Suffolk County Police Sixth Squad detectives are investigating a motor vehicle crash that seriously injured a man in Centereach on June 7.
Thomas Seeley was operating a 2023 Honda motorcycle westbound on Middle Country Road when the motorcycle collided with a 2015 Ford Mustang, driven by Frank Rios, that was turning left onto Selden Boulevard from Middle Country Road, at approximately 12:50 p.m.
Seeley, 21, of Middle Island, was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital for treatment of serious injuries. Rios, 28, of Coram, was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. A passenger in the Ford refused medical treatment.
Both vehicles were impounded for a safety check. Anyone with information is asked to call the Sixth Squad at 631-854-8652.
Benjamin Cowley. Photo courtesy of CSHL Communications
By Daniel Dunaief
Most behaviors involve a combination of cues and reactions. That’s as true for humans awaiting a response to a gesture like buying flowers as it is for a male fruit fly watching for visual cues from a female during courtship.
The process is often a combination of behaviors and signals, which the visual system often processes as a way of determining the next move in a courtship ritual.
At Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Assistant Professor Benjamin Cowley recently published research in the prestigious journal Nature in which he used a so-called deep neural network to mirror the neurons involved in a male fly’s vision as it interacts with a potential female mate.
Working with a deep neural network that reflects the fly’s nerve cells, Cowley created a knockout training process, in which he altered one set of neurons in the model at a time and determined their effect on the model and, with partners who conduct experiments with flies, on the flies themselves.
Cowley’s lab group, which includes from left to right, Rabia Gondur, computational research assistant, Filip Vercuysse, postdoctoral researcher, Benjamin Cowley, and Yaman Thapa, graduate student. Photo by Sue Weil-Kazzaz, CSHl Commnications.
Cowley worked closely with his former colleagues at the Princeton Neuroscience Institute, including Professor Jonathan Pillow and Professor Mala Murthy. His collaborators genetically silenced a fruit fly’s neuron type, observing the changes in behavior. Cowley, meanwhile, trained his deep neural network on this silenced behavior while also “knocking out” model neurons, teaching the model by perturbing it in a similar way to the changes in the fruit fly circuitry.
This approach proved effective, enhancing the ability of these models not only to understand the wiring involved in processing visual information and translating that into behavior, but also to provide potential clues in future experiments about similar cellular dysfunction that could be involved in visual problems for humans.
What researchers can infer about the human visual system is limited because it has hundreds of millions of neurons. The field has taken decades to build artificial visual systems that recognize objects in images. The systems are complex, containing millions of parameters that make them as difficult to explain as the brain itself.
The fly visual system, which is the dominant focus of the fly’s brain, occupying about 70 percent of its 130,000 neurons, provides a model system that could reveal details about how these systems work. By comparison, the human retina has 100 million neurons.
“To build a better artificial visual system, we need to know the underlying mechanisms,” which could start with the fly, Cowley said. “That’s why the fruit fly is so amenable.”
Researchers need to know the step-by-step computations going from an image to neural response and, eventually, behavior. They can use these same computations in the artificial visual system.
‘A suite of tools’
The fly’s visual system is still robust and capable, contributing to a range of behaviors from courtship to aggression to foraging for food and navigating on a surface or through the air as it flies.
The fly “gives us a whole suite of tools we can use to dissect these circuits,” Cowley said.
The fly visual system looks similar to what the human eye has, albeit through fewer neurons and circuits. The fruit fly visual system has strong similarities to the early processing of the human visual system, from the human eye to the thalamus, before it reaches the visual cortex in the occipital lobe.
Interpreting the visual system for the fly will “help us in understanding disorders and diseases in human visual systems,” Cowley said. “Blindness, for the most part, occurs in the retina.”
Blindness may have many causes; a large part of them affect the retina and optic nerve. This could include macular degeneration, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma.
In its own right, understanding the way the visual processing system works in the fly could also prove beneficial in reacting to the threat of invasive species like mosquitoes, which pass along diseases such as malaria to humans.
Visual channels
Anatomists had mapped the fly’s 50 visual channels, called optical glomeruli. In the past decade, researchers have started to record from them. Except in limited cases, such as for escape reflex behaviors, it was unknown what each channel encoded.
