Long Beach, NY - August 4, 2015 - Assemblyman Kaminsky today announced that for the first time since Hurricane Sandy, Long Beach and the Barrier Island will have a fully functioning emergency room.

The announcement comes after the New York State Department of Health gave its final approval for South Nassau Communities Hospital's emergency room laboratory. Prior to approval, the facility had received a federal waiver permitting the emergency room to receive patients without having to update their backup generator. The emergency room will begin accepting local 911 patients in the near future. 

“Restoring full emergency services to the Barrier Island has been a priority for me since day one,” Assemblyman Kaminsky said. “Today I am proud to announce that Barrier Island residents will now have the emergency care they both deserve and need.”

“The City Council has been aggressively advocating since the Storm to restore a 24-hour, 911-receiving emergency department in Long Beach, and we are thrilled that thanks to the hard work of Assemblyman Kaminsky and Congresswoman Rice, the red tape at the state and federal levels has cleared,” said City Council President Len Torres.

“This will be a state of the art emergency room that we can be proud of,” Assemblyman Kaminsky said. “I want to thank the Department of Health and South Nassau Community Hospital for being supportive partners throughout this process. The Department of Health acted quickly and responsibly in approving the laboratory, displaying kindness and concern for Barrier Island residents and respect for the work South Nassau and I have undertaken thus far."