22 Long Island hospitals recognized for heart, stroke care

Hospitals across Long Island, including Stony Brook University Hospital, NYU Langone Hospital-Suffolk and Huntington Hospital, have been recognized for improving care for patients with heart disease and stroke.

The American Heart Association, the largest nonprofit funder of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular research outside of the federal government, said the hospitals consistently follow guidelines for treating heart disease, stroke and related conditions.

On Long Island, the nonprofit awarded 22 hospitals — nearly all local hospitals — its annual Get With The Guidelines awards.

Catholic Health hospitals, Mount Sinai South Nassau hospital and Nassau University Medical Center also were among the region’s winners.

“Get With The Guidelines recognition shows that a hospital has demonstrated consistent adherence to research-based treatment guidelines,” Bong Arquiza, director of communications for the association’s operations covering Long Island, said in a statement.

“For patients and families, it can be one indicator of a hospital’s commitment to delivering timely, evidence-based care,” Arquiza said.

Hospitals earn recognition by meeting defined performance measures through one or more of the association’s quality improvement programs, the AHA said, including the timing of administering care and the providing of certain medications within certain timelines.

The awards are not rankings of the individual hospitals or all their services, the AHA said. They are largely based on the amount of time hospitals adhere to guidelines, with bronze winners demonstrating compliance for 90 consecutive days, silver winners for a year, and gold winners for two years in a row.

"Receiving these awards once again speaks to the collaboration and dedication of our physicians, nurses and healthcare professionals," Carol A. Gomes, CEO of Stony Brook University Hospital, said in a statement.

Cardiovascular disease, which includes heart disease and strokes, accounted for 941,652 deaths in the United States in 2022, according to a report last year from the AHA. On Long Island, about 1 in 3 deaths are attributable to heart disease, according to cardiology practice Suffolk Heart Group.

"Heart disease is the number one killer," said Janine Logan, vice president of communications and population health with the Suburban Hospital Alliance, a regional trade group representing hospitals on Long Island and in the Hudson Valley.

Voluntary adherence to the guidelines set by the American Heart Association “drives improvement of patient care and quality” at local hospitals, Logan said. 

Stony Brook University Hospital and Southampton Hospital each received a “Gold Plus” award for adherence to the AHA’s stroke-care guidelines. This year marks the 16th and 13th year in a row, respectively, each hospital has been awarded the designation.

Northwell Health, the state’s largest private employer, had 10 hospitals on Long Island receive the designation.

“When we consistently apply proven, evidence-based care, we can prevent complications, improve recovery and save lives,” said Dr. Stacey E. Rosen, senior vice president of women’s health at Northwell Health and past volunteer president of the American Heart Association.

Both of NYU Langone’s Long Island hospitals, NYU Langone Hospital-Long Island in Mineola and NYU Langone Hospital-Suffolk in Patchogue were winners.

“This recognition underscores what patients on Long Island can expect from NYU Langone: fast, expert, evidence-based stroke care close to home when every second counts,” Dr. Levi Dygert, medical director of vascular neurology at NYU Langone’s two Long Island hospitals said in a statement.

For more information on the Get With The Guidelines awards, visit the American Heart Association’s information page.