Cowley started the research while a postdoctoral researcher at Princeton Neuroscience Institute in Jonathan Pillow’s lab and finished the work while he was starting his own lab at CSHL. Mala Murthy’s lab, who is also at Princeton, performed the silencing experiments on fruit flies, while Cowley modeled the data.
Through hundreds of interactions between the flies in which some part of the fly’s visual system was silenced, Cowley created a model that predicted neuronal response and the behavior of the fly.
The deep neural network model he used deploys a new, flexible algorithm that can learn its rules based on data. This approach can be particularly helpful in situations when researchers have the tools to perturb the system, but they can’t recover or observe every working part.
In some of the experiments, the males became super courters, continuing to engage in courtship activities for 30 minutes, which, given that the fly lives only three weeks, is akin to a date that lasts 25 days.
It is unclear why these flies become super courters. The scientists speculate that silencing a neuron type may keep the male from being distracted by other visual features.
In the experimental part of the experiments, the researchers, including Dr. Adam Calhoun and Nivedita Rangarajan, who both work in Murthy’s lab, tried to control for as many variables as possible, keeping the temperature at 72 degrees throughout the experiment.
“These flies live in nature, they are encountering so much more” than another fly for potential courtship, said Cowley, including the search for food and water.
This research addressed one small part of a behavioral repertoire that reveals details about the way the fly’s visual system works.
A resident of Huntington, Cowley grew up in West Virginia and completed his undergraduate work and PhD at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh.
An avid chess player, which is a field that has included artificial intelligence, Cowley, who spent much of his life in a city, appreciates having a backyard. He has learned to do some landscaping and gardening.
Cowley had been interested in robotics in college, until he listened to some lectures about neuroscience.
As for the next steps in his work, Cowley hopes to add more complex information to his computational system, suppressing combinations of cells to gather a more complete understanding of a complex system in action.
Port Jefferson resident Marie Parziale is running for the village board of trustees. Also known as Marie Johs — though her name will appear as “Marie Parziale” on the ballot — she announced her bid on May 29. She has been a resident of Port Jefferson since 1995 and works as the senior alumni career coach at Stony Brook University, along with being an elder and deacon at the First Presbyterian Church of Port Jefferson.
In an interview, she recounted how she got involved with the village early into her residency.
“I was lucky enough to have [former mayor] Jeanne Garant living a few doors down [from me], and we had a neighborhood community association. Of course, Jeanne was involved, and I jumped right in,” Parziale said, also describing how she helped on Garant’s mayoral campaign.
Parziale also took pride in discussing how she was part of the committee that worked with the architect that designed the inside of the Village Center, along with being on the parking committee and Vision 2010, a committee created to envision and discuss the goals and future of Port Jefferson by the year 2030.
“When I look back at the happiest times in my life I’m giving,” she said. “I really wanted to jump right back and do community work.”
One of her biggest issues is the revitalization of the downtown and uptown areas of Port Jefferson.
“I work at Stony Brook, and the person who hired me is the vice president of student affairs now, so he oversees residential life, and we have an issue there that there’s not enough housing for students. Upper Port is one stop away [on the Port Jefferson Branch of the Long Island Rail Road],” Parziale said.
She explained her vision of providing a place for graduate students in the uptown area, which would allow more room on the Stony Brook University campus for first- and second-year students.
“What’s missing in this village up there is … a good, vibrant energy, a young energy,” Parziale said, describing an area that would include coffee shops and bookstores.
Parziale also said that a stronger village police presence was needed in the Upper Port area.
“If code had a presence up there, there would be a level of safety, and then people will be willing to come in and invest. I know the developers are building, but we don’t want empty shops like we have down here,” she said.
Parziale praised Mayor Lauren Sheprow for “keeping us up to date on her promises,” though the candidate expressed a need to better amplify this to the community.
“I think what maybe could be better is that she’s got some wonderful things on the website that’s explaining it, but it sounds like people aren’t going there, so maybe a little bit better PR [to be able to] better amplify all that’s being done.”
Parziale is joined by two other candidates for village trustee, Xena Ugrinsky and Kyle Hill, for the two open seats. A meet the candidates night for the three candidates will take place on June 11 at 6:30 p.m. at the Port Jefferson Village Center.
