(February 4, 2005 -- Rockville Centre, NY) -- Martin A. Bieber, President and CEO of Mercy Medical Center in Rockville Centre, today announced that the Mercy Medical Center’s application to change the use of the skilled nursing facility, currently under construction into an acute care wing of the hospital was approved by New York State Department of Health. The decision to make this change is in direct response to the community need, and will permit the medical center to dramatically improve its patient care environment and its overall infrastructure by placing 160 of its existing beds to a brand new, state of the art facility. 

Mr. Bieber, stated, “When this building was first conceived as a skilled nursing facility for the elderly in the early 1990s, there was a justifiable community need. Since that time, the variety of services for the aging members of our community changed dramatically, to include new nursing homes, senior assisted living centers, and the like. In the meantime, we recognized the need for Mercy to upgrade, renovate and improve its existing medical care facilities has only become more pressing. This decision allows us to offer state-of-the art acute care in modern state of the art facilities, meeting the needs of our patients and doctors.”

“This decision will have a profound and positive impact on the future of Mercy Medical Center as doctors and nurses will be able to utilize this brand new acute care facility by the summer. This new building will complement the institution’s capital investments in its infrastructure, which includes its new operating room suite, neonatal intensive care unit and physical medicine and rehabilitation unit. Key to this decision is our ability to provide better care, in modern space with improved convenience to our patients,” explained Bieber. 

State Senator Dean Skelos, who also serves as Deputy Majority Leader of the New York State Senate observed, “This shift in use to acute care reflects the ability of Mercy to recognize strategic shifts in the health care environment and move to meet those needs. As one who participated in the building’s `topping out’ ceremony during construction I know from first hand inspection that it is well equipped to meet this new challenge but, more importantly, so too is the staff at Mercy.” 

Media Contact: Diane O'Doherty at 516-705-2619