Catholic Health’s St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson, New York, has been named a finalist in Soliant Health’s 2025 “Most Beautiful Hospitals” contest, a national recognition that celebrates hospitals not only for their visual appeal but also for their commitment to healing environments, compassionate staff, and community-centered care, according to a press release.
Each year, Soliant Health honors 20 U.S. hospitals that go above and beyond in blending design, comfort, and care to support patient well-being. Public voting for this year’s nominees is now open and runs through July 25. The grand prize winner will receive a $5,000 donation to its foundation, courtesy of Soliant Health.
St. Charles Hospital was nominated for its welcoming atmosphere, historic charm, and commitment to high-quality care. Founded in 1907, the hospital features a unique hallway display chronicling over a century of service, offering patients and visitors a visual journey through its rich history and deep roots in the community.
What distinguishes St. Charles Hospital is its warm, calming environment paired with clinical excellence, read the release. The facility blends a quaint, peaceful setting with modern care standards, supported by a dedicated team of physicians, nurses, and staff who prioritize compassion, comfort, and patient-centered treatment.
“Hospital beauty goes beyond architecture—it’s the warmth, dedication, and humanity of the people who work there,” said David Alexander, CEO of Soliant. “This contest is our way of spotlighting the hospitals that bring together form, function, and heart to support healing in every sense.”
Since its launch in 2009, the “Most Beautiful Hospitals” contest has recognized over 200 remarkable hospitals across the country. This year’s finalists reflect a wide range of design innovation and patient-first values. Community members, hospital staff, and patients are encouraged to vote for the hospital they believe best embodies the spirit of beauty, healing, and care.
Votes may be cast multiple times through July 25. Winners, including the 2025 titleholder and the full list of Top 20 Most Beautiful Hospitals, will be announced on August 1.
Above, responders to the attacks of 9/11 at Ground Zero included professionals and volunteers. Photo by John Bombace
By Daniel Dunaief
Volunteers at the World Trade Center site on 9/11 have had more significant post traumatic stress disorder than police officers, firefighters, and other trained professionals, according to a recent Stony Brook University study.
This was among a host of findings in research published in the journal Nature Mental Health about the mental health consequences for those on site after the attacks in downtown Manhattan.
“Being a volunteer responder was a significant risk factor, compared to being a trained professional responder,” explained Frank Mann, lead author and Senior Research Scientist in the Department of Medicine and Program in Public Health at the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University.
Mann and his colleagues studied PTSD symptoms over 20 years, from 2002 to 2022, to understand the impact of this national tragedy on the mental health of those who arrived at the site to offer their help.
The higher risk for volunteers likely reflects some combination of self-selection based on resilience, professional screening, past experience coping with trauma and, maybe most importantly, the training professional first responders receive, Mann said.
“The relative contributions of these factors, however, remains unknown because these factors ‘jumble together’ when testing occupational differences” heexplained.
The researchers found that symptoms can change over time, showing signs of improvement and then worsening before another recovery.
The median time before symptoms improved consistently was between eight to ten years for confirmed PTSD cases, with most patients experiencing improvement a decade after enrolling in care through the Stony Brook WTC Health and Wellness Program.
The top 10 percent of those who had the poorest prognosis incurred about half of the total mental health care costs, which includes talk therapy with a psychiatrist, clinical psychologist or social worker.
Heterogeneity
Responders varied greatly in the severity and course of their symptoms over time.
“There is a substantial heterogeneity both between individuals and within individuals,” Mann explained. “Individual differences are the norm, not the exception.”
This suggests that mental health professionals need to remain vigilant with patients whose overall health may appear to improve, only to see it decline. Although specific triggers were not identified, the Stony Brook team recently published another study in Psychological Medicine that sheds light on stress-related dynamics and how they contribute to PTSD symptom severity over time.
While the study is not well-suited to speak to the efficacy of treatment to create an enduring remission from PTSD, the experience of the participants who received screenings and free treatment over the course of years suggests that time-limited interventions are unlikely to produce lasting changes.
