Five Towns Premier Rehabilitation & Nursing Center celebrates release of first Covid-19 patient

The first patient diagnosed with Covid-19 at the Five Towns Premier Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Woodmere has officially recovered.

Freeport resident Colin Callender, 83, was released from Premier on April 23 after being diagnosed with Covid-19 on March 26. 

Callender was admitted to the nursing center from Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital in Oceanside one day after the state's Department of Health directed nursing facilities to accept patients who tested positive for coronavirus. Callender is a retired nurse and was previously rehabbing short-term at Premier prior to contracting the virus.  

Premier's Rehabilitation Administrator, Joseph Benden, said the entire staff at the facility came out to offer Callender a celebratory send-off prior to his discharge.

“Despite the fear and uncertainty of treating Covid-19, the staff at the Five Towns Premier rose to the challenge,” Benden said. “It was great for our staff to see him recover and return home.”

Callender expressed his gratitude to the staff at the center for assisting in his recovery. "All the staff, from the aides to the RN’s did a wonderful job,” Callender said in a statement. “I feel very happy to have gotten free of Covid-19 at my age and I thank all the Five Towns Premier staff for all they did.”