Stony Brook University Hospital celebrated its 40th anniversary this month, noting significant achievements, recognition and accolades associated with clinical outcomes and patient safety along the journey. This was a momentous occasion in our history, especially on the heels of recently completing the most significant expansion project since first opening our doors 40 years ago.
Today, Stony Brook University Hospital enjoys a proud history as Long Island’s premier academic medical center and teaching hospital, but our origins date back to 1963. That year, the New York State Commission on Medical Education planted the seed of an idea that would eventually become the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University and Stony Brook University Hospital. This led Dr. Edmund Pellegrino, the first Vice President for Health Sciences, to propose building a medical center from the ground up, and place into practice new ideas about patient care and medical education that he had been developing for a decade.
While SBUH officially opened in 1980, the groundwork began long before. The hospital was originally planned as a 504-bed facility, and construction began in 1974. Eventually, after five years of construction, the hospital was completed in mid-1978. However, it did not open until nearly two years later, as our founders still needed to figure out the logistics of how to hire and train the staff and buy and install the equipment, which was no small undertaking. Nearly 100,000 pieces of equipment were ordered and after a week of mock operations, the hospital officially opened its doors on Feb. 18, 1980, and it was dedicated on May 24 in the same year.
In reflecting on our origins, what impresses me most is how far Stony Brook University Hospital has come in four short decades. Historical timelines overview a few major milestones of our tremendous growth and development. After the NICU and PICU opened in 1980, the hospital began open heart surgery in 1982. Two years later, the Ambulatory Surgery Center opened, along with the Burn Center, the Cardiovascular ICU and Radiation Oncology.
Between 1986 and 1990 came the Cancer Center, AIDS Center and Trauma Center, plus the Lyme Disease Treatment Center. Helicopter transports started in 1989 with the Suffolk County Police. In the 1990s, development took off at what we now call “Tech Park” in Setauket. And in 2003, work began on the major modernization project, which at the time was our most significant expansion in SBUH history, culminating with the new Stony Brook Heart Institute and a beautiful new lobby, plus the new Stony Brook Cancer Center, Neonatal ICU, Labor & Delivery Suite, Women & Infants Unit, expanded Emergency Department, new Pediatric ER and 10 new Operating Rooms.
The progress we have made over the past four decades has been simply remarkable. However, there has been one constant amidst all the construction and all the change; that constant has been our people. What has not changed is the dedication and commitment of our staff to caring for our patients. Your unyielding commitment to caring distinguishes Stony Brook as Long Island’s premier academic medical center. It is also the greatest source of personal and professional pride for me.
Many of us share the same story of being able to bear witness to the incredible growth of SBUH from the beginning. Over four decades, we have maintained our focus on providing high-quality patient care in the midst of many expansions, renovations, upgrades, budget challenges, reincarnations and reinventions. We have responded to the ever-changing needs of our growing community, and in the process, we have helped Stony Brook become the preferred hospital of choice for residents, both locally and regionally. Maintaining high standards of clinical excellence has enabled the hospital to achieve national recognition for our clinical outcomes, and the distinction of being the only hospital on Long Island to be named one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals™ by Healthgrades for two consecutive years.
That commitment to excellence has sustained our medical center for the past 40 years, and it will carry us forward in the years ahead. Many thanks to everyone who has been part of this remarkable journey.
Additionally, I’d like to thank Kate Guggenheim, our Director of Employee Engagement, for the various celebration events that took place throughout the organization during the week of Feb. 10. And thank you to the Marketing and Communications team for creating a truly memorable anniversary event, complete with a documentary-style video and two photographic exhibits. In case you haven’t seen them, both photography exhibits are on display in the hospital and provide a wonderful representation of our proud history serving the residents of Long Island.
Carol