“Continuous monitoring is so important,” Mann added. “If individuals exposed to trauma are only monitored once, shortly after their exposure, this will inevitably miss many late-onset and relapsing cases. So repeated monitoring is needed to ensure nobody ‘falls between the crack,’ and everyone gets the attention and treatment they need.”
For politicians and health care leaders, this study suggests that the mental health consequences for first responders who assisted after a significant event with extensive trauma can require ongoing attention for years.
“Politicians, clinicians and public health officials should anticipate the effects of trauma to reverberate for many years, even decades, after the traumatic experience,” Mann said.
Previous studies have also demonstrated that the battle with PTSD tends to be more severe with events where the trauma is man made, compared with devastation from natural disasters such as tornadoes, hurricanes, or earthquakes.
Additionally, female first responders, who represented about 10 percent of the total population, showed slightly elevated, but statistically significant, differences from their male counterparts in developing PTSD. That could partially be a by-product of the higher level of comfort among women in sharing the effect of their trauma with the health care community.
“This supposition remains speculative because it was not measured or tested in our study,” Mann explained.
To be sure, the observational study is not sufficiently broad to apply across the board to first responders.
“WTC responders do not represent the full diversity of people with PTSD,” Mann said. “Consequently, the generalizability of findings to other populations, especially those with more women, greater racial diversity and exposure to nonintentional trauma, such as natural disasters, should be examined further in future studies.”
Future studies
In the search to find an underlying biological mechanism for PTSD, the Stony Brook researchers are measuring nearly 10,000 differentially expressed proteins and then are using statistical methods to reduce this large pool of target proteins to a smaller, more plausible set of candidates. Of these differentially expressed proteins, they anticipate that anywhere from a couple of dozen to nearly 1,500 could emerge as candidates.
In a 2023 review of the search for biomarkers for mental health problems such as PTSD published in the journal World Psychiatry, Anissa Abi-Dargham, Professor and Chair in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at Stony Brook, described neuroimaging, genetic, molecular and peripheral assay efforts to determine susceptibility of or presence of illness and predict treatment response or safety.
The review highlighted a critical gap in the biomarker validation process, suggesting that the overwhelming majority of candidate biomarkers has not proven sufficiently reliable, valid and useful for clinical benefit.
Mann is hoping to develop a reliable, replicable signal for poor long term course that can translate into a formal blood test and the development of pharmacological intervention.
From Maine to Rochester
Frank Mann with his family.
Born in Maine, where he spent his childhood, Mann moved to the suburbs of Rochester, New York, close to where he currently lives.
A gardening hobbyist, Mann enjoys spending time with his wife Aubrey, who is a registered nurse, and their sons Leland, 3 years old, and Cambden, 3 months old. He also appreciates the opportunity to grab lunch with high school friends.
Mann believes parenting has enriched his perspective and practice as a scientist.
“Witnessing my toddler’s resilience after every stumble reminds me that the same adaptive processes we study in PTSD recovery are not abstract — they are embodied in real human development,” he explained. “The empathy I gain through daily caregiving brings an even greater sense of urgency and responsibility to my work.”
Each protein or pathway he maps is not just a point on a graph, but, more importantly, is a potential lever to improve lives, Mann suggested.
Increasing physical activity has a significant positive impact for women over 30
By David Dunaief, M.D.
Dr. David Dunaief
Last week, I wrote about recognizing heart attacks. How can you reduce the likelihood that your symptoms are a heart attack? By reducing your heart disease risk.
Some risk factors, like family history and age, are not controllable; however, most are related to lifestyle and can be reduced significantly with simple lifestyle changes. Among these risks are high cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, diabetes and smoking.
If you need some encouragement, consider these results: In the Nurses’ Health Study, which followed 120,000 women for 20 years, those who routinely exercised, ate a quality diet, did not smoke and were a healthy weight experienced an 84 percent reduction in their risk of cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks (1).
