LI Community Hospital announces potential partnership with NYC Langone Health

Negotiations have begun between Long Island Community Hospital and NYU Langone Health to enter into a partnership after a non-binding letter of intent was signed. The partnership would bring the two organizations together, expanding NYU Langone’s network into eastern Long Island with the potential to serve over 400,000 patients.

“We are very enthusiastic about the proposed affiliation as we believe that the united strength of our organizations will greatly enhance delivery of health care services to residents of Suffolk County,” said Robert I. Grossman, MD, dean and CEO of NYU Langone Health. 

NYU Langone currently has hospitals in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Mineola and is consistently ranked among the top hospitals in the country with six inpatient locations and more than 350 ambulatory sites and over 150 practices in Queens and Long Island.

LICH has a 65-year history with recent additions including the Knapp Cardiac Care Center (an advanced heart disease diagnosis and treatment facility), a new modern surgical pavilion, a level III trauma center, and specialized services including women’s imaging, sleep laboratory, and wound care.

“While we are proud of our history as an independent community hospital, we recognize the significant opportunity to enhance our capabilities through a strategic partnership, and NYU Langone represents the best partner, based on many synergies, including a mutual commitment to improving quality, medical excellence, a complementary geographic presence, and, most importantly, compatibility of our cultures,” Richard T. Margulis, president and chief executive officer at LI Community Hospital said, noting that the partnership would be a “momentous milestone.”

Current staff, he added, will be part of the transition, while the newly rebranded name, although more in line with the essence of the care, could potentially see a slight change notating the partnership with NYU.

The deal comes after possible partnership negotiations with Stony Brook University Hospital, fell through, though Margulis said there has been a shift in need with patients no longer wanting to travel back and forth to the city for care.

“We are very thankful for that relationship we had with them [Stony Brook]; the pandemic changed our demographics,” he said, noting that it has become clear that NYU Langone better “matched up to their vision and mission.”

Both hospitals are currently in negotiations and signing agreements while also seeking regulatory approvals. Margulis said, after agreements are reviewed by the Department of Health, the partnership could begin sometime late this year or early 2022.

“This is a tremendous opportunity to be part of the NYU Langone Health. [It] brings us the ability to raise level of quality much quicker than most hospital can do with advancements in research medical education, training of physicians and infrastructure and computerization,” he added. “The transformation is a positive disruption and something that will be felt by all

residents of Suffolk County to have access to this level of care.”