riding on it.”
PBMC’s board of directors voted last night to join the North Shore-LIJ system, extending North Shore–LIJ’s presence into eastern Long Island for the first time. Other Suffolk hospitals already in the North Shore-LIJ system are Huntington Hospital, Southside Hospital in Bay Shore and South Oaks Hospital in Amityville.
The decision came after “an exhaustive strategic planning process,” PBMC chairwoman Sherry Patterson said in a press release announcing the vote.
The agreement would “establish important new regional medical services and provide long-term stability for our patients during a time of great volatility in the healthcare market,” Patterson said.
PBMC was an affiliate member of the North Shore-LIJ health system between 2000 and 2006. It has since become affiliated with Stony Brook University Hospital, which provides emergency department and radiological services in the Riverhead hospital. PBMC’s affiliation agreement with Stony Brook expires in 2016.
PBMC is also a member of the East End Health Alliance, a three-hospital alliance formed by PBMC, Eastern Long Island Hospital and Southampton Hospital, which bargains as a group with health insurance companies.
Southampton Hospital announced on Oct. 1, 2012 that it had signed a non-binding letter of intent with Stony Brook University Hospital that began the process of becoming part of the Stony Brook health system. In January, the State University of New York trustees approved the affiliation between Stony Brook and Southampton.
State Sen. Ken LaValle has advocated for the three East End Hospitals to become part of the Stony Brook Health System. He calls the idea “a regional plan that I have made a priority throughout my career.” LaValle did not return a call seeking comment on the PBMC-North Shore-LIJ announcement.
At the Oct. 1, 2012 press conference where Southampton and Stony Brook announced their letter of intent, LaValle said he expected both Eastern Long Island Hospital and PBMC to agree to enter the Stony Brook system within a year. He said both North Fork hospitals had already begun discussions with Stony Brook.
A Stony Brook-led health system, taking in the three East End hospitals as well as Brookhaven Memorial Hospital in Patchogue was the recommendation of the NYS Commission on Health Care Facilities in the 21st Century — commonly referred to as the Berger Commission — in its 2006 final report.
Last October, PBMC president and CEO Andrew Mitchell acknowledged the hospital was in “active talks” with both Stony Brook and North Shore-LIJ. He said the hospital trustees would be guided by which partner offered more to the community PBMC serves in the way of programs and services.
Mitchell declined comment on today’s announcement.
North Shore-LIJ is one of the nation’s largest health systems, according to the joint press release. It operates 19 hospitals and more than 400 outpatient physician practices throughout the region.
“North Shore-LIJ’s owned hospitals and long-term care facilities house more than 6,400 beds, employ nearly 11,000 nurses and have affiliations with about 10,000 physicians. With a workforce of about 54,000, North Shore-LIJ is the largest private employer in New York State,” the release said.