Inspired? Let’s take a closer look at different factors.
How does weight affect heart disease risk?
The Copenhagen General Population Study showed an increased heart attack risk in those who were overweight and in those who were obese — whether or not they had metabolic syndrome, which is a combination of high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high sugar levels (2). “Obese” was defined as a body mass index (BMI) over 30 kg/m², while “overweight” included those with a BMI over 25 kg/m².
Heart attack risk increased in direct proportion to weight. Without metabolic syndrome, it increased 26 percent for those who were overweight and 88 percent for those who were obese.
This suggests that obesity, by itself, increases your risk. Of course, those with metabolic syndrome and obesity together were at greatest risk, but even without these, your risk is still higher if you’re carrying extra pounds.
What effect does physical activity have?
Let’s consider activity levels. An observational study found that these had a surprisingly high impact on women’s heart disease risk (3). Researchers found that, of four key factors — weight, blood pressure, smoking and physical inactivity — lack of exercise was the greatest risk factor for heart disease, including heart attacks, for those over age 30.
For women over age 70, they found that increasing physical activity might actually have the greatest positive impact on heart disease risk, more than addressing high blood pressure, losing weight, or even quitting smoking. The researchers noted that women should exercise on a regular basis to most significantly reduce their heart disease risk.
One potential inactivity driver is osteoarthritis. Traditional advice for those who suffer is that it is best to live with hip or knee pain as long as possible before having surgery. When should we consider joint replacement?
In a study, those with osteoarthritis of the hip or knee joints that caused difficulty walking on a flat surface were at substantially greater risk of cardiovascular events, including heart attack (4). Those who had surgery for the affected joint experienced substantially reduced heart attack risk. If you have osteoarthritis, it is important to improve your mobility, either with surgery or other treatments.
Are there any dietary ‘magic bullets’?
Studies show that dietary fiber decreases the risks of heart attack and death after a heart attack. In an analysis using data from both the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, results showed that higher fiber plays an important role in reducing the risk of death after a heart attack (5).
Those who consumed the most fiber had a 25 percent reduction in post-heart attack mortality when compared to those who consumed the least. Even more impressive is that those who increased their fiber intake after a cardiovascular event experienced a 31 percent mortality risk reduction.
The most intriguing part of the study was the dose response. For every 10-gram increase in fiber consumption, there was a 15 percent reduction in the risk of post-heart attack mortality. For perspective, 10 grams of fiber is just over eight ounces of raspberries or six ounces of cooked black beans or lentils.
You can substantially reduce your risk of heart attacks and even the risk of death after sustaining a heart attack by managing your weight, increasing your physical activity and making some updates to your diet.
Dr. David Dunaief is a speaker, author and local lifestyle medicine physician focusing on the integration of medicine, nutrition, fitness and stress management. For further information, visit www.medicalcompassmd.com or consult your personal physician.
Time to donate! Temple Beth El, 660 Park Ave., Huntington will host a community blood drive by New York Blood Center in the Social Hall on Monday, July 14 from 3 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. To make an appointment, click here. Walk-ins welcome. For more information, please contact Robin Zucker at [email protected].
Catholic Health’s St. Catherine of Siena Hospital in Smithtown has appointed Christopher Nelson, MBA, its new President. Additionally, Elizabeth McNulty, DNP, RN, NE-BC, the hospital’s Assistant Vice President of Nursing Administration, has been promoted to Chief Nursing Officer (CNO).
“We are very fortunate to have Mr. Nelson and Dr. McNulty as part of St. Catherine’s executive leadership team,” said Gary Havican, executive vice president & chief operating officer at Catholic Health. “I am confident their expertise will further enhance St. Catherine in its mission to provide the highest quality of care to residents of the Smithtown community.”
Peter Nelson
In his new role, Mr. Nelson will oversee all hospital operations, with a particular focus on improving patient experience and further expanding Catholic Health’s commitment to High-Reliability Organization principles.