The election is on Tuesday, June 18, at the Village Center from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Port Jefferson’s East Beach on Jan. 25. Photo courtesy Myrna Gordon
By Sabrina Artusa
With further recession of the East Beach bluff threatening the safety and structural integrity of the Port Jefferson Country Club, tennis and pickleball courts and golf course, the Village of Port Jefferson held a town hall meeting May 28 at the Waterview catering hall to discuss how to proceed with the bluff revitalization plan initiated in 2021. This plan was interrupted by fierce storms that damaged the barrier wall the village spent two years and approximately $6 million building.
While portions of the wall held strong against runoff and winds, the damage has made some residents unsure if continuing with Phase II is the most effective solution. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is funding 75% of Phase II, but the specifics of the grant agreement have not been finalized.
Country club
Some residents question why money should be spent protecting a commercial business and argue for the demolition of the village-owned country club and rebuilding further from the cliff.
“There are a lot of people in this town who are hurting. Inflation is hurting middle American families … we talk about putting millions of tax dollars into this beautiful club, but for what?” one resident asked.
“It’s not just an engineering issue. It’s a cost-benefit analysis for the entire community, and a referendum requires that we be included,” another person said.
The club, however, reportedly brings in over $300,000 of revenue to the village annually. Additionally, one does not have to be a member of the country club to visit.
“When you are repairing the bluff, what is it actually going to protect? It is going to protect a building that is revenue neutral at its worst and it sounds like it is a revenue positive facility,” another resident said.
Other options
Mayor Lauren Sheprow said that the wall held strong for the most part and that engineers and environmental scientists are being consulted on the most responsible course of action going forward.
Nick Thatos, co-founder of the Long Island-based Coastal Technologies, said that planting native species is key to preventing further erosion. He noted that North Shore native plants evolved “to stabilize” and “colonize this niche environment,” citing the complex root systems and cement-like excretions that can keep sand in place.
“Nature is incredible. We cannot engineer anything near what nature can accomplish,” he said.
Some said that the angle of the bluff needs to be corrected to prevent recession, while others said that retreating is the most dependable option.
“The only way to fortify the top is to retreat,” said a woman who has lived in Port Jefferson for over 30 years. “The golf and tennis are separate. Another building can be built.”
Sheprow is asking for volunteers for the village’s Citizens Commission on Erosion. “We want input, we don’t want to do it in a vacuum,” she said.
Rev. Chuck Van Houten. Photo courtesy Chuck Van Houten
By Peter Sloniewsky
After 11 years at the Stony Brook Community Church, the Rev. Chuck Van Houten has been reassigned. Van Houten will join a “cooperative parish” — a parish including multiple United Methodist churches across a region — in Connecticut entitled the New Room Parish on July 1, as part of a consolidating measure taken by United Methodist leadership to maintain ministries amid a trend of dwindling clergy numbers.
Despite his move and general trends of United Methodist pastoral consolidation, Van Houten said that he believes “the future of the church is strong because of the faith and the commitment of the good people in our churches,” but also described this time as a place to rethink “what church is, how church functions and what church can become in the months and years ahead.”
Located on Christian Avenue, the Stony Brook Community Church was erected in 1860 and has been involved under Van Houten’s leadership in a large variety of charitable causes, including Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels, homeless shelters and soup kitchens across Long Island. Its stated message is to not only worship, but also “to bring positive change to the world through prayer and service.”
A native of Long Island, Van Houten first received a bachelor’s degree of fine art in music with an emphasis on vocal performance from Long Island University at C.W. Post. After serving as a bass soloist for a church in Port Washington, he was inspired to enter the New Brunswick Theological Seminary, eventually graduating magna cum laude from Drew University in 1999 with a master’s degree in divinity.
Van Houten moved on to work as an associate pastor in Westchester, where he was a member of the resident Circuit Riders rock ’n’ roll worship band. Today, he continues to present a uniquely musical perspective to his faith, including rock ’n’ roll worship services. Following his time in Westchester, Van Houten led the Centerport United Methodist Church for 12 years until his appointment to Stony Brook in 2013. In Centerport, he notably made substantial fundraising efforts whose effects are still felt today.
