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NEWS South Nassau Communities Hospital is the first hospital in New York to earn End Stage Renal Disease Certification from The Joint Commission (JC). The certification was awarded to South Nassau for its compliance and continuous dedication to the national standards for healthcare quality and safety as recommended by the commission's Disease- Specific Care Certification Program. Certification and accreditation by the JC is recognized nationwide as a symbol of quality that reflects a hospital's commitment to meeting demanding performance stan - dards. End Stage Renal Disease Certification is available only to dialysis programs in JC-accredited acute care hospitals. To earn the certification, South Nassau's in-house dialysis unit and Outpatient Dialysis Center (located in Oceanside, New York) underwent a thorough and rigorous on-site review by surveyors with expertise in dialysis care. The review demonstrated South Nassau's compliance with standards of care specific to the needs of patients and families, including infection prevention and control, leadership, and medication management. To earn the certification, South Nassau's in-house dialysis unit and Outpatient Dialysis Center (located in Oceanside, New York) underwent a thorough and rigorous on-site review by surveyors with expertise in dialysis care. Three Catholic Health Services (CHS) hospitals — St. Charles Hospital, Mercy Medical Center and St. Francis Hospital, The Heart Center — have earned an "A," the top grade in patient safety, in its latest Hospital Safety Score, administered by The Leapfrog Group. Of the more than 2,500 U.S. hospitals assigned spring 2014 scores, only 32 percent achieved an "A." St. Francis, Mercy and St. Charles are among just six hospitals in Nassau or Suffolk counties to be awarded an "A" in these latest results. Also, all three were in the top quartile — with St. Francis ranking first — of metro area hospitals most recently given a safety score by Consumer Reports. For information, call 1-855-CHS-4500. Southampton Hospital has established a Tick-Borne Disease Resource Center to educate the public, promote collaboration in the medical community, and facilitate access to diagnosis and treat - ment of Lyme and other tick-borne diseases. A panel comprised of doctors and medical professionals across several specialties meets regularly to discuss issues caused by tick bites they have observed in their patients. It is expected that the collaboration will strengthen physicians' ability to combat the effects of tick-borne diseases and advance education on prevention and treatment options among Eastern Long Island residents and visitors. Southampton Hospital recently hosted its first medical symposium for medical profession - als and also hosted a physician panel discussion June 7. A dedi- cated help line (631-726-TICK) is in place. Southampton Hospital recently established its Tick-Borne Disease Resource Center. Members of the physician panel attended the hospital's first symposium for medical professionals. (L-R) Elaine Karis, MD; Erin McGintee, MD; George Dempsey, MD; Rajeev Fernando, MD; Deborah Maile, RN; Anthony Knott, MD; and Alexandra Halitsky, MD; (in back) Robert Chaloner, Southampton Hospital President & CEO. (Not all members of the panel were present for the photo.) St. Francis Hospital, The Heart Center has received the Get With The Guidelines–Heart Failure Silver-Plus Quality Achievement Award for implementing specific quality improvement measures outlined by the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology Foundation secondary prevention guidelines for heart failure pa - tients. This nationwide quality improvement program helps hospital teams provide the most up-to-date, research-based guidelines with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing hospital readmissions for heart failure patients. M D N E W S . CO M ■ MD NEWS Long Island | 2 9