Mr. Nelson most recently served as President of Catholic Health’s St. Joseph Hospital in Bethpage, where he oversaw all operations, spearheading executive strategies for growth, quality and patient experience improvement, and employee engagement and workforce development.
Prior to joining Catholic Health, Mr. Nelson served as Vice President of Operations for NYU Langone Hospital – Long Island (formerly Winthrop-University Hospital). He also previously served as the hospital’s Vice President of Administration for Surgery and Cardiac Services. Mr. Nelson began his career in health care in the U.S. Navy Hospital Corps, where he held several leadership positions and received the Joint Service Commendation Medal.
Mr. Nelson holds a Bachelor of Science in Health Care Management from Southern Illinois University and a Master of Business Administration from Long Island University.
Elizabeth McNulty
Renowned in the nursing field, Dr. McNulty has more than 30 years of experience as a professional oncology nurse, leader and educator. In her new role as CNO of St. Catherine of Siena Hospital, Dr. McNulty will lead the hospital’s nursing professional practice to ensure the delivery of high quality patient care in alignment with the hospital and Catholic Health’s mission, vision and values.
Prior to joining Catholic Health, Dr. McNulty held various nursing leadership roles at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, including Director of Acute Care Nursing.
Dr. McNulty earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Binghamton University, a Master of Arts in Nursing Administration from New York University, and a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Villanova University. She is a board-certified nurse executive and member of numerous professional organizations, including the American Organization for Nursing Leadership, Sigma Theta Tau and the American Nurses Association.
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About Catholic Health
Catholic Health is an integrated system encompassing some of the region’s finest health and human services agencies. The health system has over 17,000 employees, six acute care hospitals, three nursing homes, a home health service, hospice and a network of physician practices. Under the sponsorship of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, Catholic Health serves hundreds of thousands of Long Islanders each year, providing care that extends from the beginning of life to helping people live their final years in comfort, grace and dignity.
Hoping to help patients get out ahead in the race against potential diseases, Catholic Health is teaming up with swimming sensation Katie Ledecky, who knows how to get ahead and stay there in tough competitions.
Catholic Health added the most decorated woman’s swimmer in American history to its messaging ranks as an ambassador.
Catholic Health CEO and president Dr. Patrick O’Shaughnessy. Photo courtesy Catholic Health
“So much of our health care system is truly a sick care model,” Dr. Patrick O’Shaughnessy, President and CEO of Catholic Health, said in an interview. “While we’ll always be here to provide the best care for people who are sick, we want to take a proactive approach to keep people healthier.”
Ledecky, who has family connections on Long Island, will help spread the word about preventive screenings, diagnostics and imaging as the hospital system seeks to help residents improve their overall health.
“The stars aligned with Katie,” said O’Shaughnessy. “We could think of no one better” to encourage people to work with their health care providers to protect and improve their health. “Her mission and her passion around health and wellness [was] a perfect fit.”
Catholic Health, which operates Port Jefferson-based St. Charles Hospital and Smithtown-based St. Catherine of Siena and a network of employed and affiliated physician practices, is sharing digital messages featuring Ledecky. The celebrated swimmer with also be on site in the coming months for additional programming.
“I’m a big believer in going all in on this campaign,” said O’Shaughnessy. “We’re looking forward to the positive impact we’ll have together.”
The human touch
About a decade ago, when health care providers started working with electronic health records, the system “lost that human touch,” O’Shaughnessy said. “We are incredibly focused at Catholic Health on providing the human touch in connecting with our patients.”
He believes building long standing high-trust relationships sets the Catholic Health system apart.
Catholic Health provides provider profiles online and shares the patient feedback for its physicians.
Each provider receives training that not only helps as a clinician and diagnostician, but also enables connections between a doctor and patients, showing them that their doctors care and understanding patient needs.
“Every provider must undergo this training so they are able to better interact with our patients,” said O’Shaughnessy.
