Northwell opens COVID-19 facility in Lawrence

Northwell Health today (Wednesday) opened a temporary outpatient center at Sh’or Yoshuv Institute in Lawrence that will care for recovering patients, patients who are ill and able to walk, and midly ill patients.

The opening of the facility by Northwell Health, near the border with Far Rockaway, was motivated by funds raised in the Five Towns communities.

It will serve as an assessment center and bridge to home for recovering patients. It will be staffed by Northwell Health physicians and clinical volunteers recruited by Hatzolah Air, a nonprofit emergency response service.

“We are pleased to have been invited to partner with the community to fulfill the medical needs of the region as the nature and scale of the Covid-19 pandemic evolves,” Michael Goldberg, executive director of Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park. He said the facility offers "a  unique way to provide routine care to local residents, avoiding the need for hospital emergency care.”

As is the case at hospitals, visitation is restricted to reduce the risk of spreading the virus, and patients to the Lawrence site must come alone to ensure the safety of staff and fellow patients. Initially, the center is expected to serve 20 to 25 patients a day, officials said. 

Staff will wear personal protective equipment when meeting with patients, practice regular hand hygiene, clean equipment and disinfect the site. 

Patients who show up to the ambulatory assessment clinic for evaluation will be tested only with symptoms consistent with possible COVID-19 infection, a Northwell spokesperson told The Jewish Star.

Patients will be transferred to the Emergency Department at Long Island Jewish Medical Center if too sick to be home, the spokesperson said.

Sh’or Yoshuv Institute, which is temporarily closed, was founded in 1967 in Far Rockaway by Rabbi Shlomo Freifeld. The school moved to Lawrence in 2003. Haredi Judaism is known for its adherence to a strict interpretation of Jewish law and values, in contrast to contemporary practices.

The center, 1 Cedarlawn Ave., will be open daily from 10 am to 7 pm as needed, officials said. For more information or to make an appointment, call 718-316-6868.