Back row, from left, Michael Letter, MHA, LNHA Senior Vice President/Chief Operating Officer GurwinHealthcare System; Jennifer Carpentieri, LMSW, LNHA Gurwin Jewish Nursing & Rehabilitation Center; Stuart B. Almer, FACHE, President and CEO Gurwin Healthcare System; front row, from left, Doris Gessner, Gurwin Resident Council President; Mary Creter, Gurwin Resident Council Secretary. Photo courtesy of Gurwin
Gurwin Jewish Nursing & Rehabilitation Center has been named one of America’s Best Nursing Homes 2025 in Newsweek magazine’s annual list of top skilled nursing facilities in the U.S. The annual ranking serves as a guide for patients and their families in their search for high-quality, long-term and post-acute care options.
“We are honored to be recognized by Newsweek once again in their prestigious America’s Best Nursing Homes rankings,” said Stuart B. Almer, President and CEO of Gurwin Healthcare System. “This achievement reflects the unwavering dedication of our staff, whose compassion and expertise create a warm, safe and supportive environment for the more than 400 residents who turn to Gurwin each day for care.”
The America’s Best Nursing Homes ranking lists the nation’s leading nursing homes in the 25 unique states with the highest number of facilities according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Compiled by Newsweek and Statista Inc., a statistics portal and industry-ranking provider, the annual ranking is based on performance data scores for health inspections, staffing and quality measures; recommendations of medical professionals; accreditations; and resident satisfaction scores. Gurwin was ranked on the 2025 national list of America’s Best Nursing Homes, as well as New York’s list, both in the category of 150+ certified beds.
St. Catherine of Siena Hospital, 50 Route 25A, Smithtown will have the Catholic Health Community Health and Outreach Mobile Bus in its main parking lot on Friday, Feb. 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to offer free health screenings and flu vaccinations for adults 18 years and older.
Each screening will include a brief cardiac history, blood pressure screening, BMI screening, simple blood test for cholesterol and glucose, health education, referrals as needed, resources for those without insurance and a free flu vaccination (senior dose available.) For more information, please call 631-469-0989.
StonyBrook Medicine (SBM) has received the highest level of achievement from Healthgrades, as one of America’s 50 Best for 2025. This achievement places StonyBrook Medicine among the top 1% nationwide for overall care excellence. StonyBrook University Hospital, StonyBrook Southampton Hospital, and StonyBrook Eastern Long Island Hospital are collectively assessed by Healthgrades and share the America’s 50 Best Hospitals Award™.
“This distinction reflects our shared commitment across StonyBrook Medicine to bring exceptional care to our patients,” says William A. Wertheim, MD, MBA, Executive Vice President, StonyBrook Medicine. “This is only possible when we collectively maintain the highest standards of quality throughout the organization.”
“I am grateful to all of our healthcare professionals for their dedication to excellence,” says Carol A. Gomes, MS, FACHE, CPHQ, Chief Executive Officer, StonyBrook University Hospital. “Our steady increase in rankings — from the top 250 since 2015, to the top 100 since 2019, and now the top 50 for three years in a row — can give patients the confidence in knowing that StonyBrook delivers consistent, high-quality care.”
To determine the top hospitals for 2025, Healthgrades evaluated risk-adjusted mortality and complication rates for more than 30 conditions and procedures at approximately 4,500 hospitals nationwide. Healthgrades’ annual analysis revealed significant performance gaps between the nation’s highest- and lowest-achieving hospitals, making it increasingly important to seek care at a top-rated facility. From 2021-2023, if all hospitals, as a group, performed similarly to America’s 50 Best, 173,516 lives could potentially have been saved.*
“As one of America’s 50 Best, StonyBrook Medicine is elevating the standard for quality care nationwide,” says Brad Bowman, MD, Chief Medical Officer and Head of Data Science at Healthgrades. “Healthgrades commends StonyBrook Medicine for their leadership and ongoing commitment to providing the best possible care for all patients on Long Island.”