Emergency medicine perspective
With training in emergency medicine, O’Shaughessy has seen far too often how diseases have slipped into chronic phases. By working with a team of health care providers earlier, patients can get ahead of diseases and improve the quality of their life.
Catholic Health has been focusing extensively on this model ever since O’Shaughnessy became CEO five years ago.
“It’s gaining traction and momentum here,” said O’Shaughnessy. “More and more patients want this approach. They don’t want the best care only when they’re sick. That’s foundational. They want guidance, advice, diagnostics and interventions to keep them healthy.”
Catholic Health is focused on integrative care for medicine, combining diet, nutrition, sleep hygiene and strong social contact.
The system “pairs that with the best evidence-based techniques of diagnostic blood tests and imaging techniques to create an individualized genetic and overall medical care plan profile for each patient,” O’Shaughnessy said.
Food is “medicine,” he continued. “What you put in your body is so important.”
An ideal fit
When Catholic Health was searching for an ambassador who could amplify their message, forging a connection with a wide range of the population, including young women, administrators were thrilled to collaborate with Ledecky.
An aquatic legend, Ledecky’s name has become synonymous with success in the pool since she earned her first Olympic medal at the London Games in 2012. She now has seven Olympic gold medals and three silvers and has set four world records along the way.
In conversations with Ledecky, O’Shaughnessy described how “we talked a lot about health, wellness, prevention and also about how do we get our kids healthier, how do we keep our kids healthy and engage in a wide mix of things to help them prevent the onset of disease” physically and mentally.
Ledecky can share her story of success, as well as the challenging path that turned her into a global athletic icon.
“Everyone has their own challenges that they have overcome to be successful,” said O’Shaughnessy. “Katie’s story is one that exemplifies that better than anybody.”
Ledecky can also share positive messages for young girls and women who are confronting the pressures of body image.
As for mental health, which has caused problems that affects people’s cognitive functioning as well as their physical well-being, Catholic Health and Ledecky will focus on overall health.
“You have to be healthy in body and mind,” said O’Shaughnessy. “They interrelate. They are not separate islands.”
Catholic Health has a behavioral health service line, which can provide outpatient support and help younger residents manage through emotional strains.
O’Shaughnessy would like people to “take control of their health in the right way” which can help ensure positive outcomes and extend their lives.
Be aware of more subtle symptoms — and seek medical attention
By David Dunaief, M.D.
Dr. David Dunaief
It seems like we’ve made a lot of progress with heart disease, but it’s still the leading cause of death in the U.S. Each year, 605,000 people have a first heart attack, and an additional 200,000 people who’ve already had a heart attack experience another (1).
One in five heart attacks is “silent” – you might not be aware you’ve had it; however, you still experience its negative effects.
You can improve your outcomes if you recognize your heart attack symptoms and receive immediate medical attention.
Heart attack symptoms
The most recognizable symptom is chest pain. However, there are many, more subtle, symptoms, like discomfort or pain in your neck, back, jaw, arms or upper abdomen. You might also experience nausea, shortness of breath, sweating, light-headedness or tachycardia (racing heart rate).
Unfortunately, most people don’t identify these as symptoms of heart attack (2). According to one study, about 10 percent of patients present with atypical symptoms and without chest pain (3).
Symptom differences in men vs. women
There has been much discussion —especially online — claiming men and women have different symptoms. What does the research tell us?
There is data showing that, although men experience more heart attacks, women are more likely to die from them (4). In a Swedish study of 54,000 heart attack patients, one-third were women. After having a heart attack, a significantly greater number of women died in the hospital or near-term when compared to men. Interestingly, the women received aggressive treatments, such as reperfusion therapy, artery opening treatment that includes medications or invasive procedures, less often than the men.
However, recurrent heart attacks occurred at the same rate, regardless of sex. Both men and women had similar findings on an electrocardiogram.
One theory about why women receive less aggressive treatment when first presenting in the ER is that they have more subtle symptoms — even chest pain symptoms may be different. Is this true?
