NYU Langone Medical Center Today Resumes Inpatient Services At Tisch Hospital And Anticipates A Return Of Nearly All Services by End of January

NEW YORK, Dec. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- NYU Langone Medical Center announced that, effective today, inpatient services at Tisch Hospital and its Schwartz Health Care Center resumed for multiple programs and specialty services. In addition, by working with the New York State Department of Health, the Medical Center plans a return of nearly all services available on the main campus before Hurricane Sandy by the end of January.

"We have overcome many challenges over the last two months, yet our faculty and staff at NYU Langone truly rose to the occasion so that we could get back to doing what we do best - providing world-class patient care, conducting groundbreaking research, and educating the next generation of physicians," said Dr. Robert I. Grossman, MD, dean and CEO, NYU Langone Medical Center. 

Effective today, several inpatient services and select surgical services are now available, including:

• Electrophysiology
• Inpatient and outpatient surgery
• Interventional Radiology
• Medical and surgical intensive care units
• Neurosurgery and the neuro intensive care unit
• Non-invasive cardiology, cardiovascular surgery and cardiovascular catheterization procedures
• Pediatric ambulatory surgery
• Post anesthesia care units (recovery room)

Ancillary services will be available including:

• Blood bank
• Clinical, pathology and microbiology labs
• Dialysis
• Pharmacy
• Radiology (imaging)
• Respiratory therapy

Additionally, on January 14, 2013, the following services are expected to resume:

• Congenital Cardiovascular Care Unit  (services resume January 7)
• Epilepsy
• Hematology/oncology and bone marrow transplant
• Internal medicine
• KiDS of NYU Langone Neonatal ICU (NICU)
• Labor and delivery
• Mother/Baby Unit
• Neurology
• Observation Care
• Pediatrics
• Pediatric intensive care unit (PICU)

At this time, no date has been determined for the re-opening of NYU Langone's Emergency Department (ED). The ED, located on the ground floor level of Tisch Hospital, was in the initial stage of a major construction and expansion program when Hurricane Sandy hit.  As a result of the damage incurred, it is not possible to open or immediately relocate the ED at this time. Recognizing the key role the ED plays in providing healthcare services to the community; NYU Langone will establish an Urgent Care Center. The Urgent Care Center will be staffed by ED clinicians and will handle a range of walk-in cases. Patients presenting for medical care will be evaluated and those with minor complaints will be discharged once treated; those requiring additional evaluation will be admitted to the appropriate inpatient unit; and patients who require services currently not available at the Medical Center will be transported via ambulance to an appropriate facility.

"The re-opening of NYU Langone Medical Center, a driving force in New York's economy, marks a milestone in the recovery process and means that tens of thousands of New Yorkers can return to the work they love," said Senator Schumer, who brought FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate on a tour of the medical center shortly after the storm.  "The damage to the medical center – one of the nation's premier facilities for patient care, research, and medical education – almost took your breath away, but working closely with FEMA we were able to get NYU the funds they needed quickly, and they are re-opening in under two months.  The quick turnaround is a testament to the dedication of the NYU board, executives and staff, and shows the tough stuff New Yorkers are made of.  All New Yorkers can breathe a sigh of relief now that they once again have access to this top notch medical facility."

"New Yorkers have been accustomed to receiving outstanding care at Tisch Hospital at NYU Langone. When Superstorm Sandy put it out of commission, we were deprived of the world-class medical care we are used to finding at this superb hospital. I applaud the staff members of NYU Langone who have worked for eight weeks around the clock to prepare Tisch to reopen.  Restoring our city's hospitals that were damaged during Superstorm Sandy is a major step toward recovery," said U.S. Representative Carolyn B. Maloney.

NYU Langone's Hospital for Joint Diseases (HJD), Center for Musculoskeletal Care (CMC), Clinical Cancer Center and other offsite buildings are open, many with extended hours of service to ensure all new and current patients have access to care. In addition, all physician offices located on the main campus are open in their original locations.

"The Hurricane truly showed who New York's heroes really are, with our staff here and our city and state's first responders risking all to help bring hundreds of patients to safety," said Dr. Grossman. "We are grateful to all those who helped us to achieve a timely and safe re-opening of our facilities including Senators Schumer and Gillibrand, Representatives Maloney, King, Lowey, and Crowley, Governor Cuomo, Mayor Bloomberg, and state and city officials including the staff of the State Departments of Health and Homeland Security. And most importantly, we want to thank our patients for their continued support and for not losing faith that we truly would be back – stronger than ever."

Additional information and can be found at www.med.nyu.edu.

SOURCE NYU Langone Medical Center