Photo from the office of Senator Michael Gianaris
Oct. 9, 2024 By Shane O’Brien
State Sen. Mike Gianaris has secured $6 million in funding for a new intensive care unit at Mount Sinai Queens, expanding critical care services at the hospital to meet the growing needs of the local community.
Gianaris joined Mount Sinai Queens President Dr. David Reich and Mount Sinai Queens Executive Director Dr. Cameron Hernandez to announce the funding on Monday, Oct. 7, stating that the allocation will help to transform the hospital, located at 25-10 30th Ave.
The funding will increase the number of intensive care beds at Mount Sinai Queens from eight to 21, including seven beds for intermediate care services serving as an in-between space for general care and the ICU. Intermediate services are also often used to support the needs of older adults and patients with complex conditions or severe disabilities.
Photo from the office of Senator Michael Gianaris
The investment will also fund a procedural room to support ICU patients as needed while enhancing the delivery of highly specialized, life-saving care for those facing serious illnesses and injuries.
The expansion of Mount Sinai’s ICU services addresses the growing demand for ICU beds, as approximately 120 patients were transferred from Mount Sinai Queens to other facilities in 2023 due to a shortage of available ICU beds.
Officials at the hospital said the funding will help its team of critical care nurses, patient care associates, respiratory therapists, physical therapists, social workers, case managers and other specialists provide optimal care for more patients and maximize capacity.
Gianaris said the expansion of ICU services at the hospital will help prevent future transfers of Queens patients to Manhattan due to a lack of ICU capacity.
“Western Queens residents should not have to cross the river into Manhattan to get quality healthcare,” Gianaris said in a statement. “The funding I secured will transform the care provided in western Queens and ensure our neighbors can receive good care closer to home.”
Senator Gianaris speaks at the announcement of $6 million in funding for a new intensive care unit at Mount Sinai Queens. Photo: Mike Gianaris Flickr.
Gianaris said the expansion of the ICU at Mount Sinai will provide patients with a higher quality of care, including advanced monitoring for patients recovering from complex surgeries. It will also improve the continuity of care that patients receive and prevent patients from incurring additional expenses related to ambulance transfers, Gianaris said.
Furthermore, critical care beds will be fully equipped with telemonitors that enable care teams to manage a large number of ICU patients and exchange information electronically in real time.
Hernandez said the expansion of ICU services had been a long-time goal for Mount Sinai and said the hospital will now be able to offer a higher quality of care to its patients.
“Mount Sinai Queens can continue to serve on its promise to bring innovative, cutting-edge medical technology to our community and provide the top quality care residents need and deserve,” Hernandez said in a statement.
Photo from the office of Senator Michael Gianaris
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