New Outpatient Diagnostic Imaging Center Debuts at NYC Health + Hospitals/Coney Island

After the devastation of Superstorm Sandy, NYC Health + Hospitals/Coney Island is back and better than ever.

On Wednesday, Aug. 22, it marked the opening of a new state-of-the-art outpatient diagnostic center and women’s health imaging suite.

“This is a great thing for the community,” Thomas Melillo, director of marketing, communications and public affairs, told this paper. “We’re going to save a lot of lives and help heal a lot of people.”

Peter Montanino, associate executive director, radiology/diagnostics, was thrilled that the hospital was finally dedicating the facilities.

“We’re finally opening up,” Montanino said. “We’ve been official since January, 2018 and we’re opening it up as a remediation for all the Sandy destruction that we had. We are back in place with two mammography units, two radiology units, screening rooms for osteoporosis as well as dental and jaw suites.”

Montanino called the new mammography unit the crown jewel of the hospital. “It will be 3-D adaptable thanks to our city councilmembers who gave us the money to be able to proceed and provide the best kind of services for patients in the southern part of Brooklyn,” he said.

NYC Health + Hospitals/Coney Island CEO William Brown hosted the event. He explained how it has taken a long time for the hospital to recover from Hurricane Sandy and how this new suite represents the resiliency of the hospital and the community.

“It’s really very symbolic,” Brown added. “We began construction here in April, 2017 and it was finished in December, 2017. Our DOH inspection was in January, 2018 and we passed it with flying colors.”

Among those attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony were City Councilmember Chaim Deutsch, Democratic District Leader Ari Kagan, representing New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer, Doreen Garson, representing state Sen. Marty Golden, and Arthur Melnick, community advisory board member at NYC Health + Hospitals/Coney Island.

“Coney Island Hospital is a crucial part of southern Brooklyn,” Deutsch said. “Having this new imaging center is a great addition to the hospital. We need to make sure we continue putting the resources into the only hospital we have here in southern Brooklyn.”

Deutsch cut the ribbon on the new outpatient diagnostic center and women’s health imaging suite.

NYC Health + Hospitals/Coney Island has been a part of the fabric of the borough since it first opened in 1910.