Design of New Emergency Room
On Dec. 8, Nassau University Medical Center announced the start of construction for the new emergency department, a centerpiece of the major modernization program for NUMC. The ED construction will be funded through a New York State Department of Health HEAL (Health Care Efficiency and Affordability Law) Phase 2 grant.
A Project Labor Agreement with the Nassau Suffolk Building and Construction Trades Council was also announced that will promote a planned approach to labor relations and help to predict labor cost and schedules while promoting productivity and efficiency. The PLA will cover three projects on the NUMC campus: the emergency department, the psychiatric floor renovations and the Veterans Administration outpatient center.This will provide construction employment for as many as 75 union trades workers. The Nassau Suffolk Building and Construction Trades Council is part of the Long Island Federation of Labor, that CSEA also belongs to.
According to Public Affairs Director Shelley Lotenberg, this first floor of the project is slated to be completed by October 2010 with the remainder by late spring 2011. She also says, “Workers will benefit from having a new ED (emergency department) in which to work and to use. Basic operations will not be impacted while construction is going on, but it is possible that, from time to time, some minor inconveniences might occur, but we will take every precaution to ensure our employees, patients and visitors' safety.”
Gilbane Building Company, NuHealth’s construction manager, will oversee and manage the project including construction services provided by Plaza Construction, for the 45,000 square feet emergency department located on two NUMC floors. According to Lotenberg, the entire job will be done by Plaza Construction and will not involve any CSEA members working at NUMC.