Catholic Health Services opens $5 million hospice center

Good Shepherd Hospice has opened a $5 million, 8,400-square-foot inpatient hospice center at Mercy Medical Center in Rockville Centre.

Good Shepherd and Mercy Medical Center are both run by Catholic Health Services of Long Island.

Good Shepherd Hospice Center's new location started taking patients on Jan. 9. Good Shepherd also operates a hospice center on Belle Terre Road in Port Jefferson.

The Rockville Centre location has 12 private in-patient rooms, a family lounge, a kitchen/dining area, and dedicated prayer and family meeting rooms. It also provides 24/7 access to acute symptom management, 24/7 visitation for family, friends and loved ones, plus social work, bereavement services and pastoral care.

Catholic Health Services also operates six hospitals, three nursing homes, a home health agency and a community-based agency for persons with special needs.