Northwell’s Mather Hospital invites the community to a free joint replacement breakfast seminar at The Bristal at Holtsville, 5535 Express Drive North, Holtsville on Saturday, March 1 from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Guest speakers Michael Fracchia, M.D., Chief of Orthopedics at Mather Hospital, Orlin & Cohen Orthopedic Group; and Filippo F. Romanelli, D.O., Orthopedic Surgeon, Orlin & Cohen Orthopedic Group will discuss the causes of joint pain and the medical and surgical techniques available to improve your life.
A buffet breakfast will be served. To register, visit matherhospital.org/orthoseminar. For more information, call 631-476-2723.
Stony Brook University Hospital’s Emergency Department (ED) has received Level 1 Accreditation for Geriatric Emergency Care by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), one of only two hospitals in Suffolk County to achieve this status.
“Adults aged 65 and older represent one of the largest populations seeking emergency care here on Long Island,” says William A. Wertheim, MD, MBA, Executive Vice President, Stony Brook Medicine. “We are proud of our team’s persistent efforts to provide high-quality geriatric care and promote healthy aging throughout the community.”
“This designation shows Stony Brook Medicine’s commitment to preserving the independence and dignity of seniors on Long Island by providing the latest treatments, comprehensive services and improved patient outcomes,” says Carol Gomes, chief executive officer of Stony Brook University Hospital.
Hospitals earning a Level One Gold accreditation deliver the highest-quality, person-centered care, within the ED and throughout the institution, to older adults in their community, through geriatric-specific initiatives tied to policies, guidelines, procedures, and staffing.
Data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey shows the senior citizens population is continuing to grow on Long Island. Between 2019 and 2023, an estimated 36.9% of total households included one individual who was 65 or older in Suffolk County, an increase of 3.4% compared to the five-year period ending 2018. The median age in the county, 42 years, is 10 percent higher than the national average.
Stony Brook’s ED has developed a number of policies, standards and evidence-based practices with an emphasis on delivering age-appropriate care. Some of these initiatives include comprehensive fall assessment and prevention protocols, pain management focused on geriatric-specific pain control measures and alternatives to minimize use of urinary catheters. In addition, the ED promotes access to nutrition 24/7 for older adults, has developed standardized discharge protocols addressing age-specific communication needs and has limited the use of physical restraints by incorporating trained companions/sitters.
The Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University expands the institution’s mission of providing seniors with the opportunity to live healthy, fulfilling lives. In 2023, the Stony Brook Center for Healthy Aging (CHA) was created to develop a better understanding of the biology, physiology, sociology and psychology of aging through research and innovation. Bringing together Stony Brook researchers conducting studies related to aging, the mission of the CHA is to improve methods for earlier interventions so seniors can age in their own homes and with a high quality of life. It also aims to develop new treatments – including potentially utilizing robots – to ensure Long Island’s seniors receive the highest quality care.
About Stony Brook University Hospital:
Stony Brook University Hospital (SBUH) is Long Island’s premier academic health center. With 624 beds, SBUH serves as the region’s only tertiary care center and Regional Trauma Center, and is home to the Stony Brook University Heart Institute, Stony Brook University Cancer Center, Stony Brook Children’s Hospital and Stony Brook University Neurosciences Institute. SBUH also encompasses Suffolk County’s only Level 4 Regional Perinatal Center, state-designated AIDS Center, state-designated Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program, state-designated Burn Center, the Christopher Pendergast ALS Center of Excellence, and Kidney Transplant Center. It is home of the nation’s first Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Center. To learn more, visit www.stonybrookmedicine.edu/sbuh.
Flu season is hitting New York and the country as a whole especially hard this year. Stock photo
By Daniel Dunaief
The flu season has hit with a vengeance in February, as a seasonal virus that can be deadly hasbecome the dominant cause of illness in the area.
Suffolk County hospitals reported 337 residents with influenza in the week ending Feb. 1, according to New York State Department of Health data.
Dr. Sharon Nachman
Just last year, for the 2023-2024 flu season, Suffolk County hospitalizations peaked on Dec. 30 at 52. Even in the year before, when people were starting to wear masks much less frequently than during the peak covid years, flu hospitalizations in the county peaked at 50 on Dec. 17.
“We are definitely seeing more people sick” with flu, said Dr. Sharon Nachman, chief of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital. The emergency room is “wildly full, and even urgent care walk in is full.”
The number of positive cases of flu A at Stony Brook University Hospital in January was 800. That compares with 400 cases for the same strain last year, according to Nachman.