The Best Hospitals Award comes on the heels of receiving numerous specialty awards this past fall, underscoring StonyBrook‘s dedication to exceptional patient care. These include:
The only in New York State to be recognized as one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Stroke Care for 10 years in a row (2016-2025)
Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Heart Attack (2022-25)
Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Heart Failure (2014-25)
Five-Star Recipient for Cranial Neurosurgery (2020-2025)
Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Stroke (2015-2025)
Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (2025)
Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of GI Bleed (2024-2025)
Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Sepsis (2015-2025)
Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Respiratory Failure (2021-2025)
Outpatient Orthopedic Surgery Excellence Award™ (2025)
Five-Star Recipient for Outpatient Prostate Care Excellence (2025)
Outpatient Prostate Care Excellence Award™(2025)
As care variation grows, consumers can find and select a top-rated hospital to maximize their outcome. Consumers can visit healthgrades.com for guidance on how to find best-in-class care in 2025, with additional resources on how Healthgrades rates hospitals and why hospital quality matters available here.
*Statistics are based on Healthgrades analysis of MedPAR data for years 2021 through 2023 and represent three-year estimates for Medicare patients only.Click here to view the complete 2025 America’s Best Hospital Awards Methodology.
About StonyBrook Medicine:
StonyBrook Medicine integrates and elevates all of StonyBrook University’s health-related initiatives: education, research and patient care. It includes five Health Sciences schools — Renaissance School of Medicine, School of Dental Medicine, School of Health Professions, School of Nursing and School of Social Welfare — as well as StonyBrook University Hospital, StonyBrook Southampton Hospital, StonyBrook Eastern Long Island Hospital, StonyBrook Children’s Hospital and more than 200 community-based healthcare settings throughout Suffolk County. To learn more, visitwww.stonybrookmedicine.edu.
About Healthgrades:
Healthgrades is dedicated to empowering meaningful connections between patients, doctors, and hospitals. As the #1 platform for finding a doctor and a leader in healthcare transparency, we help millions of consumers each month find and schedule appointments with their healthcare professional of choice and prepare for their appointments with best-in-class, treatment-focused content.
Exceptional clinical performance places Mather in the top 5% of hospitals nationwide
Northwell’sMather Hospital in Port Jefferson recently announced that it is one of America’s 250 Best Hospitals for 2025, according to new research released by Healthgrades, the number one site Americans use when searching for a doctor or hospital. This achievement reflects Mather Hospital’s unwavering commitment to exceptional patient care and puts the organization in the top 5% of hospitals nationwide for overall clinical performance for a third consecutive year (2023-2025). Mather Hospital is one of seven hospitals in New York State to receive the award.
In addition to this recognition for overall clinical care, Mather Hospital is the recipient of numerous accolades related to its exceptional patient outcomes in key service areas, including Coronary Intervention, Pulmonary Care, Gastrointestinal Care and Critical Care. These achievements further underscore the organization’s dedication to clinical excellence, placing Mather Hospital among the upper echelon of hospitals nationwide.
“Congratulations once again to our entire team for this achievement! Mather consistently ranks among the top hospitals nationwide for patient care, safety and clinical excellence,” said Mather President Kevin McGeachy. “We believe in investing in our staff and creating a culture that elevates care beyond expectations”.
Mather Hospital’s achievements are based exclusively on what matters most: patient outcomes. To determine the top hospitals for 2025, Healthgrades evaluated risk-adjusted mortality and complication rates for over 30 of the most common conditions and procedures at approximately 4,500 hospitals nationwide. Healthgrades’ annual analysis revealed significant performance gaps between the nation’s highest- and lowest-achieving hospitals, making it increasingly important to seek care at a top-rated facility. In fact, from 2021-2023, If all hospitals, as a group, had performed similarly to America’s 250 Best, on average, 174,081 livescould potentially have been saved.
“As one of America’s 250 Best Hospitals, Mather Hospital is elevating the standard for quality care nationwide,” said Brad Bowman, MD, chief medical officer and head of data science at Healthgrades. “Healthgrades commends Mather Hospital for their ongoing leadership and commitment to providing the best possible care for all patients in its service area.”
