South Nassau’s golf outing funds to go toward expansion project

South Nassau Communities Hospital will honor a pair of civil servants at its 33rd annual golf outing on June 12, which will raise funds for the Oceanside medical center’s campaign to expand it emergency department.

South Nassau, in the third year of its five-year campaign to garner $10 million of the total cost of its $60 million expansion project through fundraising, had raised about $5.6 million as of March, following its Casino Royale event.

The expansion project is set to nearly double the size of the hospital’s emergency department, which upon completion will include a larger waiting area and separate treatment areas for pediatric and behavioral health patients. The department was built to handle about 35,000 patients a year, but is currently serving 65,000 patients annually, according to hospital officials, and is projected to see roughly 80,000 in the years ahead.

The department is a New York State Department of Health regional stroke center and is southern Nassau County’s only trauma center. It has more than 35 large independent treatment bays, specialty treatment areas as well as its own dedicated computerized radiology suite for rapid access to testing and results.

This year’s event honorees, Michael and Eileen Sapraicone, each have had long careers in law enforcement and criminal justice. Michael is a former detective for the New York City Police Department, and has appeared on television news programs as a criminal justice expert. He is the founder and owner of Uniondale-based Squad Security, which provides security solutions for many Fortune 500 companies, ranging from Wall Street firms to international retailers. Michael also serves on South Nassau’s Advisory Board.

Eileen, an attorney that currently works as a Nassau County Family Court Support Magistrate, helps to adjudicate often-complex child support and family issues. She is a deputy county attorney and law secretary in Nassau County, special counsel at the New York City Department of Investigation and an assistant district attorney in Queens County. Eileen has also served as a member of the hospital’s Women’s Center Gala Committee.

The Sapraicones, along with their five children, have supported non-profit organizations and charities, including South Nassau, the Museum of American Armor, Tomorrow’s Hope Foundation, Futures in Education, the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center and America's VetDogs.

“The Sapraicones are two tremendous leaders who both have done so much for South Nassau and our surrounding communities,” said Richard Murphy, the hospital’s chief executive officer. “They are very generous with their time, talents and resources. We are grateful to call them friends of South Nassau.”

The event’s co-chairmen, Tony Cancellieri, vice chairman of South Nassau’s board of directors, and Jeffrey Greenfield, attribute the growing popularity of the outing to the hospital’s mission of raising funds for the expansion effort.

To accommodate expanding interest in the South Nassau’s golf outing, a third course has been added for the first time. The event will take place at the Seawane Club in Hewlett Harbor, the Rockway Hunting Club in Lawrence and the Woodmere Club. The Seawane Club is already sold out and the remaining courses are filling up fast.