While the flu is cyclical and can cause different levels of infections from year to year, local doctors suggested that the overall flu vaccination rate was lower this year, which may have increased vulnerability to the virus and extended the time people exhibited symptoms.
The number of people vaccinated is “incredibly lower compared to past years,” said Nachman. On top of that, people may not have been exposed to the flu for several years amid measures to reduce the spread of Covid-19.
Residents’ immune systems may have “no good memory response” if the last exposure to the virus occurred some time before 2020, Dr. Nachman added.
The dominant strain of the flu this year is the A strain, which accounts for about 80 percent of the cases.
Nachman suggested that people who were vaccinated in early September may not have as much resistance to the flu this month, as their peak resistance, which typically lasts about three months, has wained.
Health care professionals added that people who haven’t been vaccinated could still receive the shot, as the flu season could continue to last for a month or more.
Dr. Adrian Popp
“It is not too late to get the flu shot,” Dr. Gregson Pigott, Commissioner of the Suffolk County Department of Health Services, explained in an email.
Dr. Adrian Popp, chair of Infection Control at Huntington Hospital, said the staff has been offering flu shots for residents who have were not already immunized.
“I don’t know how much longer this will last,” said Popp. “It’s still cold and it’ll be cold in March.”
Typically, it takes two weeks for the body to receive full protection from the shot. The shot does provide some incremental benefit immediately.
“You start building immunity from the moment you get” the shot, said Popp.
So far this year, there have been two deaths at Huntington Hospital, which is not unusual for the flu.
Mortality from the flu is “turning into what it used to be,” said Popp, with deaths at about pre pandemic levels.
High risk patients
High risk patients are typically older or have preexisting conditions.
People who have an inability to fight infections can get “much sicker from the flu,” said Dr. Alan Bulbin, St. Francis Hospital and Heart Center Director of Infectious Disease.
Dr. Gregson Pigott
Health care workers urged those who are in higher risk groups either to see their doctors if they start developing symptoms or to use some of the at home tests, including a recent one that can test for flu A and B, as well as Covid.
“If you are immunocompromised, you should have a low threshold,” said Bulbin. “You should speak with a doctor, go to urgent care, and do a swab. That may differentiate influenza” from other infections such as respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, and Covid.
The antiviral treatment Tamiflu can be effective if people start taking it within 48 hours of developing symptoms. Paxlovid, meanwhile, can also help within a few days of developing covid.
“We urge residents, especially those at risk for severe illness, to contact their medical providers at the onset of symptoms,” Pigott explained in an email.
Lower Covid and RSV levels
While the flu has infected a larger number of people than in previous years, the incidence of RSV and Covid has declined.
In Suffolk County, 90 residents are hospitalized with Covid, while the number of deaths from the virus is 29 since the start of the year, according to the New York State Department of Health.
That compares with 190 residents hospitalized last year and 96 deaths from Covid from Jan. 1 through Feb. 14.
“The virus that causes Covid-19 is still circulating and causing disease, although not as aggressively as in previous years,” Pigott explained.
RSV, meanwhile, rose in the fall, peaked in late December and has been falling since then.
RSV accounted for 0.2 percent of emergency department visits on Feb. 1, Pigott added.
Future ID doctors
Specialists in infectious disease were unsure how the pandemic affected the interest among doctors in training and residents in their field.
For some, the appeal of reacting to fluid circumstances and to gathering insights about a developing disease that could and did affect billions of lives could be appealing. For others, however, the demands, the hours, and increasing politicization of medicine as well as the divided response to vaccines could have pushed them in other directions.
“Am I concerned that not enough people are going into the specialty?” Nachman asked. “Yes.”
Northwell’s Mather Hospitalin Port Jefferson has announced that it has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Advanced Total Hip and Knee Replacement Certification by demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards. The Gold Seal is a symbol of quality that reflects a healthcare organization’s commitment to providing safe and quality patient care.
The certification, offered in collaboration with the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, focuses on the pre-surgical orthopedic consultation to the intraoperative, hospitalization or ambulatory surgical center admission, rehabilitation activities, and follow-up visit with the orthopedic surgeon.
Mather Hospital underwent a rigorous review January 29-30, 2025. During the visit, a Joint Commission reviewer evaluated compliance with related certification standards such as program management, supporting self-management, and delivering and facilitating clinical care. Joint Commission standards are developed in consultation with healthcare experts and providers, measurement experts and patients. The reviewer also conducted onsite observations and interviews.
