Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/635202
metropolitan area and the health system's more than 61,000 employees. It provides a look into Northwell's pioneering vision for shaping the future of health care. For the second consecutive year, a newly released state Department of Health (DOH) report showed that North Shore University Hospital and LIJ Medical Center's cardiothoracic surgery program had New York state's best outcomes for open-heart surgeries. Based on a sta - tistical analysis of risk-adjusted outcomes, LIJ Medical Center earned the DOH's prestigious double-star asterisk for success rates that were significantly better than the statewide average for patients undergo - ing surgeries to repair or replace heart valves and for those in need of surgeries for both valve and coronary artery bypass graft surgery. A separate state report shows outstanding results for emergency and elective angioplasty at North Shore University Hospital. Since 2000, the DOH has released numerous angioplasty reports. North Shore University Hospital's outcomes have been significantly better than the statewide average six times for all cases — and 10 times for emergency angioplasty. During that time, the hospital has earned more double-star rankings than any hospital in the state. St. Francis Hospital, The Heart Center has once again received one of the most coveted and prestigious honors a hospital and its nurses can achieve — the Magnet designation for excellence in nursing care. This recognition is the result of a rigorous evaluation that included extensive interviews and reviews of nursing services, clinical outcomes, and patient care and satisfaction. It marks the third time in a row that the hospital has received this highly regarded nation - wide recognition. Only about 7 percent of hospitals in the United States have earned the Magnet designation. St. Francis has been a Magnet Hospital since 2006. It is one of only four hospitals on Long Island to hold this national distinction and the only hospital in Nassau County to be designated three times. The Magnet program was created and is administered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. It recognizes healthcare organizations that demonstrate excellence in nursing philosophy and practice, adhere to national standards for improving patient care, have an active research program, and display leadership and sensitiv - ity to cultural and ethnic diversity. In his recent State of the State and Executive Budget address, New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo reiterated his commitment to economic innovation on Long Island, a commitment made evident recently with a $50 million pledge to The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research's groundbreaking Center for Bioelectronic Medicine — the most ambitious research venture ever undertaken by the Institute's parent company, Northwell Health (formerly known as the North Shore-LIJ Health System). The $50 million earmarked in the governor's proposed budget is subject to state legislative approval. ■ 3 0❱❱❱❱❱ L O C A L N E W S Avoiding eye contact is one early sign of autism. Learn the others today at autismspeaks.org/signs. Early diagnosis can make a lifetime of difference. YOU THINK SOMETHING MAY BE WRONG. THE ANSWER IS NOT STARING YOU IN THE FACE. 3 0