Stony Brook reflections
Despite his optimism for the future, Van Houten did express regret at leaving: “I have loved living in the Stony Brook area. This community has been a wonderful place to meet new people, live, do ministry and share in one another’s lives.”
Specifically, he reflected upon one of his most meaningful ministries, wherein the SBCC partnered with the Three Village Central School District to hold monthly food collection Sundays at local supermarkets. Noting that, he “would often take that opportunity to let folks know that food insecurity does exist in our local area,” Van Houten described conversations about food insecurity raised during such work as “very gratifying,” and as “eye-opening for some folks” while also “quite meaningful for our church.”
New pastor-sharing system
Van Houten also clarified that he had been advised that no new pastor would be sent to the SBCC, largely due to the aforementioned shortage of clergy. Instead, the congregation of the SBCC will become more heavily involved in the new ministerial model of sharing pastors with other local United Methodist churches.
That being said, he maintained his optimism for the future: “I believe that God is doing a bold new thing among the people called United Methodist … their faith and hope in the gospel of Jesus Christ and a God of love remains strong.” Describing the community as an “inspiration,” he clearly expressed hope that the new pastor-sharing system guiding the SBCC in the future would continue to hold together the United Methodist community on Long Island.
Your new Long Island Champions in the regional class C final. Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place sophomore Laney Vomero drives the ball deep. Photo by Bill Landon
Sadie Hoffmann scores in the Long Island Championship game against Seaford. Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place freshman Sadie Bryant steals 2nd base in the Long Island Championship game. Photo by Bill Landon
One out left as the Panthers smell victory. Photo by Bill Landon
Sadie Hoffmann crosses the plate for another run in the Long Island Championship game against Seaford. Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place sophomore short stop Laney Vomero throws the runner out at 1st base. Photo by Bill Landon
Winning pitcher Ava Zicchinelli delivers. Photo by Bill Landon
Panthers can smell victory. Photo by Bill Landon
Laney Vomero and Ava Zicchinelli high five. Bill Landon photo
Emily Lopez lays down the bunt for Miller Place. Photo by Bill Landon
Sophomore short stop Laney Vomero throws at 2nd base for the Panthers. Photo by Bill Landon
Miller Place sophomore short stop Laney Vomero throws the runner out at 2nd base. Photo by Bill Landon
Panthers WIN! Photo by Bill Landon
By Bill Landon
Without a single senior listed on their roster Miller Place softball team, fresh off their Suffolk County championship victory, demonstrated that this Panther squad will be a powerhouse to be reckoned with for the foreseeable future.
After three-and-a-half scoreless innings against Nassau champions, Seaford, Ava Zicchinelli’s bat spoke first with an RBI double in the bottom of the fourth. Laney Vomero stepped into the batter’s box with the bases loaded, and drove in two more runs to put the Panthers ahead 3-0 at the end of four.
Seaford capitalized in the top of the sixth inning on a Miller Place throwing error, plating two runners then drove in two more to take the lead 4-3.
After going 0-3 at bat, Miller Place junior Emily Lopez drove in a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth to retake the lead at 5-4. With two outs, the Panthers plated two more runs on a Seaford error to surge ahead 7-4. Leading by three, Zicchinelli did what she’s done all season and kept Seaford on its heels for the final three outs to claim the first Long Island Class A championship title in Miller Place history.
The Panthers will now enter uncharted territory when they return to the Martha Avenue Recreation Park sports complex in North Bellport Friday, June 7, for the NYS semifinal round where they will face Pittsford Sutherland. First pitch is slated for 9 a.m.Tickets can be purchased at: nysphsaa.org/sports/softballtickets.
Port Jefferson Village Center. Photo by Heidi Sutton
By Samantha Rutt
On the evening of May 29, a crime occurred near the village center, shedding light on gaps in the village hall’s communication protocols. The incident has raised questions and concerns among residents and officials about the effectiveness of current systems for public safety notifications.
Incident details
Between 6 and 6:30 p.m., a man who had been stabbed or slashed sought help at the Village Center near Harborfront Park. Covered in blood, the victim’s appearance alarmed bystanders. The assailants were reportedly still at large, fleeing in a white SUV. Suffolk County Police responded with several police cars and retrieved camera footage from the area to aid their investigation.
