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Bad weather, cold and flu season and more are causing a drop in blood donations.

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New York Blood Center (NYBC) declared the first blood emergency of 2023 on March 6. The blood emergency is due to several evolving factors, including recent poor weather, school breaks and cold and flu season. Last month, NYBC and its divisions across the nation received 6,000 fewer blood donations than the year prior and blood donations are 12% below hospital and patient needs.

The number of blood donations still are not back to pre-pandemic levels. Compounding the problem is a continued lag in first-time and youth donors, which remain about half of pre-pandemic levels.  And while New Yorkers are returning to in-person work, office and community blood drives and visits to NYBC Donor Centers are significantly down.  People working from home had an easier time donating in our donor centers, but we’re seeing a dramatic decrease at our centers.

“Each winter, we struggle to get folks to donate blood and this year is no exception. We need more New Yorkers to make blood donations, host blood drives and spread the word about the need for donations,” said Andrea Cefarelli, Senior Vice President at New York Blood Center.“Last year, we expanded our reach with a new donor center, and we recently announced new donor guidelines from the FDA; we are expanding in every way we can in order to reach new donors. This March, make a blood donation and tell a friend!”

In addition to whole blood donors, platelet donors are urgently needed. With a shelf life of just 7 days, NYBC relies on dedicated platelet donors to help patients undergoing chemotherapy, those with bleeding disorders, new mothers, and more.

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Tara Matz

Tara Matz, RN, MSN, NEA-BC has been named Chief Nurse Executive at Mather Hospital in Port Jefferson. She will begin her new role on March 6.

A resident of Holbrook, Ms. Matz comes to Mather from Cohen Children’s Medical Center, where she has held a variety of leadership roles since 2005. She currently serves as the Senior Director for Patient Care Services and was also the Interim Chief Nursing Officer for a brief period. Earlier, she served as Director of Patient Care at Cohen. Prior to coming to Northwell, Ms. Matz started her career as a staff nurse at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. 

“We are excited to have Tara join the Mather family and are confident in her ability to step into the Chef Nurse Executive role and contribute to our continued journey to excellence,” said Executive Director Kevin McGeachy. 

Dr. Arif Ahmad, St. Charles and St. Catherine of Siena Acid Reflux and Hiatal Hernia Centers of Excellence Director Photo courtesy of Catholic Health

Catholic Health is expanding its service offerings with the opening of the Acid Reflux and Hiatal Hernia Centers of Excellence at St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson and St. Catherine of Siena Hospital in Smithtown. The Centers will offer minimally invasive surgical procedures as a permanent solution for acid reflux and repair of hiatal hernia. 

Heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), also known as acid reflux, is a chronic condition affecting 20 percent of people in the United States. Common symptoms include acid reflux, heartburn, nausea, persistent regurgitation, difficulty swallowing, chronic cough and chest pain.  

“We are delighted to provide this much-needed service in our community for those who are suffering from chronic heartburn and acid reflux, looking for a long-term solution,” said St. Charles and St. Catherine of Siena President James O’Connor. “Our goal is to improve the quality of life for patients suffering from heartburn and GERD, with an individualized treatment plan and successful outcome.” 

“Many patients want to eliminate dependence on medications and are concerned about long-term side effects,” said St. Charles and St. Catherine of Siena Acid Reflux and Hiatal Hernia Centers of Excellence Director Arif Ahmad, MD. “Most patients continue to regurgitate in spite of medications. Minimally invasive surgical techniques are safe alternatives that should be considered.”

For more information, call 631-474-6808 for St. Charles Hospital and 631-862-3570 for St. Catherine of Siena Hospital.

METRO photo

By Daniel Dunaief

Daniel Dunaief

One day, you’re playing with your twin sons at home, running around with a ball on the driveway, calling and waving to neighbors who pass by when they walk their dogs or take their daily stroll through the neighborhood.

The next day, your life changes.

