MDNews - Long Island

St. Francis Hospital earned the award by meeting specific quality-achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of heart failure patients at a set level for a designated period. These measures include proper use of medications and aggressive risk- reduction therapies such as use of cholesterol-lowering drugs, beta blockers, ACE inhibitors, aspirin, diuretics and anticoagulants while patients are in the hospital. Before patients are discharged, they also receive education on managing heart failure conditions and overall health, as well as referrals for cardiac rehabilitation. John T. Mather Memorial Hospital has received The Leapfrog Group's top "A" Hospital Safety Score for the fifth consecutive ratings period. Mather is one of only 251 hospitals in the nation to have achieved an "A" grade in all five score releases of the Hospital Safety Score. Mather is one of only six Long Island hospitals to receive the top score in Leapfrog's latest ranking of 137 New York State hos - pitals. Statewide, only 27 hospitals received the top score. Mather also received an "A" rating in each of the two annual rankings in both 2012 and 2013. St. Charles Hospital recently opened a 10-bed inpatient unit dedi- cated to medically supervised alcohol and chemical dependency detoxification. The opening of this unit at St. Charles addresses the need for medical detoxification services to address sub- stance abuse in Suffolk County. The medical team monitors these St. Charles patients during the withdrawal process. A physician who specializes in addiction medicine leads a team of profession- als, including nurses and counselors, in providing treatment to patients during the detoxification process. St. Charles Hospital also offers inpatient alcohol and chemical dependency rehabilita- tion once an individual has undergone detoxification. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's Get With The Guidelines–Stroke Quality Achievement Award has been given to 11 North Shore-LIJ Health System hospitals, recognizing their commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of care by ensuring that stroke patients receive treatment according to nationally accepted guidelines. To receive the Get With The Guidelines Stroke Gold Plus or Gold Quality Achievement Award, each hospital achieved 24 con - secutive months of 85 percent or higher adherence to all stroke performance achievement indicators. Breast Cancer Help, Inc. has created the Long Island Cancer Help and Wellness Center at 32 Park Ave. in Bay Shore to provide nonmedical support for those dealing with cancer. Through a collection of free services including exercise classes, art therapy and massage, the center provides cancer survivors with support to overcome the challenges of the disease. Recently, the Good Samaritan Hospital Foundation aligned with Breast Cancer Help, Inc. to provide outreach, education and programs for cancer survivors on Long Island. For more information on cancer services at Good Samaritan Hospital, call 631- 376-4444. The Joint Commission, in conjunction with The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, recently recognized Peconic Bay Medical Center with Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers. Peconic Bay Medical Center is a New York state receiving stroke center and the only hospital on the East End, and one of only a few in Suffolk, to have this certifica - tion. Achievement of Primary Stroke Center Certification signifies an organization's dedication to fostering better outcomes for patients. Peconic Bay Medical Center's Primary Stroke Center Certification has demonstrated that its program meets critical ele - ments of performance to achieve long-term success in improving outcomes for stroke patients. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association recently recognized Peconic Bay Medical Center with Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers. Nassau University Medical Center (NUMC) has achieved an "A" score in hospital safety. Designed to rate how well hospitals protect patients from accidents, errors, injuries and infections, the latest Hospital Safety Score honored NUMC with an "A" — its top grade in patient safety. The Hospital Safety Score is compiled under the guidance of the nation's leading experts on patient safety and is administered by The Leapfrog Group, an indepen - dent industry watchdog. The first and only hospital safety rating to be peer-reviewed in the Journal of Patient Safety, the score is provided without charge to the public and designed to give con- sumers information they can use to protect themselves and their families when facing a hospital stay. ■ +++++++++++++++++++ + +++ + +++ +++++++++++++++++++ LOCAL NEWS 3 0 | Long Island MD NEWS ■ M D N E W S . CO M

• Cover