Long Island ER Temporarily Closes Due To Lack Of Nurses

LONG BEACH, NY — The emergency department in Long Beach, operated by Mount Sinai South Nassau, has closed temporarily due to nursing staff shortages related to the state vaccine mandate, the hospital announced.

It was shuttered on Monday afternoon.

Patients in Long Beach in need of emergency care will be directed to the hospital's main campus in Oceanside.

An ambulance will be stationed around the clock at the Long Beach Emergency Department during the closure.

"We regret having to take this step but the safety of our patients is always our No. 1 priority," Adhi Sharma, President, said in a statement. "This will allow us to shift nursing staff to the Oceanside campus to ensure that we maintain adequate staffing at the Emergency Department at our main campus."

The closure will continue for up to four weeks and could be extended depending on staff availability.

"The New York State Department of Health's mandate is putting our residents at risk," Assemblywoman Melissa Miller wrote on Facebook. "They should be working with Mount Sinai South Nassau on a solution that does not involve the closure of a desperately needed emergency facility."

The shutdown is a direct result of the hospital's compliance with the state Department of Health's mandate issued that requires the suspension of all staff working under temporary religious exemptions who could not show proof of receiving the first dose of COVID-19 vaccination or a valid medical exemption.

More than 99 percent of Mount Sinai South Nassau’s staff are fully vaccinated, not counting those who sought religious or medical exemptions.

“This closure should not be interpreted as anything beyond what it is – a temporary measure designed to relieve current staffing challenges in our Emergency Department," Sharma said.

The Long Beach Emergency Department handles approximately 10,000 visits per year and most of those patients are treated and released without having to be transferred to the hospital in Oceanside. The Long Beach facility has been open since 2015.