In one observational study of 2,500 patients, results showed that, though there were some subtle differences, when men and women presented with chest pain as the main symptom, it was of a similar nature (5). There were 34 chest pain characteristic questions used to determine if a difference existed. These included location, quality or type of pain and duration. Of these, there was some small amount of divergence: the duration was shorter for a man (2 to 30 minutes), and pain subsided more for men than for women. The authors concluded that determination of heart attacks with chest pain symptoms should not factor in the sex of patients.
This trial involved an older population; patients were a median age of 70 for women and 59 for men, with more men having had a prior heart attack. The population difference was a conspicuous weakness of an otherwise solid study, since age and previous heart attack history are important factors.
In the GENESIS-PRAXY study, another observational study, both men and women had a median age of 49. Results showed that chest pain remained the most prevalent presenting symptom in both men and women (6). However, of the patients who presented without distinct chest pain and with less specific EKG findings, significantly more were women than men.
Those who did not have chest pain symptoms may have experienced back discomfort, weakness, discomfort or pain in the throat, neck, right arm and/or shoulder, flushing, nausea, vomiting and headache. If the patients did not have chest pain, regardless of sex, the symptoms were diffuse and nonspecific.
Some studies suggest that up to 35 percent of patients do not have chest pain as their primary complaint (7).
What to do if someone is having a heart attack
If someone is having a heart attack, call 911 immediately, and have the patient chew an adult aspirin (325 mg) or four baby aspirins, provided they do not have a condition that precludes taking aspirin. The purpose of aspirin is to thin the blood quickly, but not if the person might have a ruptured blood vessel. The 911 operator or health professional who responds can help you determine whether aspirin is appropriate.
Don’t wait to seek medical attention; it’s better to have a medical professional determine that it’s not a heart attack than to ignore an actual heart attack.
The most frequently occurring heart attack symptoms to watch for
Most patients have similar types of chest pain, regardless of gender, when having a heart attack. However, this is where the complexity begins. The percentage of patients who present without chest pain varies depending on which study you review — from 10 to 35 percent.
Non-chest pain heart attacks have a bevy of diffuse symptoms, including obscure pain, nausea, shortness of breath, light-headedness, heartburn, or unusual fatigue. These are seen in both men and women, although they occur more often in women. According to the Mayo Clinic, women tend to have symptoms more often when resting, or even when asleep, than men (8).
It’s important to recognize these symptoms as potential heart attacks, because quick action can save your life.
Dr. David Dunaief is a speaker, author and local lifestyle medicine physician focusing on the integration of medicine, nutrition, fitness and stress management. For further information, visit www.medicalcompassmd.com or consult your personal physician.
Republican primaries for Smithtown’s supervisor election in November took place last week alongside Port Jefferson trustee elections the week prior. Because campaigning can be intense, especially mentally, both candidates in the Republican race for supervisor candidate — incumbent Ed Wehrheim (R) and challenger Rob Trotta (R, Fort Salonga) — and a newly elected Village of Port Jefferson trustee, Matt Franco, spoke to TBR News Media about the challenges of running for political office.
Campaigning is a multifaceted endeavor, and Wehrheim elaborated on both the complexity of the process and the dramatic time commitment that it can present.
“You’ll have your campaign headquarters set up, and you need to make frequent visits there,” Wehrheim said. “I carved out time … to go in and meet constituents at headquarters. We also carved out time to meet with specific groups that we targeted, and we also carved out time to go door-to-door and speak to the residents … It’s not an easy task to do.”
Wehrheim, who is currently serving as supervisor, made it clear that balancing his incumbent role with campaigning has been straining.
“You have to balance your time,” Wehrheim said. “If you’re the incumbent, you have a job to do … it will exhaust you.”
Trotta also emphasized the intensity of his campaign schedule.
“Campaigning and knocking on doors are sort of a dual purpose. I’m finding out what the people’s issues are, and I’m introducing myself,” Trotta said. “I can’t tell you how many people’s doors I’ve knocked on and helped with their problems.”
