Northwell cardiac programs earn America’s Best ratings from Healthgrades

NEW HYDE PARK, NY – Four Northwell Health hospitals across Long Island today earned national accolades as part of Healthgrades’ 2023 America’s Best Hospitals list, led by the cardiac programs at North Shore University Hospital (NSUH) in Manhasset and South Shore University Hospital (SSUH) in Bay Shore.

The Sandra Atlas Bass Heart Hospital at NSUH has been named one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Surgery and one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Coronary Intervention, according to new research released by Healthgrades, the leading marketplace connecting doctors and patients. In addition, SSUH has been named one of America’s 50 Best Hospital for Cardiac Surgery and America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Care and Coronary Intervention by Healthgrades.

The ratings are based outstanding clinical outcomes for coronary intervention and cardiac surgery and puts both cardiac programs among the top 5 percent of hospitals nationwide for cardiac surgery and coronary intervention.

“These Healthgrades accolades reflect what the New York State Department of Health reported earlier this year as well as the Society of Thoracic Surgeons: Namely that outstanding cardiac patient outcomes happen at the Sandra Atlas Bass Heart Hospital at NSUH,” said Alan Hartman, MD, senior vice president and executive director of cardiothoracic surgery at Northwell Health. “We’ve built an excellent team at an academic, quaternary care hospital that is renown nationally for its array of cardiac services.”

NSUH’s recognition marks seven straight years of earning Healthgrades’ 50 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Surgery award and 12 straight years ranking in the 100 Best for Coronary Intervention. The hospital has also received Healthgrades accolades for Cranial Neurosurgery Excellence (four straight years) Stroke Care Excellence (12 consecutive years) and Outstanding Patient Experience (four years in a row).

This marks SSUH’s sixth consecutive year rating as one of Healthgrades’ 50 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Surgery. It’s also back-to-back years as one of the 100 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Care and 100 Best for Coronary Intervention.

“Northwell Health’s investments meant to transform South Shore University Hospital into a cardiac center of excellence are paying off,” said Robert Kalimi, MD, chair of cardiovascular and thoracic surgery at SSUH. “When a catastrophic coronary event strikes, time equals heart muscle. Having complex care in your backyard makes all the difference. We’re bringing complex, life-saving care with top surgeons and in state-of-the-art facilities to the South Shore to ensure Suffolk County residents get the exceptional health options they deserve.”

As New York State’s largest health care provider, Northwell Health hospitals were broadly recognized by Healthgrades. Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan has been named one of America’s 100 Best for Cardiac Care, 100 Best for Coronary Intervention and 100 Best for Prostate Surgery. Staten Island University Hospital earned 50 Best Cardiac Surgery and 100 Best Coronary Intervention. Two other Long Island hospitals were recognized: Mather Hospital in Port Jefferson as one of America’s 100 Best for Gastrointestinal Surgery; and Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead as one of America’s 100 Best for Coronary Intervention.

“We are incredibly proud of these data which show that Long Islanders have incredible access to the highest quality cardiac care across Northwell,” said Jeffrey Kuvin, MD, senior vice president of cardiology for Northwell’s Central and Eastern regions. “The data tell the story: Northwell’s cardiac surgery and coronary intervention outcomes are exceptional.”

Healthgrades evaluated patient mortality and complication rates for 31 of the most common conditions and procedures at nearly 4,500 hospitals across the country to identify the top-performing hospitals for specialty care. This year’s analysis revealed significant variation in patient outcomes between America’s 50 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Surgery, as well as America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Coronary Intervention and hospitals that did not receive these distinctions.

Between 2019-2021, patients treated at hospitals receiving the America’s 50 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Surgery Award have, on average, a 56 percent lower risk of dying than if they were treated in hospitals that did not receive the award.* Additionally, patients treated at hospitals receiving the America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Coronary Intervention Award have, on average, a 47.3 percent lower risk of dying than if they were treated at hospitals that did not receive the award.*

* Statistics are based on Healthgrades analysis of MedPAR data for years 2019 through 2021 and represent three-year estimates for Medicare patients only. For appendectomy and bariatric surgery, Healthgrades used inpatient data from 16 states that provide all-payer data for years 2019 through 2021. Click here to view the complete 2023 Specialty Excellence Awards and Ratings Methodology.

 About Northwell Health
Northwell Health is New York State’s largest health care provider and private employer, with 21 hospitals, 850 outpatient facilities and more than 12,000 affiliated physicians. We care for over two million people annually in the New York metro area and beyond, thanks to philanthropic support from our communities. Our 81,000 employees – 18,900 nurses and 4,900 employed doctors, including members of Northwell Health Physician Partners – are working to change health care for the better. We’re making breakthroughs in medicine at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research. We’re training the next generation of medical professionals at the visionary Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and the Hofstra Northwell School of Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies. For information on our more than 100 medical specialties, visit Northwell.edu and follow us @NorthwellHealth on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.