Compounding the situation, a senior awards ceremony and several sporting events were taking place at the nearby school. Despite the proximity of these events to the crime scene, school leadership was not informed about the incident, raising concerns about the safety and well-being of students and attendees.
Response timeline
Seeking clarity and answers, an email was sent to village officials on May 31. The email was addressed to Mayor Sheprow and trustees Loucks, Juliano, Kassay, and Biondo. All below events are reported from Traci Donnelly’s Facebook page.
May 31, 6:25 p.m.: Initial inquiry sent to village officials.
May 31, 8:26 p.m.: Trustee Loucks responded, indicating he was unaware of any official communication from the village. He learned about the incident from the manager of the village center and noted that more than 50 hours after the incident, trustees had still not been provided with any updates or information.
May 31, 9:11 p.m.: A follow-up email was sent, questioning the lack of community notification.
May 31, 9:32 p.m.: Trustee Biondo responded, suggesting that if the incident were serious enough, the Suffolk County Police Department would have notified the community.
June 1, 7:02 a.m.: A request was made for clear communication protocols and criteria for alert systems.
June 1, 1:51 p.m.: Trustee Biondo advised attending the next public meeting for discussions and deliberation with the trustees. It was reiterated that, according to the village attorney and mayor, public comments are not meant for deliberations.
Several concerns have emerged in the wake of this incident. No public alert was issued, despite the severity of the incident and its proximity to community events, no alert was sent to residents. A lack of real-time information as schools and trustees were not informed in real time. Trustee Loucks learned about the incident from the village center manager and other trustees were also uninformed prior to the email. Additionally, it was made evident there are communication gaps as the current strategy for notifying residents about serious incidents is unclear.
The incident has prompted several questions from concerned residents, in Donnelly’s post she asks “Why wasn’t the incident on May 29 considered a public safety issue warranting a Code Red alert? Who decides when these alerts are issued and who is on the village’s emergency response team? Were all trustees informed of the incident in real time?”
The community is calling for increased transparency and the development of a comprehensive communication plan with public input. Residents are encouraged to email trustees directly for accurate information and to avoid relying on social media for critical updates.
“It is important to have communication between village officials and residents. We are looking to wirk alongside residents to have an effective emergency response system in place,” village trustee Rebecca Kassay said.
The email exchange regarding this incident is available upon request for anyone interested in complete transparency.
Dendrick Emery Allegedly Deposited More than $6,000 in Checks Stolen from the Mail Stream and Remotely Deposited Them into His Bank Account While Working as a Mail Handler
Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney today announced the arrest of Dendrick Emery, 42, of Brooklyn, accused of grand larceny, and other charges, for allegedly stealing checks from the mail stream and then remotely depositing them into his bank account during his work shifts at a Suffolk County branch of the U.S. Postal Service.
“The reliability of the mail service is an important part of our quality of life, and I am dedicated to doing my part to protect it,” said District Attorney Tierney. “I want to thank the U.S. Postal Service Office of the Inspector General for its hard work and cooperation in this case.”
“The Special Agents of the USPS OIG will vigorously investigate Postal Service employees who comprise their integrity for personal gain. This does not represent the work of the many trustworthy U.S. Postal Service employees who continue to do their job every day,” said Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modafferi, of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General Northeast Area Field Office. “The U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General would like to thank our law enforcement partners and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office for their dedication and efforts in this investigation.”
“Today’s arrest of a U.S. Postal Service employee is the result of law enforcement’s commitment to root out corruption and protect Long Islanders from criminal opportunists willing to jeopardize the public’s wellbeing for their own financial gain,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo. “HSI New York’s Long Island office is proud to stand alongside our partners in securing justice on behalf of our community.”
An investigation was launched by USPS OIG in September 2023. The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office and HSI joined the investigation shortly thereafter. According to the investigation, between February 3, 2023 and May 4, 2023, Emery, while employed by the Postal Service as a mail handler, allegedly stole four separate checks from the mail stream totaling $6,486.12 and remotely deposited them into his personal bank account.
On June 5, 2024, Emery was arrested by investigators assigned to the Public Corruption Squad of the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, together with agents from USPS OIG and HSI New York.