As care variation grows, consumers must find and select a top-rated hospital to maximize their chances of a successful outcome. Consumers can visit healthgrades.com for guidance on how to find best-in-class care in 2025, with additional resources on how Healthgrades rates hospitals and why hospital quality matters available here.
*Statistics are based on Healthgrades analysis of MedPAR data for years 2021 through 2023 and represent three-year estimates for Medicare patients only. Click here to view the complete 2025 America’s Best Hospital Awards Methodology.
Now that the holidays are over, come relax with a Sonic Wave Journey: A sound bath event with Keri Vannucci-Olson at the Art League of Long Island, 107 East Deer Park Road, Dix Hills on Sunday, Feb. 2 at 6 p.m. Immerse yourself in the ancient sacred sounds of specific therapeutic frequencies played on various instruments including Tibetan bowls, crystal bowls, tuning forks, bells, chimes and gongs. Bring a yoga mat. Light refreshments will be served. $45 per person, $40 members. To register, visit www.artleagueli.org.
Bird flu, which is a virus that has so far primarily infected animals, has affected a duck farm in Aquebogue.
Amid concerns about transmission, Crescent Duck Farm, which has operated as a family business since 1908, has had to put down close to 100,000 ducks.
At this point, health officials haven’t reported any cases of humans contracting the virus, although the farm, its workers and doctors have been looking out for signs of illness.
Local doctors suggested that the risk to humans from bird flu is limited to those people who have worked with or handled sick birds.
Dr. Adrian Popp, chair of Infection Control at Huntington Hospital/ Northwell Health. File photo
The virus “transmits easily from bird to bird, but so far transmission to humans has not occurred to my knowledge,” Dr. Adrian Popp, chair of Infection Control at Huntington Hospital/ Northwell Health and associate professor of medicine at Hofstra School of Medicine, explained in an email. “There is a theoretical possibility that this can occur, but so far, I think we are safe,” as New York State is monitoring exposed workers.
Doctors urged residents to see a healthcare worker if they have any contact with birds and they develop symptoms such as a fever, conjunctivitis (an eye infection that can include redness or watery eyes), or breathing issues.
“Monitor yourself for 10 days after exposure,” urged Dr. Aleena Zahra, infectious disease physician at St. Charles Hospital. “If you develop any symptoms, seek medical attention.”
The treatment for bird flu, which can affect people in ways that are similar to influenza, is to take tamiflu, which is more effective in the earlier stages of an infection.
“If you’re in contact with an animal that is sick, then that would be a potential risk factor,” added Zahra.
Zahra advised residents to avoid picking up a dead bird in their yard without gloves and other safety measures.
Dr. Sharon Nachmann, chief of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital, added that the jump to humans from other animals is rarely happening.
People who have become infected are typically recovering, although one person in Louisiana died from the virus.
Despite the relatively low risk, viruses have the ability to mutate, which could make them more transmissible and more dangerous.
CDC silence
At the same time, local doctors are concerned that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has stopped publishing information on infectious diseases.
“This is an unprecedented attack on timely access to reports about transmission of various infectious diseases in the country and worldwide,” Popp explained. “It will lead to delayed prevention measures, poor health care, and potentially allowing infectious disease outbreaks to get out of control.”
Dr. Sharon Nachmann/Stony Brook Children’s Hospital
The CDC has created travel bans in the past, but has not closed its reporting on outbreaks, Nachmann said.
“It’s incredibly stressful,” said Nachmann.
Doctors added that they were missing the bigger picture that might offer important information about the source of an illness and the best possible treatment.
“We want to do the best for our patients. We want to tell them that this is working or that is not working and you need a different medication,” Nachmann said.
For right now, doctors are gathering information from state and local officials, said Zahra.
The CDC typically shares details about the specific type of infections in an area or region, its responsiveness to various treatments and its differential impact on any specific subgroup, such as children.