You want to know why or how, but you’re too busy trying to apply the brakes to a process that threatens the nature of your existence and your current and future happiness.

Your son had some gastrointestinal issues for a few weeks. You took him to the pediatrician and he said he’s got to get over a virus.

You wait, hope, and maybe say a few extra prayers, because the hardest thing for any parent to endure is the sickness of a child.

You check on him, day after day, hoping he’s better, only to find that there’s no improvement.

Suddenly, three weeks later, you’re in the hospital, trying to keep yourself, your spouse, and your other son calm while doctors remove a malignant brain cancer in a 5-year-old boy who defines “goofy” and “playful.”

One of our close friends in our neighborhood just started this unimaginable battle against a disease many of us know all too well, although the specific form of cancer varies.

Their babysitter shared the horror of the prior weekend with me outside the window of her passing car, where she normally would have driven both the twins to school.

I heard the story because I asked about the empty car seat in the back, where both boys typically showed me whatever stuffed animals or toys they had decided to bring to school, either for show and tell or because they were carrying an object that began with a particular letter.

As I talked with the babysitter, who spoke in the kind of hushed and dramatic tones often associated with discussions about serious health crises, I thought about how hard it was and will be for the other son. I thought he needed the kind of 5-year-old normalcy that might become hard to find when he’s worried about his brother and the anxious adults around him.

I asked him to show me what he was holding. He had a pink llama, who he said wanted to poop on my head or on my dog’s head.

I told him that my dog wouldn’t appreciate the poop unless the stuffed llama somehow pooped pink marshmallows.

He laughed, flashing all his straight baby teeth.

As I walked home, I thought of all the things my wife and I planned to offer our neighbors. Maybe we’d babysit the healthy son, walk their dogs, help with house chores, bring over food, do anything to lighten the unbearably heavy load.

I also thought about all the scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory and Stony Brook University I have known who are working towards cures for cancer.

Many of them know someone in their family, their friend group, their neighborhood, or their schools who, like my daughter’s beloved first-grade teacher, suddenly were in a battle for their lives against a disease that steals time and joy from people’s lives.

Their labs often invite or include family members of people with cancer to staff meetings and discussions about their work, making the connection between what the scientists are studying and the people desperate for solutions.

It seems utterly cliche to write it, but I’m going to do it anyway: we should appreciate and enjoy the days we have when we’re not in that battle. The annoyance of dealing with someone who got our order wrong at a restaurant seems so spectacularly small in comparison. 

We can appreciate that the person who seems like a total jerk for cutting us off on our way home may also be the one racing back to hug his child or spouse after an impossible day that changed his life.

Stony Brook University Hospital

Stony Brook University Hospital (SBUH) has achieved the highest level of national recognition as one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals for 2023, according to new research released by Healthgrades. This places SBUH in the top one percent of hospitals in the country.

SBUH has steadily increased its rankings — from the top 250 since 2015, to the top 100 since 2019, and now the top 50 — a reflection of its commitment to bring the best in care to its patients.

“I’m delighted with this significant accomplishment, which places us among the top one percent of hospitals in the country,” said Hal Paz, MD, MS, Executive Vice President for Health Sciences, Stony Brook University, and Chief Executive Officer, Stony Brook University Medicine. “It reflects the ongoing efforts of everyone across our hospital to continuously deliver outstanding clinical outcomes and an unwavering dedication to our patients.”

“The exceptional care found at Stony Brook University Hospital is only possible when a hospital commits to high standards of quality and continuous improvement throughout the organization,” said Carol A. Gomes, MS, FACHE, CPHQ, Chief Executive Officer for Stony Brook University Hospital. “I am grateful to our physicians, nurses and all staff for their tireless hard work, dedication and commitment to excellence.”  

“We’re proud to recognize Stony Brook University Hospital as one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals for 2023,” said Brad Bowman, MD, Chief Medical Officer and Head of Data Science at Healthgrades. “As one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals, SBUH consistently delivers better-than-expected outcomes for the patients in their community and is setting a high national standard for clinical excellence.”

