There are heroes working here on the East End. I am talking about the doctors and nurses at Peconic Bay Medical Center.
With the novel coronavirus pandemic upon us, these health care professionals are beginning to receive some of the attention and adulation they deserve.
However, after my wife’s recent stay at PBMC, I already knew what dedicated, knowledgeable and caring people work at our local hospital.
My wife was rushed to PBMC a few weeks ago with a severe infection, which resulted in a four-day stay in the intensive care unit, where the doctors and nurses literally saved her life. Naturally, it is disturbing to see a loved one in such a situation, but the ICU staff did everything possible to ease my concerns while simultaneously caring for her.
After her release from the ICU, my wife was transferred to a room in 2-South, where she continued to receive excellent care. I was able to go home each night knowing that she was in good hands.
Patient care technicians are the folks who take your vital signs and attend to all your personal needs. With the emphasis on “personal.” You might as well check your dignity at the door as soon as you enter a hospital and put on one of those lovely gowns. But the PCTs at PBMC go out of their way to make the hospital experience as tolerable as possible. They perform tasks that, frankly, most of us would never want to do. And while they are performing these tasks, they do everything they can put their patients at ease. They are absolute saints.
Another group of workers deserves special mention — and that is the cleaning staff. I had many opportunities to observe them in action, and each time I was impressed with their thoroughness. Their job is hardly glamorous, but it is vitally important for preventing hospital infections. And PBMC’s excellent ratings in this area are a result of the dedication of these hardworking folks.
The president and CEO of PBMC deserves praise for the work he has done in turning the old Central Suffolk Hospital into the comprehensive health care facility it is today. He has expanded the facility and attracted some of the best doctors on Long Island, while also developing a culture where teamwork is valued and patients come first.
P.S. My wife wants me to mention that the food was quite good!
John Neely
Westhampton Beach