Franco made the sacrifice required to campaign clear.
“Campaigning is a major commitment, and it’s not something you do alone,” Franco said. “Running for office is not just a personal decision, it’s a family sacrifice … Their support wasn’t just helpful, it was essential. I’m grateful beyond words.”
All three candidates described negative comments, hate and indecency around politics as a major source of the stress associated with campaigning.
“It’s disheartening when you see your signs graffitied, stolen or even your house being stalked,” Trotta said. “Having been a cop, I’m prepared for these things, but I’m more concerned with my family than anything else.”On June 23, the day before election day for the Republican primaries, Suffolk County Police arrested a man for stalking Trotta outside his home from the dates June 16 to June 18.
Trotta also attributed some difficulties to the personalization of politics.
“When you don’t have the facts, you attack the person,” Trotta said. “That’s what this campaign was about.”
Wehrheim described a similar degree of negativity surrounding the primary, and was also concerned about personalization.
“If I had one thing to change, it would be that I wish politics weren’t so negative,” Wehrheim said. “If someone’s going to run for office, I wish that they would run on the merits — that they would campaign and run on what their plans are, how they’re going to support their constituency, things they would want to change.”
Despite all of the stress inherent to campaigning, Franco was still clearly grateful for the opportunity to run and serve his community.
“In the end, I genuinely enjoyed campaigning. It brought out the best in my team and reminded me why I ran in the first place,” Franco said. “Ignore the online toxicity … surround yourself with people who love you … stay focused on why you’re running … you can endure the noise and stay grounded in your purpose.”
For many years, and in many other states, citizens have asked for legislation to allow terminally ill persons to request medical assistance from a relevant, licensed physician to end their life. In the United States, the issue reached the Supreme Court in 1917 in the case of Washington v. Glucksberg, in which the Court ruled that there is no federal law that either legalizes or prohibits medical aid in dying and that it is a states’ rights issue.
This year, legislation (which would amend the Public Health Law) was passed in both the Assembly (A.995a) sponsored by New York State Assemblywoman Paulin and the Senate (S.2445a) sponsored by New York State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal for the Medical Aid in Dying Act, also known as the Death with Dignity Act. Supporters hope it will be signed by Governor Hochul. (In 2019, Governor Cuomo came out in support of the bill but failed to include it in his budget message.)
Nine states (Oregon, Vermont, Washington, California, Montana, Hawaii, Maine, New Jersey and Colorado) and the District of Columbia now allow physician-assisted aid in dying. The legislation would allow it in New York State.
The legislation includes safeguards against abuse of the dying and protections for medical personnel who act in good faith in compliance with the law. Medical aid in dying is intended to be a thoroughly thought-out and planned decision, not a spontaneous one.
A mentally competent, terminally ill patient aged 18 years or older and a resident of New York State may request medication to be self-administered by making an oral and a written request to an attending physician, witnessed by two adults. The attending physician shall examine the patient and his records, determine whether he has a terminal disease and the capacity to make an informed decision of his own volition, as confirmed also by a consulting physician. If the attending physician or the consulting physician believes that the patient may lack capacity, such physician shall refer the patient to a mental health professional.
If the mental health professional determines that the patient lacks capacity to make an informed decision, the patient shall not be deemed a qualified individual and the attending physician shall not prescribe medication to the patient.
It is important for the healthcare provider to distinguish between medical aid in dying and assisted suicide. A patient who requests medication under the legislation shall not be considered suicidal and the patient and their beneficiaries shall not be denied any benefits because of it. The attending physician may sign the individual’s death certificate; the cause of death will be the underlying terminal illness. Additionally, patients have the right to rescind their request for medical aid in dying at any time, even if the medication has been administered.
Objections to the legislation have beenmade on religious and cultural grounds, or because persons with disabilities may feel that they are being targeted. Although persons requesting medical assistance may be seeking relief from the pain of their disease, they may also be reluctant to remain as a burden to their family or doctors. A private health care facility may prohibit the prescribing or self-administering of medication while a patient is being treated in or residing in their facility, often because it has religious objections or has been established to provide palliative care.