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. This year’s analysis revealed significant variation between America’s Best 50 Hospitals and hospitals that did not receive the distinction. In fact, if all hospitals performed similarly to America’s 50 Best, over 150,000 lives could have been saved*.

Cardiac Care: 

These newest national and state rankings come on the heels of Healthgrades naming SBUH as one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Surgery™, now for two years in a row (2022-2023). SBUH is one of only two hospitals in New York State to be named among America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Care™ for nine years in a row (2015-2023). For more information, visit heart.stonybrookmedicine.edu/healthgrades

Stroke Care: 

SBUH is also proud to be the only hospital in New York State to be named one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Stroke Care for eight years in a row (2016-2023). In addition, Healthgrades 2023 rankings named SBUH as the #2 ranked hospital in NY for both Neurosciences and Stroke Care for 2023 — and one of only two hospitals on Long Island* in the top five. See other Stony Brook Neurosciences Institute-related Healthgrades achievements at neuro.stonybrookmedicine.edu/strokehealthgrades2023.

Hysterectomy Procedures: 

Additionally, for 2022 SBUH received a 5-star rating for Hysterectomy procedures, Healthgrades found that there is a significant variation in hospital quality between those that have received 5 stars and those that have not. For example, patients having a Hysterectomy in hospitals with 5-stars have, on average, a 65.1% lower risk of experiencing a complication while in the hospital than if they were treated by hospitals with 1-star. For more women’s health-related Healthgrades achievements, visit womenshealth.stonybrookmedicine.edu/news/healthgrades

“Year after year, our hospital’s Heart Institute and Cerebrovascular and Comprehensive Stroke Center continue to shine, providing a level of care few hospitals anywhere can match,” said Dr. Paz. “And our five-star rating for Hysterectomy places us among our nation’s Hysterectomy leaders.“

*Statistics are based on Healthgrades analysis of MedPAR data for years 2019 through 2021 and represent three-year estimates for Medicare patients only.

*Long Island is defined as Nassau and Suffolk counties.

Mather Hospital

Port Jefferson’s Mather Hospital is one of America’s 250 Best Hospitals for 2023, according to new research released by Healthgrades, the leading marketplace connecting doctors and patients. This achievement puts Mather Hospital in the top five percent of hospitals nationwide for overall clinical performance across the most common conditions and procedures. 

“We are honored by this major recognition by Healthgrades of Mather Hospital’s record of  clinical excellence” said Mather Hospital Executive Director Kevin McGeachy. “Given the challenges of the last few years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, distinctions such as these demonstrate our ongoing commitment to quality patient care.”

 Mather Hospital also received the 2023 America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Gastrointestinal Surgery Award™, the 2023 Gastrointestinal Care Excellence Award™, the 2023 Gastrointestinal Surgery Excellence Award™, the 2023 Critical Care Excellence Award™.  Mather Hospital also received the Pulmonary Care Excellence Award™ for an 8th consecutive year (2016-2023) and the Bariatric Surgery Excellence Award™ for a fifth year in a row (2019-2023).  In 2022, Mather Hospital was also recognized with the Outstanding Patient Experience Award™ and was among the Top 5 percent of hospitals in the nation for  patient experience. 

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. This year’s analysis revealed significant variation between America’s Best 250 Hospitals and hospitals that did not receive the distinction. In fact, if all hospitals performed similarly to America’s 250 Best, over 160,000 lives could have been saved.* Patients treated at one of the 2023 America’s 250 Best Hospitals have, on average, a 28.7 percent lower risk of dying than if they were treated at a hospital that did not receive the America’s 250 Best Hospitals award.*

Mather Hospital also ranks third in gastrointestinal surgery and fourth for critical care in New York according to a new analysis released by Healthgrades. Mather also received the 2023 America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Gastrointestinal Surgery Award™ and the Critical Care Excellence Award™. To determine this year’s State Ranking recipients, Healthgrades evaluated clinical performance for nearly 4,500 hospitals nationwide focusing on 18 key specialties across a mix of chronic, urgent, and surgical specialty areas.  

