Mount Sinai South Nassau Temporarily Closes Long Beach Emergency Department Due to Nursing Staff Shortages

The Emergency Department in Long Beach operated by Mount Sinai South Nassau will be closed temporarily as of 3 PM today due to nursing staff shortages occurring as a result of the state vaccine mandate.

The decision to temporarily close the facility was made after all other options were exhausted.

Patients from the barrier island in need of emergency care will be directed to the hospital’s main campus in Oceanside. An ambulance will be stationed around the clock at the closed Long Beach Emergency Department for the duration of the closure.

Mount Sinai South Nassau is securing all regulatory approvals and has submitted a formal closure plan to the NYS Department of Health.

The closure will continue for up to four weeks and could be extended depending on staff availability. The staffing shortage and closure of the LBED is a result of the Hospital’s compliance with the NYSDOH’s mandate issued Thursday, requiring the suspension of all staff working under temporary religious exemptions who could not show proof today of receiving a first dose of COVID-19 vaccination or a valid medical exemption from receiving it.

More than 99 percent of Mount Sinai South Nassau’s staff are fully vaccinated, not counting those who sought religious or medical exemptions. Mount Sinai South Nassau is actively recruiting experienced and qualified staff who can document either a first dose COVID-19 vaccination or a valid medical exemption so that it can resume full operations of the Long Beach Emergency Department on or about December 15, 2021.

“We regret having to take this step but the safety of our patients is always our No. 1 priority,” said Adhi Sharma, President. “This will allow us to shift nursing staff to the Oceanside campus to ensure that we maintain adequate staffing at the Emergency Department at our main campus.”

“We are committed to serving residents of the barrier island,” Dr. Sharma said. “This closure should not be interpreted as anything beyond what it is – a temporary measure designed to relieve current staffing challenges in our Emergency Department. Our nurses, physicians and support staff have been on the frontlines of the pandemic for more than 21 months. We will continue to be there for our patients.”
   
The Emergency Department in Oceanside is one of the busiest in Nassau County and is a Trauma Center designated facility. Emergency Department staff in Oceanside sees some 70,000 patient visits per year. The Long Beach Emergency Department handles approximately 10,000 visits per year and most of those patients are treated and released without having to be transferred to the hospital in Oceanside. The Long Beach facility has been open since 2015. Mount Sinai South Nassau currently is building an ambulatory care center near the Long Beach Emergency Department in Long Beach that is slated to open in 2023.