If necessary, the patient shall be transferred to another facility that can meet the patient’s needs — in its justification the current legislation states clearly that patients should not have to leave the state or the country to control how their lives end but should be able to die with dignity, on their own terms, typically in their own homes, surrounded by their family and other loved ones.
Jonathan Treem, MD, of the University of Colorado Palliative Care, discussed ethical considerations in Medical Aid in Dying: Ethical and Practical Issues, JADPRO, Apr 1, 2023. Not all patients who inquire about medical aid in dying intend to end their life with medication. Many see it as an insurance policy for the end-of-life care, to maintain their autonomy. The most common diagnosis among patients is cancer, followed by neurologic disorders such as ALS and dementia. Many are enrolled in Hospice programs. In Colorado, in 2019, Dr. Treem points out, only 20% of those who got prescriptions actually had it dispensed.
The legislation that has been passed would make it possible for a greater number of New Yorkers to seek help as they face the end of life. Please ask Governor Hochul to sign it.
Nancy Marr is Vice-President of the League of Women Voters of Suffolk County, a nonprofit nonpartisan organization that encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government and influences public policy through education and advocacy. For more information, call 631-862-6860.
Mather Hospital's new Emergency Department. Photo courtesy of Mather Hospital
Mather Hospital in Port Jefferson has unveiled one of the most ambitious building projects in its history — a state-of-the-art $78 million Frey Family Emergency Department (ED) designed to meet the evolving healthcare needs of the community. The hospital will celebrate the opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony on July 9. The ED is expected to open to the public this summer.
At 29,000 square feet, the new facility is more than twice the size of the current ED, which was built over 30 years ago. With the region’s aging population and increasing prevalence of chronic and complex conditions, the new ED is built to serve patients at every stage of life — with a particular focus on older adults. Mather is a designated Age-Friendly Hospital and holds a Gold Level 1 Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation from the American College of Emergency Physicians.
“This project represents a major investment in the health and safety of our community,” said Kevin McGeachy, president, Mather Hospital. “We’re designing this space to provide faster, more efficient care in a setting that prioritizes patient comfort, privacy, and safety.”
Key features of the new Emergency Department include:
Efficient and Patient-Centered Design: Each private patient room in the main ED will feature walls with sliding doors, enhancing privacy and comfort. A new “Super Track” area will serve patients with less critical needs, using a mix of private rooms and a results waiting area with recliners for streamlined care.
Split-Flow Model: The department’s layout supports a split-flow model, proven to accelerate care by routing lower-acuity patients to more efficient treatment areas and expediting admissions for patients with more serious conditions. This approach reduces wait times, shortens ED stays, and lowers the number of patients who leave without treatment.
Advanced Imaging Onsite: With dedicated CT, X-ray, and ultrasound equipment embedded within the ED, clinicians can complete imaging studies faster, leading to more timely diagnoses and improved care outcomes.
Infection Prevention: The new ED includes infrastructure that allows for rapid conversion of a significant section into negative pressure rooms—helping to prevent the spread of airborne infections during future public health crises.
Enhanced Geriatric Care: Patient exam rooms will be larger to accommodate caregivers, recognizing that many older adults rely on loved ones for support. Every aspect of the design reflects Mather’s commitment to age-friendly emergency care.
Dedicated Behavioral Health Space: The new ED will include six specialized rooms for adolescents and adults experiencing mental health crises, ensuring access to compassionate, discreet care in a safe environment.
The new ED is part of a group of capital expansion projects at Mather that the JTM Foundation has to date raised more than $21 million to support. Among the first major contributions was a generous gift from Robert and Kathryn Frey and their family, demonstrating the strong community commitment to enhancing local healthcare.
For more information about the Emergency Department project or how to support Mather Hospital, please visit https://www.matherhospital.org/.