“Excellence in health care and patient safety are built into the culture at Mather Hospital,” said Chief Medical Officer and Senior VP Joan Faro, MD. “All team members are focused on supporting the practices of a highly reliable organization to achieve our goals. I congratulate our physicians, nurses and all our team members for this prestigious award.”  

Mather in 2022 received its third Magnet® Recognition for quality patient care and nursing excellence and was one of only 29 hospitals nationwide to receive the Emergency Nurses Association Lantern Award for demonstrating exceptional and innovative performance in leadership, practice, education, advocacy, and research. Mather also received a gold-level Beacon Award for Excellence for its Critical Care team from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.

“We’re proud to recognize Mather Hospital as one of America’s 250 Best Hospitals for 2023,” said Brad Bowman MD, Chief Medical Officer and Head of Data Science at Healthgrades. “As one of America’s 250 Best Hospitals, Mather Hospital consistently delivers better-than-expected outcomes for the patients in their community and is setting a high national standard for clinical excellence.”

Visit Healthgrades.com/quality/americas-best-hospitals for an in-depth look at Mather Hospital’s performance and profile to explore the highest quality care in Port Jefferson today. Consumers can also visit Healthgrades.com for more information on how Healthgrades measures hospital quality, and access the complete methodology here. A patient-friendly overview of the complete methodology is available here. 

*Statistics are based on Healthgrades analysis of MedPAR data for years 2019 through 2021 and represent three-year estimates for Medicare patients only. 

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About Mather Hospital

Mather Hospital is an accredited 248-bed, non-profit community teaching hospital dedicated to providing a wide spectrum of high-quality health care services to Suffolk County residents, showing compassion, respect and treating each patient in the manner we would wish for our loved ones. Mather has earned the prestigious Magnet® recognition from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, which recognizes healthcare organizations for quality patient care, nursing excellence and innovations in professional nursing practice. Our Graduate Medical Education program prepares physicians for future careers through Internal Medicine, Transitional Year, Diagnostic Radiology, Interventional Radiology, and Psychiatry residency programs and gastroenterology and hematology/oncology fellowships. Mather was 

rated high performing by U.S. News & World Report hospital rankings in heart failure, geriatrics, kidney failure, orthopedics, hip fracture, COPD, and urology. For information about Mather Hospital, visit matherhospital.org or follow us @MatherHospital on Facebook.

About Northwell Health
Northwell Health is New York State’s largest health care provider and private employer, with 21 hospitals, about 900 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 83,000 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.

About Healthgrades

Healthgrades is dedicated to empowering stronger and more meaningful connections between patients and their healthcare providers. 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.

Our health system, large group practice, and life sciences marketing solutions have been helping our partners reach and engage consumers who are on their way to the doctor for over 20 years.

Healthgrades is part of RVO Health, a partnership between Red Ventures and Optum, part of UnitedHealth Group. RVO Health has the largest consumer health and wellness audience online across its brand portfolio including Healthgrades, Healthline, Medical News Today, Greatist, Psych Central, Bezzy and Platejoy which touch every part of the health and wellness journey. Each month, RVO Health helps more than 100 million unique visitors live their strongest and healthiest lives.

The outside of Stony Brook University Children's Hospital. Photo from SBUH

Stony Brook Children’s Hospital is now a Certified Duchenne Care Center (CDCC). The accreditation comes from Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD), a nonprofit organization leading the fight to end Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). This accreditation makes Stony Brook the only certified center on Long Island and in the NYC metropolitan area, and one of only two centers in New York State.

