NYU Langone doctor takes top job at LI Community Hospital as longtime CEO retires

Long Island Community Hospital’s longtime chief, who began his career there as an X-ray technician, is stepping down after 41 years at the Patchogue institution.

Richard T. Margulis retired as president and CEO of the 306-bed hospital on Saturday, NYU Langone Health said. 

Dr. Marc S. Adler, chief medical officer of NYU Langone Hospital-Long Island in Mineola, has taken over from Margulis as the facility's top administrator, with the title of chief of hospital operations, NYU Langone said Friday.

Long Island Community Hospital is merging with the Manhattan-based NYU Langone health care system, which says it is spending $100 million on its first round of upgrades to the Patchogue hospital.

In a letter to the health care system's staff, NYU Langone dean and CEO Dr. Robert I. Grossman called Margulis an "exceptional partner" in the two institutions' ongoing merger. Before the pandemic, Margulis "showed great foresight by fortifying the hospital’s emergency preparedness," in addition to doubling hospital staff and overseeing construction of the $60 million Knapp Cardiac Care Center, among other projects, Grossman wrote. 

Serving as the hospital's CEO "has been an honor and a privilege," Margulis, 66, said in an interview Friday. He said of the merger, "We’re fortunate that we’re able to look to the future and the great things that will come out of this relationship."

Margulis started at the hospital as an X-ray technician in 1982, working full time  while earning his bachelor's degree in health care administration from St. Joseph's College in Patchogue, now St. Joseph's University. He later earned his master's in business administration from Dowling College, NYU Langone said. 

He was appointed chief operating officer in 2006 and became CEO in 2013, after leading an 18-month effort to improve care and lower costs. At the time, the hospital was known as Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center.

Upon retirement, Margulis said, "the first thing I’m going to do is something I haven’t done since I was 13, which is take the summer off." Margulis, who lives with his wife, Kathy, in Brookhaven, said they  look forward to traveling in the United States and abroad.

Adler earned his medical degree from SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse in 1992. He did his residency at the Mineola hospital when it was known as Winthrop-University Hospital, and later became an attending physician there, according to NYU Langone.

He has also worked as division chief of the Mineola facility's hospitalist program, director of value-based purchasing and senior physician adviser. A hospitalist is a doctor who treats hospital inpatients.

He has received the U.S. Army Freedom Team Salute commendation for providing care to local active and retired military service personnel. In addition, he is a clinical associate professor of medicine at NYU-Long Island School of Medicine in Mineola.

Adler has spent 14 months transitioning into his new leadership role, NYU Langone said. In a statement, he thanked Margulis "for the remarkable leadership he has provided the community over the years and for his partnership during this transition.”

Adler's replacement as chief medical officer at the Mineola hospital will be Dr. Nicole M. Adler, now associate chief medical officer. The two are not related, NYU Langone said.

Last year,  Long Island Community Hospital and NYU Langone received state and federal approval for NYU Langone to become the “active parent” of LICH, which had been the region’s last independent hospital. LICH is still a separate corporation, but its affiliation with NYU Langone means it can draw on the system's resources, NYU Langone said. The system said last year that a full merger would take about three years.

By Maura McDermott

maura.mcdermott@newsday.commauramcdermott

Maura McDermott covers health care and other business news on Long Island.