“It is sad to see how political, partisan measures are used to suppress sharing of scientific information between healthcare professionals,” Popp added.
Doctors are hoping for more and better information before too long.
“All we have now is a stop,” said Nachmann. “We don’t know what happens after the stop.”
Join Sweetbriar Nature Center, 62 Eckernkamp Drive, Smithtown for a transformative Year of the Snake Sound Healing Workshop on Friday, Jan. 31 at 6:30 p.m. Immerse yourself in soothing sounds and vibrations that will help you release stress, find balance, and connect with your inner self. This workshop is designed to promote relaxation and rejuvenation as we welcome the energy of the new year. Don’t miss this opportunity to tap into the healing power of sound and meet some of Sweetbriar’s resident snakes. Reserve your spot today and start the Year of the Snake with clarity and intention. $25 per person. To register, visit www.sweetbriarnc.org. For more information, call 631-979-6344.
Suffolk County Police Department’s Fourth Precinct presents Operation Medicine Cabinet at the Smithtown Library, 148 Smithtown Blvd., Nesconset on Saturday, Feb. 1 from 10 a.m. to noon. Have any unused or expired medication at home? Drop it off for safe disposal. No syringes, auto-injectors, creams or liquids will be accepted. Please remove pills from packages and bottles and place loose medications in a Zyploc type bag for collection. Don’t let your medication fall into the wrong hands. For more information, call 631-469-0989.
Stony Brook Medicine (SBM) is partnering with the Suffolk Academy of Medicine to host a Galentine’s Women’s Health Fair aimed at empowering women in Suffolk County with valuable health resources and information. The free, community-focused event will take place on Wednesday, February 12 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Long Island Aquarium, 431 East Main Street in Riverhead.
“Stony Brook Medicine is proud to support the well-being of women in our community and provide them with the resources they need to thrive,” says Carol Gomes, chief executive officer of Stony Brook University Hospital. “Initiatives like this —whether aimed at prevention, education, or care—strengthen the foundation of healthier families and a healthier future.”
“We are thrilled to bring this resource to the women of our community,” said Nicole Gerberg, Executive Director of Suffolk Academy of Medicine. “Women play a pivotal role in shaping healthy families and communities, and this event is a way to give back and support their well-being.”
The fair is open to all Suffolk County residents, 16 years and older and will feature:
Educational wellness demonstrations
Talks with Stony Brook Medicine health professionals, as well as other medical institutions, including experts in breast cancer, breast imaging, radiology, massage therapy, nutrition, exercise physiology and LGBTQ* healthcare services
Sweet treats in honor of Valentine’s Day
Raffles
A cash bar
And more!
*To attend the Valentine’s Women’s Health Fair, the public must RSVP. The form can be found at this link.
About Stony Brook Medicine:
Stony Brook Medicine integrates and elevates all of Stony Brook University’s health-related initiatives: education, research and patient care. It includes five Health Sciences schools — Renaissance School of Medicine, School of Dental Medicine, School of Health Professions, School of Nursing and School of Social Welfare — as well as Stony Brook University Hospital, Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital, Stony Brook Children’s Hospital and more than 200 community-based healthcare settings throughout Suffolk County. To learn more, visit www.stonybrookmedicine.edu.
About Suffolk Academy of Medicine:
The Suffolk Academy of Medicine is dedicated to promoting the health and wellness of Suffolk County residents by providing education, resources, and community outreach.
Registration underway. St. Charles Hospital, 200 Belle Terre Road, Port Jefferson will offer a 24-class free diabetes prevention program (DPP) in St. Luke’s lecture room, 2nd floor, from March 4 to Dec. 2 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. This program provides trained lifestyle coaching, CDC approved curriculum, and group support during the course of the year. Classes will be held weekly from March 4 to June 17, bi-monthly from July 8 to Aug. 26 and then monthly from Sept. 9 to Dec. 2.
If you have prediabetes, you can take control and reduce your risk of developing diabetes. Pre-registration is required. To register or for more information, please email [email protected] or call 631-474–6797.
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