Nassau hospital has chance to leave its past behind

Long the region's most troubled hospital, Nassau University Medical Center finally has a chance to leave its past behind.

Any day now, NUMC will undergo a surprise inspection by the national body that accredits hospitals.

The stakes are extremely high. Nobody thinks NUMC will fail - that would mean losing millions in federal money - but simply passing the test is not enough for chief executive Arthur Gianelli. To turn the corner, NUMC has to ace it.

For the past three years, Gianelli has been working to transform NUMC from a place known for treating victims of gunshots and car wrecks into a model community hospital.

Not long ago, few people gave him much of a chance.

The hospital struggled for decades in the gears of Nassau County politics. Politicians squeezed its budgets and cut its staff, and chief executives never lasted long. Experts cringed at the chaos - this was Nassau's only public safety-net hospital, with a stated mission to serve the poor.

Fixing NUMC reflects the national drive to reform a health care system marked by high costs and uneven quality, a push that in part relies on hospitals meeting accreditation requirements.

NUMC will be tested on 1,614 such standards, and Gianelli allowed Newsday unprecedented, behind-the-scenes access in August - "war month," they called it - as the staff was consumed with getting ready for the big inspection.

Success hinges on whether the housekeeping staff properly disinfects the beds, doctors write their orders legibly, and food-service aides, between meal deliveries, remember to wash their hands.

The question is, can they pull it off?