Stony Brook Children’s expands pediatric emergency department, completion set for 2029

Stony Brook Children’s is moving ahead with a $55 million expansion of its pediatric emergency department, a project designed to relieve the pressure on Suffolk County’s only Level 1 pediatric trauma center and add room for the roughly 25,000 children treated there each year.

The hospital is set to break ground Friday, with completion scheduled for January 2029. Stony Brook says construction already began in fall 2025, underscoring that this is a multi-year build, not a cosmetic upgrade. When finished, the pediatric emergency department will grow to more than 17,000 square feet, about four times its current size.

That current footprint tells the story of the strain. The existing pediatric emergency department is about 4,200 square feet, with nine exam rooms and no dedicated critical care area. In a county where Stony Brook says it is the first and only children’s hospital, that small space has been carrying the load for infants, children and young adults who need specialized emergency care close to home.

The expansion matters because pediatric emergencies are not just smaller versions of adult cases. Children often need different equipment, staffing and room design, and Stony Brook says its pediatric emergency physicians are available 24/7 to provide the most advanced pediatric emergency care in Suffolk County. The hospital’s pediatric trauma service also admits more than 300 children a year with traumatic injuries, a reminder that this unit handles the most serious cases as well as everyday emergencies.

A bid listing described the work as a new addition plus interior modifications and a storage area, part of a modernization effort meant to expand capacity and improve patient flow. Stony Brook’s broader pediatric system includes more than 30 specialty locations across Long Island, 104 beds, more than 180 pediatric specialists and 40 pediatric care specialties, making the emergency department the front door to a wider regional network.

The hospital originally opened its newly constructed pediatric emergency department in November 2009. More than 15 years later, the need for more space is clear. The project will not change day-to-day access immediately, and families facing a night, weekend or seasonal surge will still rely on the existing department until the new space is ready. But by the time the expanded unit opens in 2029, Stony Brook will have added a larger emergency hub at the center of Suffolk County’s pediatric safety net.