Southampton Hospital Breaks Ground on Gruss Heart and Stroke Center
Southampton Hospital is holding a celebratory groundbreaking for construction if its new Audrey and Martin Gruss Heart and Stroke Center on Monday, August 12 at 10 a.m.
The ceremony will take place on the Southampton Hospital grounds, in the parking area near the main lobby entrance at 240 Meeting House Lane, and will be attended by New York State Assemblyman Fred Thiele, Congressman Tim Bishop and Southampton Hospital President and CEO Robert S. Chaloner, as well as an audience of local elected officials, Hospital and Foundation board members, Hospital administrators and department heads will be present for the ceremony.
The Heart and Stroke Center would not be possible without a $5 million gift from Audrey and Martin Gruss, who will officiate the event. The Hospital announced the Gruss’ gift back in August of 2012, noting the facility would provide treatment for stroke and carotid stents as needed, along with a broad array of cardiovascular diagnostic and treatment capabilities. It will include an advanced endovascular surgical suite for interventional treatment of stroke and vascular disease, a “hybrid” operating room equipped with the latest imaging technology, a non-invasive cardiovascular suite for diagnosis of coronary and vascular illnesses, an advanced monitoring center to provide connections to tertiary and open-heart centers, and a simulation center to provide ongoing skills training for healthcare professionals.
Of course the Heart and Stroke Center will also cement the Gruss’ names in Southampton Hospital history.
Cardiovascular disease, of which heart disease and stroke are the most common, is the leading cause of death nationwide, in New York State, and on Long Island, as well as a particular concern for the geographically remote communities served by Southampton Hospital.
“It is well known that the over-50 age group has the highest probability of experiencing a stroke or heart attack,” Audrey Gruss said in September, when she and her husband made the donation through their Audrey and Martin Gruss Foundation. “With many of us spending months or weekends year-round in Southampton and the East End, Martin and I felt it was important that our local hospital have the capability to conduct stroke and vascular distress intervention.”
Valet parking will be complimentary near the Southampton Hospital’s front entrance for the ceremony on Monday.