According to PPMD, Duchenne is the most common muscular dystrophy in children, affecting around one in every 5,000 boys. It is a progressive disorder affecting both skeletal and heart muscles, causing decreasing mobility, and often cardiac and respiratory issues. Duchenne affects mainly boys, and its impact affects all races and cultures. The opening of the Duchenne Care Center at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital marks a new era in the level of care available to patients in the tri-state area.

“We have an extraordinary number of families affected by Duchenne living on Long Island or in the New York City area, and until now, they’ve had to travel quite a distance, even out of state, to access optimal Duchenne care,” said Rachel Schrader, Vice President of Clinical Care and Education at Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy. “We are thrilled to add Stony Brook Children’s Hospital to our growing CDCC network not only because of the amazing work they are doing, but because of the access to care it creates for so many families.”

The Duchenne program at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital is led by program director Dr. Peter Morelli, neuromuscular specialist Dr. Simona Treidler and PNP coordinator Dawn Dawson.

“Treatment to improve mobility and to delay the onset of symptoms, requires a wide variety of treatments and specialist care,” says Dr. Morelli. “At Stony Brook Children’s Hospital, we provide individualized coordinated care for each family across all medical disciplines, to minimize the stress associated with complex disease management, and to enable a faster and more efficient dissemination of information among all involved clinicians and our families.”

For more information, visit stonybrookchildrens.org/specialties-services/clinical-programs/duchenneMD.

Stu Vincent, director of public affairs and public relations at Mather Hospital, has also made a name for himself within the Port Jeff business community.

As 1st vice president of the Greater Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce, Vincent has emerged as an important local figure and leader. He has been active in chamber events, including overseeing its annual Health & Wellness Fest. 

Barbara Ransome, GPJCC director of operations, characterized his role as chair of this festival. “That is a very important event that we are involved in because it is a strong revenue-producing event,” she said. 

Ransome maintains that Vincent, as 1st VP, acts as a close adviser, referring to his public relations expertise as a helpful springboard for different ideas. To her, Vincent is a warm presence within the chamber and a reliable attendee of chamber events. 

“That particular skill set is very important, certainly for a chamber of commerce, and I look for his expertise on certain matters that pertain to that,” Ransome said.

With Mather, Vincent has had considerable influence in the hospital’s Paint Port Pink campaign. Through the Fortunato Breast Health Center at Mather Hospital, this initiative raises awareness about breast cancer, shares information and brings the community together. The bright pink lights streaming through the village in October are a staple of the campaign.

Mayor Margot Garant considered Vincent a dedicated community servant and a positive force for the Port Jeff community.

“He’s at every single event, a strong member and volunteer of the chamber, so he’s definitely a dedicated servant and a very good employee,” she said. “I think he makes an excellent face of the hospital, and he’s just a swell guy — kind of a quiet soldier.”

That quiet soldier continues to leave his mark on the Port Jeff community. For his sterling work on behalf of the chamber and Mather Hospital, TBR News Media recognizes Vincent as a 2022 Person of
the Year.

Kris Kringle and the St. John's Ophan Asylum Band from Brooklyn lead Cheese Club down Port Jefferson's Main Street toward Infant Jesus Roman Catholic Church; charitable organization; gifts for children at St. Charles

The Cheese Club was a charitable organization formed in 1915 and comprised of members of Brooklyn’s Knights of Columbus.

Considered among the leading citizens of Brooklyn, each a “big cheese,” the group’s influential founders self-mockingly referred to themselves as the Cheese Club, though other stories about the name’s origin abound.

The Cheese Club is best known in Port Jefferson for its Christmas pilgrimage to the village, which it made without interruption from 1916-58 despite stormy weather, world wars and the Great Depression.

During each annual holiday visit, the club members gave yuletide gifts to the youngsters at the Brooklyn Home for Blind, Crippled and Defective Children, known today as St. Charles Hospital, and donated money for the year-round comfort of the handicapped boys and girls and their caregivers.