On June 6, 2024, Emery was arraigned on one count of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, one count of Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Third Degree, and one count of Official Misconduct. Emery was released without bail because his charge is not a bail-eligible offense under current New York State law, meaning prosecutors cannot ask for, and judges cannot set, bail.
Emery is due back in court on June 20, 2024, and he is being represented by the Suffolk County Legal Aid Society.
This case is being prosecuted by Deputy Bureau Chief Laura de Oliveira of the Public Corruption Bureau, whose investigation was conducted, in part, by USPS OIG Special Agent David Campbell and HSI New York Special Agents.
The four person MSU crew Patricia Babiam, Kristofer Martin, patient Bill Rothmeier, Anthony Papaleo and Frank Time, reunite for a reunion.
By Daniel Dunaief
Ralph Sabatino, a lawyer and St. James resident, was in his bedroom, sitting at his computer when he fell out of his chair.
Ralph Sabatino of St. James. Photo courtesy Stony Brook Medicine
When his sister Maria, who was visiting from New Jersey in April of 2023, came into the room, she immediately called his wife Claire, a registered nurse, to come check on him.
“I noticed his left arm and left leg were paralyzed,” said Claire Sabatino, who has been married to Ralph for almost 44 years. “HIs speech was garbled.”
Claire called 911 and told the dispatcher that her husband was exhibiting the signs of a stroke. Within minutes, an EMS ambulance and one of the two Mobile Stroke Units from Stony Brook hospital arrived.
In the mobile stroke unit, technicians conducted a CAT scan, forwarding the results to Dr. David Fiorella, Director of the Stony Brook Cerebrovascular Center and Co-Director of the Stony Brook Cerebrovascular and Comprehensive Stroke Center at Stony Brook Medicine. When he arrived at the hospital, Sabatino bypassed the emergency room and went directly into an operating room.
Fearing the worst, Claire Sabatino called their adult daughter Gabrielle and told her to get to the hospital as quickly as possible.
“I never saw anybody with the symptoms my husband was exhibiting that fully recovered in the past,” she said. “When I saw him on the floor, I thought that would be the way he’d live for the rest of his life, if he survived. I wasn’t sure he would.”
After the stroke and the operation, Sabatino, who is now 68 years old, has no symptoms following what is far too often a life-altering condition.
“It’s sometimes hard for me to fathom how massive the stroke was because I have had no lingering effects,” he said.
Indeed, Sabatino estimates that the time between when he had the stroke until he was wheeled in the recovery room was about an hour and a half.
“Stroke is an emergency,” said Fiorella. “Although it’s not painful, numbness, weakness involving one side of the body, difficulty with speech, understanding speech, difficulty with vision, anything that presents acutely shouldn’t be ignored. It needs prompt attention.”
As a way to recognize the signs of stroke and the urgency to get help, doctors in this field suggest that people remember the acronym BE FAST, which stands for balance, eyes, face, arm, speech, time.
With seniors representing the fastest growing population on Long Island, residents and their families and caregivers need to be aware of stroke symptoms and, in the event of a stroke, to have an action plan in place.
“We have an aging population and the prevalence of stroke is increasing,” said Fiorella.
In Suffolk County, Stony Brook has two mobile stroke units, positioned on the Long Island Expressway at Exits 57 and 68. These units are located within 10 miles of 46 EMS territories.
Since Stony Brook started deploying these mobile stroke units in April of 2019, these specialized and life-saving ambulances have responded to about 8,000 stroke calls.
During those years, the hospital has demonstrated a significant reduction in time to treatment, with more patients receiving clot busting medications while in transit, and lower rates of mortality and morbidity, Fiorella explained.
A workup and diagnosis at other hospitals can take three or more hours, which a mobile stroke unit can perform with a CAT scan.
Additional benefits
David Fiorella, MD, PhD stand for photo at Stony Brook Hospital on Monday Sept. 12, 2022. (9/12/22)
Fiorella explained that the technicians in the ambulance share considerable information about the patient while in transit, including whatever contact numbers they could collect from family members on site.
Stony Brook Hospital can then begin a dialog with those family members, preparing them for any potential procedures and, if the patient is a candidate for a new treatment, receiving authorization.
