Mather Hospital's new, expanded emergency department is set to open later this summer. 

The Port Jefferson-based Northwell Health hospital began construction on the new ER in May 2023 and is awaiting final approvals from the state health department. The $78 million new facility is 29,000 square feet and can accommodate up to 55,000 patients annually, up from 13,000 square feet and the capacity for 38,000 patients, said hospital president Kevin McGeachy.

"Like other community hospitals, the emergency department is the front door to our institution," McGeachy said.

The larger ER also has optimized the space between staff and patient areas to make it easier for staff to move around and help patients, according to ER chair Dr. Adam Wos, who has been involved in the center's development since talks began in 2020. "We want to maximize access for nursing staff and physician staff to get to the patients," he said.

Another major addition is the super track area, which is a system for less acute patients to be rapidly assessed by doctors and avoid a long stay in the emergency department, Wos said. And Mather's behavioral health ER has been revamped to have more natural light and separate areas for adult and pediatric patients.

The ER is also outfitted to treat older adults, as Mather Hospital is accredited as a Gold Level 1 Geriatric Emergency Department by the American College of Emergency Physicians. The population of Port Jefferson over the age of 65 is estimated to be 22.6%, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau report.

To gain Gold Level 1 status, the ER must have policies, guidelines, procedures and staff that provide a system that cares for older adults in the ER, according to the American College of Emergency Physicians' website. The organization lists Mather and Stony Brook University Hospital as the only two facilities in Suffolk County with Level 1 accreditation. Mather's accommodations for the geriatric community in the ER include analog clocks in each room, nonskid floors to prevent falls, handrails in hallways, clear signage and comfort stations where patients can stop and get food, according to Wos.

The Suburban Hospital Alliance of New York State said the expansion fills a need in the area. "Expanding emergency care is important to meeting growing demand from an aging population and increasingly complex patients, especially in eastern Suffolk," president and CEO Wendy Darwell said in an email to Newsday.

The expansion project was the subject of controversy in 2022, when some Port Jefferson residents complained that the plan to cut down some trees for a larger parking lot would lead to more flood threats. The village worked with the hospital to address drainage issues during development, McGeachy said Thursday.

McGeachy said the emergency room should be open by midsummer.

Northwell Health is the largest health care provider on Long Island and integrated Mather Hospital into its system in 2017, Newsday reported.

Mather Hospital provides 4,700 jobs to New York State and $825,000,000 in economic activity for the state, according to the Healthcare Association of New York State.