The following letter comes from a doctor and very carefully avoids the fact that the Lenox Hill Hospital expansion is on the east side in the 80’s. As a West Village newspaper we have been campaigning for more medical facilities in the West Village, like a Cath Lab. —Editors
To the Editor:
I write this letter as the Associate Director of Joint Preservation & Reconstruction at Lenox Hill Hospital, but also as a member of the community. I have called the Upper East Side home for 16 years, ever since moving across town to join the orthopaedic department at Lenox Hill as a newly minted intern. I love this hospital and am extremely proud to be able to tell people I work here. Lenox Hill is where my children were born and this neighborhood is where I’ve been able to build my career, raise my family, and send my children to school. Born and raised in Manhattan, I have even had the distinct pleasure of caring for some of my own high school teachers.
As an orthopaedic hip and knee replacement surgeon, I am glad to say the technical sophistication of the tools we use has changed remarkably over the past 16 years. Surgical robots and advanced intra-operative imaging are transforming my field and many others, making surgery less invasive and more precise. Northwell Health has made major investments in these technologies, keeping Lenox Hill on the forefront of medical and surgical care. Currently, these tools can only be used in our largest operating rooms. We need enough space to accommodate the necessary equipment, while allowing surgical staff to move around without compromising the sterility of the surgical field. The next 5-10 years are going to see an explosion in the use of these technologies, and the physical space will need to change if Lenox Hill is going to continue innovating and providing our community with the best possible care.
That’s why I fully support Lenox Hill Hospital’s recently proposed revitalization plan to prepare for the future. It needs to be rebuilt so it can continue serving as a home for the thousands of patients we treat annually and as a place where nurses, physicians and all staff can do their best work. I’m particularly excited about the new operating room suites, which will be larger with dedicated circulation and support facilities, as well as control rooms and a dedicated area for IT equipment. I am equally thrilled that the new building is slated to offer single occupancy rooms to all inpatients, regardless of insurance or ability to pay, creating a quieter place for healing and improving patient privacy.
Everyone should want a hospital that contributes to the community, knows it neighbors and can be relied upon at any moment. That’s what we’re striving for at Lenox Hill and will continue to do through this new redevelopment plan.
—Matthew Hepinstall