A well-established and industry leading stroke unit, Stony Brook is involved in several experimental protocols designed to improve treatment.
“Whenever we can, we offer newer and better technologies,” said Fiorella. By participating, patients not only benefit from advances in the field, but also help the thousands who come after them. Patients can “make tremendous contributions to their own care and to medicine” amid developments and advanced technologies, he said.
In cases where patients or their representatives prefer not to use any advanced or newer technology, Stony Brook provides other life-saving services.
Fiorella added that the mobile stroke unit doesn’t only bring patients to Stony Brook, but also takes them to other comprehensive stroke centers for advanced treatment.
While strokes disproportionately affect the elderly, with the Medical University of South Carolina estimating that 75 percent of strokes occur in people 65 and older, certain conditions can increase the risk of strokes, such as smoking, vascular or heart disease, high blood pressure and peripheral vascular disease.
Another success story
The four person MSU crew Patricia Babiam, Kristofer Martin, patient Bill Rothmeier, Anthony Papaleo and Frank Time, reunite for a reunion.
Bill Rothmeier, who lives in Oakdale, was coming back from upstate in 2019 when his wife Eileen recognized that he was driving strangely.
She asked him to pull over so she could use the restroom. When she returned, she took over the driving. By the time they got home, Rothmeier’s ability to speak had declined.
Eileen Rothmeier spoke to a next door neighbor, who was involved with a community ambulance in Sayville. He had heard about the stroke unit.
“The next thing I knew, two ambulances were in front of my house,” said Bill Rothmeier, who is now 68. The MSU did a CAT scan and gave him a shot on the way to the hospital.
When he was in the recovery room, Rothmeier said Fiorella came in and told him he put in a stent and pulled two blood clots out of his brain.
“He said it like I was going out to a deli to get lunch,” said Rothmeier, who, as it turns out has owned the Lake Grove Deli for 29 years. “If it wasn’t for those guys,” including the MSU crew and Fiorella, “I could be in a nursing home or worse right now.”
Rothmeier was one of the first to receive life saving treatment through the mobile stroke unit and at the hospital.
A rewarding job
While the mobile stroke unit provides an important service for people battling a stroke, it doesn’t add any cost for the patient.
Stony Brook provides the units “free of charge,” because the “outcomes are so much better,” Fiorella said.
Patients who have untreated strokes or whose strokes are treated much later can have an irreversible brain injury, which could involve hospitalizations that last for months.
Stony Brook receives the same flat rate from Medicare for stroke victims, which helps provide financial support for the ambulance and is a “home run” for the patient, Fiorella added.
From Fiorella’s perspective, the opportunity to help people more than compensates for the 2 am calls he sometimes gets when he needs to come in for emergency surgery.
In the 25 years he’s been involved in stroke care, Fiorella has “never lost the fascination in how great the technology has become and how quickly it’s advanced,” he said. After treatment, people who couldn’t speak or understand speech and who couldn’t move the dominant side of their body can return to normal activities.
“It’s such a wonderful experience being involved with this,” he said. “I wouldn’t be able to do this without the support of Stony Brook.”
As for Claire Sabatino, who had never heard of the mobile stroke unit before the ambulance was parked on her driveway last April, the benefit of the rapid transit and the Stony Brook team is “nothing short of a miracle.
Tickets are now on sale for the 12th annual Rocky Point Garden Tour, a self-guided walk through the community’s best home gardens, on Saturday, June 15 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with garden goods for sale and raffle. $20 per person. Tickets are available at Heritage Paint, 637 Route 25A, Rocky Point and Flowers on Broadway, 43 Broadway, Rocky Point. All proceeds benefit the Rocky Point Civic Association. For more information, call 631-521-5726.
Tickets are now on sale for the 12th annual Rocky Point Garden Tour, a self-guided walk through the community’s best home gardens, on Saturday, June 15 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with garden goods for sale and raffle. $20 per person. Tickets are available at Heritage Paint, 637 Route 25A, Rocky Point and Flowers on Broadway, 43 Broadway, Rocky Point. All proceeds benefit the Rocky Point Civic Association. For more information, call 631-521-5726.
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