Sister Margaret Sprague, CIJ, RN, (center) Director of Outpatient Primary Care Services at Mercy Medical Center, cuts the ribbon to inaugurate the hospital's new center for outpatient internal medicine, pediatrics and OB/GYN services. Looking on (from left) are Hempstead Village Mayor Wayne J. Hall, Sr., Mercy Medical Center Chief Operating Officer Ron Steimel, Village Mayor Wayne J. Hall, Sr., Rockville Centre Mayor Mary W. Bossart and Rockville Centre Village Trustee Charles R. Joyce Responding to a steadily growing demand, Mercy Medical Center has opened a new, expanded Primary Care Outpatient Services Center.

The new facility, located on the second floor of the hospital's main building, doubles the space available to provide Internal Medicine, Pediatrics and OB/GYN services. It features a large patient-registration and reception area, nine examination rooms, and a separate waiting area for pediatric pa-tients with a décor specifically designed to be appealing and comfortable for children.

A ribbon cutting to inaugurate the newly-renovated space was attended by Rockville Centre Mayor Mary W. Bossart, Rockville Centre Village Trustee Charles R. Joyce, and Hempstead Village Mayor Wayne J. Hall, Sr., who noted that he had once been employed at Mercy as a laboratory technician.

Mercy's Primary Care Outpatient Services program provides comprehensive community healthcare for patients on Medicare, Medicaid or who are uninsured, and receives more than 4,000 patient visits each year.

Mercy Medical Center is a 387-bed, not-for-profit hospital serving the healthcare needs of Nassau County and its surrounding area. Best known for services in maternal health, oncology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, orthopedics, and behavioral health, Mercy provides 24-hour emergency and trauma care, is a state-designated Stroke Center and site of a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, as well as a Bariatric Center of Excellence designated by the American Society of Bariatric Surgery, and the regional home of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Mercy also is the recipient of the 2008 Orthopedic Care ExcellenceTM Award from HealthGrades(r), the nation's leading healthcare ratings com-pany.

Mercy Medical Center is a member of Catholic Health Services of Long Island.