South Shore University Hospital at Northwell has been designated a Level 1 Trauma Center

South Shore University Hospital in Bay Shore has been designated a Level 1 trauma center for its ability to treat the most severely injured patients, becoming the third hospital in Suffolk County to receive the distinction, hospital officials said.

The American College of Surgeons, which rates trauma programs, has given the Bay Shore facility the highest of three levels for adult trauma centers, according to Northwell Health, the hospital’s operator. Level 1 trauma centers are able to conduct research in trauma and can treat the most severe and complex cases, including gunshot and stab wounds, car accidents and motorcycle accidents.

In Suffolk County, South Shore University Hospital joins Stony Brook University Hospital and Good Samaritan University Hospital in West Islip to receive the Level 1 designation. The distinction comes as the Bay Shore facility is in the midst of a major renovation of its campus.

Becoming a Level 1 trauma center is “the culmination of many years of work,” said Dr. Matthew Bank, medical director of trauma at South Shore University Hospital. “When you have access to all of these very expensive and complex resources, you can imagine that even someone who comes in for elective surgery or someone who comes in for pneumonia or a heart attack has access to all of those resources as well.”

Receiving the distinction “really speaks to the hospital or health system’s commitment to continued investment in the facility, its employees and the services it provides to the community,” said Wendy Darwell, CEO of Suburban Hospital Alliance of New York State.

She added that “this means that, in the event of any injury, comprehensive care is available in the building 24/7.”

According to the American College of Surgeons, there are currently seven Level I trauma centers on Long Island and 21 statewide.

Focus on the South Shore

The hospital’s recognition comes after Good Samaritan University Hospital earned Level 1 status last year, becoming the first of its kind on Long Island’s South Shore. The state Department of Health is reviewing the certification for South Shore University Hospital, a Northwell spokeswoman said.

The designation is part of numerous improvements and expansions being made at the 313-bed Bay Shore Hospital, which was known as Southside Hospital until 2021.

Northwell has invested “well over a billion dollars” in the campus over the past 15 years, said Stephen Bello, regional executive director of Northwell’s Eastern Region.

Other recent improvements include a renovation and expansion of the emergency room, a $1.4 million, 4,600-square-foot neurological care center with eight exam rooms across from the hospital, and a new, two-story, $71 million Women’s and Children’s Center. The center includes a maternity ward with 29 private suites.

“The South Shore is our biggest goal in the entire region,” Bello said. “It’s bringing tertiary care, or high-level care, that used to be only in Stony Brook, to the South Shore of Long Island.”

In September, the hospital broke ground on a new $468 million pavilion. The 190,000-square-foot project will include up to 90 private patient rooms, 10 operating rooms and three new procedure rooms. The pavilion will also include green and public spaces and a sky bridge. The pavilion is expected to open in mid-2026, and workers are already installing the steel frame of the structure, said Vinod Nair, deputy executive director of operations at the hospital.

New technology

The hospital recently acquired a new da Vinci 5 Surgical System for robot-assisted surgery.

Northwell Hospital officials said the robot, which can be used to perform multiple surgical procedures, joins seven other surgical robots used at the hospital.

The hospital recently purchased 16 cameras for the neonatal intensive care unit to provide parents with live streaming of their infants via a computer or phone app. The $142,000 project was funded by private donations.

“We had heard about other places using similar technology and thought it would be a great way to connect with families and babies who are being born and staying in a special environment where visitors are limited,” said hospital executive director Irene Macyk.