Riverhead center brings lifesaving stroke treatment to the East End

A major upgrade in stroke and neurological care is coming to Long Island’s East End.

Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead has officially unveiled its new Bill and Ruth Ann Harnisch Neurosciences Center, a move that will allow patients to receive advanced, time-sensitive treatment without leaving the region.

The 1,545-square-foot facility, expected to begin seeing patients in mid-April, makes the hospital the first — and only — in Eastern Suffolk County capable of performing mechanical thrombectomy, a procedure used to remove dangerous blood clots from the brain during a stroke.

That’s a big deal for patients on the East End, where those in need of the procedure previously had to be transported nearly 30 miles west — a delay that can mean the difference between recovery and long-term disability.

“Access to specialized neurological care can make the difference between recovery and lasting disability, particularly in emergencies such as stroke,” said Dr. Amy Loeb, president of PBMC.

“Time truly is brain,” said Dr. Richard Jung, director of stroke at PBMC, noting that faster treatment can dramatically improve outcomes.

The expansion doesn’t stop there.

Hospital officials say two cranial neurosurgeons will soon join the medical staff — marking the first time PBMC will offer brain surgery in addition to its existing spine program — further reducing the need for East End residents to travel for advanced care.

The project represents a $7.3 million investment and another step in PBMC’s push to bring high-level medical services closer to home for the region’s growing population.