Catholic Health to spend $500 million over 10 years on new imaging, diagnostic equipment

Catholic Health plans to install 1,300 pieces of new imaging and diagnostic equipment over the next 10 years, the health system announced Thursday.

The $500 million investment is part of a sales agreement between Rockville Centre-based Catholic Health and equipment provider GE HealthCare in Chicago.

The equipment will be used by physicians and others in cardiology, neurology, oncology and women’s health at six hospitals and 36 offices. In addition, artificial intelligence software will aid in patient scheduling and diagnostics, officials said.

Half of the equipment will arrive in the next three years and comes as rival health systems announce improvements of their own.

NYU Langone is planning to build a $1 billion research hospital in Melville, while Northwell Health will open a 30,000-square-foot office at the Station Yards development in Ronkonkoma. Stony Brook Children’s Hospital is spending $55 million on an expanded pediatric emergency department.

Catholic Health’s equipment purchase reflects the intense competition for patients among Long Island’s healthcare providers, said Wendy Darwell, president and CEO of the Suburban Hospital Alliance of New York State, which represents about 50 hospitals on the Island and in the Hudson Valley.

"Big health systems have to make technology investments because medicine is constantly changing," Darwell said. "To strengthen the viability of your institution, you have to keep up with technology."

Catholic Health’s agreement with GE HealthCare provides for equipment upgrades, maintenance, and a cardiovascular scientist to work with the doctors. The latter will involve Catholic Health in the development of new imaging equipment.

Gary Havican, Catholic Health’s interim CEO and president, told Newsday: "GE has committed to never having us not have the latest in technology to treat our patients."

Besides the new equipment, he said, GE would provide preventive maintenance on 33,000 other machines.

The agreement with GE HealthCare "really shows the commitment that we have made to our patients as far as maintaining the latest technology and bringing our clinicians closer to the decision-making point of what the future of imaging [equipment] looks like," said Havican, who also serves as chief operating officer.

He and others said the agreement will expand Catholic Health’s cardiac imaging to outpatient and ambulatory sites, reduce the time between diagnosis and treatment for oncology care, bring more ultrasound systems to hospital bedsides, and improve maternal-infant care monitoring.

Rachel Gilbreath, a regional president for GE HealthCare, said in a statement that the agreement with Catholic Health "is grounded in deep collaboration to expand access and advance high-quality care across Long Island."

By James T. Madore

james.madore@newsday.comJamesTMadore

James T. Madore writes about Long Island business news including the economy, development, and the relationship between government and business. He previously served as Albany bureau chief.