The club members and their entourage typically traveled from Flatbush to Port Jefferson on a specially chartered LIRR train, the Santa Claus Express, made up of coaches and a freight car filled with Christmas presents.

After disembarking at the Port Jefferson railroad station, Kris Kringle and the St. John’s Orphan Asylum Band from Brooklyn led the group as it marched to Infant Jesus R.C. Church at Myrtle and Main to attend Mass.

Christmas postcard. Photo courtesy the Kenneth C. Brady Digital Archive
Collection

Numbering 400 strong during peak years, the procession then continued to St. Charles Hospital, where the sisters of the Daughters of Wisdom, who operated the hospital and looked after its disabled charges, served a welcoming luncheon.

Following the reception, children at the hospital provided two hours of entertainment, performing as singers, dancers, musicians and actors.

When the talent show ended, Santa Claus and his helpers took the stage and gave each boy and girl a Christmas stocking stuffed with toys, candy, games, clothing and fruit.

The Daughters of Wisdom also received a check to fund various projects at the hospital and on its grounds. Over the years, the money was used to purchase radios, movie projectors and physical therapy equipment for the children, build a sun shelter, defray the costs of a memorial organ, improve the sisters’ living quarters and maintain outdoor Stations of the Cross. 

Following the establishment of the Diocese of Rockville Centre in 1957 out of territory once within the Diocese of Brooklyn, the Cheese Club phased out its holiday visits to Port Jefferson and concentrated on charitable work closer to home.

The Cheese Club was a pioneer in bringing Christmas cheer to the handicapped children hospitalized in Port Jefferson and spurring other religious and nonsectarian organizations to support the disabled youngsters at St. Charles — not just at the holidays but throughout the year.

Kenneth Brady has served as the Port Jefferson Village historian and president of the Port Jefferson Conservancy, as well as on the boards of the Suffolk County Historical Society, Greater Port Jefferson Arts Council and Port Jefferson Historical Society. He is a longtime resident of the village.

Mather Hospital in Port Jefferson has earned the prestigious Magnet® recognition from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) for the third time. The ANCC designation came with 13 exemplars, examples of excellence in nursing practice.

The Magnet Recognition Program® recognizes health care organizations for quality patient care, nursing excellence and innovations in professional nursing practice. Developed by the ANCC, Magnet is the leading source of successful nursing practices and strategies worldwide. Only 601 hospitals worldwide have earned the Magnet designation.

 “I am thrilled. Thirteen exemplars is beyond expectations,” said Mather Hospital CNO/VP for Nursing Marie Mulligan, PhD, RN. “I am extremely proud of my team and the entire hospital …I am beyond honored and privileged to be the CNO of an organization that far exceeds excellence in nursing practice.”

Mather had previously earned Magnet® recognition in 2013 and 2018.

“This puts us in truly elite company,” said Mather Hospital Executive Director Kevin McGeachy. “Only 3 percent of acute care hospitals in the United States have achieved three or more Magnet® designations. There are approximately 10,000 acute care hospitals in the United States. I couldn’t be prouder of the work that our nursing staff does every day single day to improve patient care and outcomes. We are among the best. Our data shows it.”

“We are very excited for our third Magnet® designation. It means that our nurses and the entire professional team is dedicated to patient care and to excellent outcomes,” said Maureen Altieri, RN, Director of Service Excellence and Magnet® for Mather Hospital. “The fact that we did this during the pandemic is remarkable, that we were able to maintain a high level of care for our patients and their families.”

Research demonstrates that Magnet® recognition provides specific benefits to health care organizations and their communities, such as:

    Improved patient experience

    Better patient outcomes

    Higher job satisfaction among nurses

To achieve Magnet® recognition, organizations must pass a rigorous and lengthy process that demands widespread participation from leadership and staff. This process includes an electronic application, written documentation, an on-site visit, and a review by the Commission on Magnet® Recognition.