It’s been over a year and it cost $4.7 million to restore the old Brookhaven Town Hall in Patchogue to its former glory, but on Monday Northwell Health was joined by locally elected officials to mark a new chapter in the 91-year-old building.
This chapter is about helping people to live healthier lives — and in a convenient way.
Whether you’re dealing with heart, lung, kidney, eyes, GI, or even joint or muscles problems, a specialist will be on hand at the Northwell Health Physician Partners practices at 205 South Ocean Avenue. And if you’re dealing with multiple issues, you could bang out multiple appointments in one day.
A grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Monday afternoon at 205 South Ocean.
“In this building you’re going to have some of the finest specialists you can find on the East Coast,” said Thomas McGinn, a Northwell senior vice president and executive director of medicine. “You’ll have the latest technology and equipment for imagines and diagnostics. All of these specialists are going to be living in one house.”
The 14,000-square-foot Northwell Health Physician Partners facility offers services in cardiology, gastroenterology, pulmonary, nephrology, rheumatology and ophthalmology.
Almost the entire first floor is dedicated to cardiology.
The space includes 16 exam rooms, physician offices, along with suites for nuclear testing, stress echocardiography testing, specialized ophthalmology testing and pulmonary function testing, according to Northwell. Also included is an echocardiography and vascular laboratory.
Patchogue Village Mayor Paul Pontieri said the building the new center “all about taking care of the community.”
“So I really welcome [Northwell] into the community,” he said.
Also on hand Monday was Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine.
His first job with the town in 1980 had him working in the basement of the old town hall in Patchogue, which over the years became just one office building among the many spread across the town. He was the commissioner of community and housing development at the time.
“This is an old, historic building that represented so much of Brookhaven Town,” he said. “But by the time I came in 1980 the town had offices all over the places because they had obviously outgrown the building.”
The town moved its HQ from Patchogue around 1986, he said.
“But this building holds so many memories for historic Brookhaven Town, and to see it re-used in such a gorgeous way and for such a great purpose, is absolutely wonderful,” Romaine said.
The town vacated the building altogether in 2003 as the new Town Hall in Farmingville was being established at the former Allstate site, he said.
“You’re actually observing history when you walk through a building like this, and in a beautiful location,” said Michael Dowling, president and CEO, Northwell Health. “Today we are so delighted to have it be the centerpiece of healthcare.”
The project also saw the phone booth in the front lobby and marble, spiral staircase restored (pictured below).
Now New York’s largest healthcare provider, Northwell has 95 ambulatory facilities in Suffolk County, as well as Peconic Bay Medical Center and Southside and Huntington hospitals.
Northwell is also in discussions with Mather Hospital in Port Jefferson, which has signed a letter of intent to join Northwell Health.
“We want to be a good neighbor, a good provider and good community constituent,” Dowling said. “And this is a wonderful example here, and we are absolutely delighted to be” in Patchogue.
Top: Michael Dowling (center), the president and CEO of Northwell Health cuts the ribbon on the new Northwell Health Physician Partners facility in Patchogue. (Credit: Jason Molinet/Northwell)
