Nurses call for reopening of Syosset psychiatric unit after COVID-19 peak

A group of nurses on Thursday called for the Northwell Health system to reopen the psychiatric unit at Syosset Hospital, citing patients' need for continued care in their communities.

The 20-bed unit was temporarily closed by Northwell in order to create additional medical and surgical bed capacity at the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak in the region. Nurses gathered outside the facility. 

"They brought back elective surgeries, but meanwhile, here we are in July, and they haven't said a word about when they plan to reopen this unit," said Pat Kane, executive director of the New York State Nurses Association, which represents registered nurses at Syosset Hospital.

Kane said Northwell has closed other mental health units in recent years, including one in Valley Stream in 2017, "So we are concerned because of their track record."

Nurses said the closing of the unit has led to mental health patients losing their continuity of care in a community setting.

"Could you imagine if every time you needed a doctor, you had to see someone different, or you had to drive farther away? You wouldn't stand for it, and neither should mental health patients," said Larry Wills, a registered nurse in Syosset who worked in the unit until it was closed.

For now, he performs COVID-19 testing at the hospital.

New Hyde Park-based Northwell Health, however, said it has no plans to permanently close the Syosset location. 

"The psychiatric unit has temporarily remained closed, so these additional medical/surgical beds remain available to be placed into service in the event of a second spike in COVID activity," Dr. Blaine Greenwald, executive director and vice president of Northwell Health's Behavioral Service Line, said in a statement.

Greenwald added that the continued availability of the beds is in accordance with Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's directive for hospitals to maintain a 30% surge capacity for COVID-19 patients. He said modifications were made to the unit to properly care for those patients, and that it wouldn't make sense to undo those changes, only to have to implement them in the event of a second wave.

Patients who require treatment in an inpatient psychiatry setting are being accommodated at other hospitals within Northwell’s network, primarily at South Oaks in Amityville and Zucker Hillside in Glen Oaks, Queens.

Northwell has 561 psychiatry beds in the health system, Greenwald said, adding that in 2019, about 88% of the beds were used. Northwell’s ambulatory psychiatric programs relied on telepsychiatry for a range of other services.

The network experienced a reduction in inpatient demand for psychiatric services, he said, with "only 50% of psychiatric beds filled" during March and April.