Arthritis Takes Many Forms, Includes More than 100 Different Diseases

By Sanjay Godhwani, MD If you suffer from joint inflammation and the resulting pain, swelling, redness, warmth and stiffness, you may be among the more than 53 million people affected by arthritis. Arthritis can occur at any age and includes more than 100 different diseases. Symptoms can develop suddenly or over time. If you experience…

Mather Uses Advanced Imaging to Detect Coronary Artery Disease

First LI Community Hospital to Offer Cardiac CTA When a patient arrives at Mather Hospital’s Emergency Department with symptoms such as palpitations, labored breathing, tightness or pain in the chest or abdomen, excessive fatigue or dizziness, time is crucial in determining whether the cause is a heart attack. If tests reveal that there is no…

Mather Offers Free Lung Cancer Screenings

Mather Hospital is now offering free lung cancer screenings for certain high risk smokers and former smokers to diagnose lung cancer in its earliest most treatable stages. An influential panel of medical experts recently recommended that some former and current heavy smokers should be screened annually for lung cancer, which could prevent as many as…

Studies Show Bariatric Surgery Effectively Treats Type 2 Diabetes

Luis Hernandez, 52 of Lake Grove knows firsthand how bariatric surgery can lead to more than just weight loss. He was a diabetic and weighed just under 300 pounds with a body mass index (BMI) of 41.  A person with a BMI greater than 40 is considered to be morbidly obese. He also suffered from…

Mather is Only NYS Hospital to Receive 8 Leapfrog A’s

Mather Hospital has been recognized for its patient safety record with The Leapfrog Group’s top "A" Hospital Safety Score for the eighth consecutive ratings period – the only New York State hospital to achieve that distinction. Mather is one of only 133 hospitals out of more than 2,500 ranked nationwide to have achieved an "A"…

Step Up to a Life Without Joint Pain

Craig Limoncelli of Smithtown had endured a painful right hip for five years. It got so bad that walking up his steep, 130-foot long driveway with the day’s mail became a painful experience. A technician for Mercedes Benz, Limoncelli, 53, decided he couldn’t put off hip surgery any longer when he had difficulty lifting objects…

Interventional Radiology Team Takes on Challenging Cases

After Christie Bonadio of Port Jefferson Station learned that her breast cancer had invaded her spine and her liver, her oncologist, Jeffrey Vacirca, MD, referred her to the Interventional Radiology (IR) Department at John T. Mather Memorial Hospital. Having been there years earlier for the removal of a vena cava filter designed to prevent blood…

Mather’s Back & Neck Pain Center Gets Retired Firefighter Back on His Feet

Retired New York City firefighter Kevin Larkin of Farmingville meets once a week with a group of classic car enthusiasts. They talk about their latest projects and upcoming shows and share a meal that is usually prepared by Larkin. Persistent and increasing neck pain was beginning to get in his way. "On any given week,…

Four From Mather Named Health Care Heroes

Four individuals nominated by Mather Hospital were honored as Health Care Heroes by Long Island Business News. The annual awards "recognize excellence, promote innovation, contribute to the enhancement of the value and quality of healthcare and, ultimately, recognize those people and organizations whose tireless work, contributions and dedication to healing and caring ensure the well-being…

Mather Ranked one of State’s Safest Hospitals

John T. Mather Memorial Hospital was one of four Long Island hospitals to be given an “A” rating for patient safety by the Leapfrog Group, an independent, national not-for-profit organization that advocates for safety, quality and affordability of healthcare. In June 2012, the Leapfrog Group’s first Hospital Safety Scorecard ranked 130 hospitals across New York and…