Catholic Health Services plans big expansion at Good Samaritan

Catholic Health Services plans to invest more than $525 million to expand Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center in West Islip, according to a state regulatory filing.

The Rockville Centre-based health system said in a state department of health filing it plans a 300,000-square-foot, six-story expansion on the grounds of the hospital on Montauk Highway.

CHS said it plans to add a 16-operating room surgical suite and a 36-bed, private-room inpatient floor. 

It would also relocate the emergency department. 

The new addition would be connected to the existing hospital, according to the document, which was filed the last week of December. The filing is under review, according to the health department’s website.

Ruth Hennessey, president of Good Samaritan, said the expansion and improvements are necessary to properly serve the community. “This will make us a modern, more contemporary medical facility,” she said.

“The ED is woefully undersized,” Hennessey added. “Having private rooms for patients helps from the infection control point of view and with patient experience." 

In the filing, the health system wrote although Good Samaritan “has been making significant facility and programmatic improvements over the last several years, the hospital’s last major expansion project was over 33 years ago and has since been maneuvering within an antiquated operational infrastructure and facility setting.”

The filing also stated that the project would take 30 months without disruption of the existing functions of the inpatient facility or emergency department. Good Samaritan added that any construction would be handled in compliance with local and state officials.

Northwell Health’s Southside Hospital in Bay Shore, which is only a few miles to the east on Montauk Highway, is also upgrading. Northwell said it expects to add operating rooms and beds at Southside. It is also building a five-story employee parking garage and expanding its maternity unit.