“Advanced Total Hip and Knee Replacement Certification recognizes healthcare organizations committed to striving for excellence and fostering continuous improvement in patient safety and quality of care,” says Ken Grubbs, DNP, MBA, RN, executive vice president of Accreditation and Certification Operations and chief nursing officer, The Joint Commission. “We commend Mather Hospital for using The Joint Commission certification process to reduce variation in clinical processes and to strengthen its clinical program to drive safer, higher quality and more compassionate care for individuals served.”
“Mather Hospital is proud to receive this prestigious certification from The Joint Commission in recognition of our high standards in total knee and hip replacements,” said President Kevin McGeachy. “The certification demonstrates to our patients that Mather adheres to the best practices of quality, safety, and better patient outcomes and affirms our standing as the highest-ranked orthopedic program in our area according to U.S. News and World Report”.
“This certification is the result of the collaborative efforts of our orthopedic coordinator, preoperative, operating room, PACU, and floor staffs, as well as our physical therapists, discharge planners, home therapists, board certified orthopedists and anesthesiologists,” said orthopedic surgeon Brian McGinley, MD.
Michael Fracchia, MD, director of Mather’s orthopedic program, noted that with the support of hospital administration, Mather surgeons haveused computer or robotic assisted surgery since 2001 for the total joint program.
“Mather surgeons were the first in the country to perform robotic-assisted total knee replacements and wecontinue to work with the equipment companies to improve the technology,” he said.
St. Charles Hospital, 200 Belle Terre Road, Port Jefferson will hold a free patient education seminar on acid reflux in the St. Raphael Conference Room, 2nd Floor, on Wednesday, Feb. 26 from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Want to reduce dependency on medications? Concerned about side effects of medications? Regurgitate in spite of medications? Dr. Arif Ahmad, Director, Acid Reflux and Hiatal Hernia Center of Excellence at St. Charles Hospital, will discuss permanent solutions for acid reflux with minimally invasive surgical procedures that will improve your quality of life. Light refreshments will be served.
As a former senior investigator for the New York State Attorney General’s Office who spent twenty years investigating health fraud, I was truly annoyed when I discovered how hospitals are paid, and not paid, by insurers and individuals.
Keep in mind that hospitals are required by federal law to provide emergency care and stabilize all patients regardless of a patient’s ability to pay. As a result, hospitals provide more than $40 billion a year in unpaid care for patients who can’t afford to pay their hospital bill.When patients don’t pay for their hospital care, those costs are shifted to health insurers who are charged higher rates by hospitals to make up for the losses from non-paying patients.
However, uncompensated hospital care is not shared equally by private and government health insurers. According to a study by the Rand Corporation, private plans pay hospitals 241% more than Medicare for the same service. This amounts to a sneaky tax on the 216 million Americans covered by private insurance plans.
American taxpayers fund all or part of government health insurers such as Medicare and Medicaid. Yet, the American Hospital Association reports that hospitals received payments of only 82 cents for every dollar that was spent on Medicare patients in 2022. I get it. Medicare negotiates rates for more than 60 million people, and they squeeze every drop of leverage out of hospital administrators.
But wait, why are American workers being forced to pay higher premiums for their private health insurance when they are also funding the government plans? Whoa, wait a minute! That would be like selling a car for $50,000, but if you were a stockholder in the company the same car would cost more than $100,000. It sounds ridiculous, because it is. Especially, when a commonsense solution is within reach.
Simplify hospital reimbursement rates by having Medicare negotiate the same rate for all private and government insurers as a volume purchaser for 330 million Americans. By negotiating fair and reasonable reimbursement rates with just one insurer, hospitals would save money by reducing the number of administrators and consultants that are needed to negotiate with numerous private and government health insurers year after year.
Hospitals throughout the United States are in dire economic straits due to workforce shortages, inflation, cyber-attacks, unfunded government mandates and oppressive bureaucratic regulations. For example, the American Hospital Association reported in September 2024, “Recent data from Strata Decision Technology show that administrative costs now account for more than 40% of total expenses hospitals incur in delivering care to patients.”
A Medicare, “one-size-fits-all,” hospital reimbursement program would streamline administrative costs, save taxpayer money, reduce health insurance premiums and ensure that America’s hospitals remain best in class.
Thomas M. Cassidy, an economist, is the author and creator of the independent feature film, Manhattan South, which is in development. (ktpgproductions.com)
Pictured from left, Dr. Joseph Marino, Northwell SVP Anesthesia Service Line; Dr. David Park, Anesthesia Chair at Mather Hospital; Steven Cortes; Michael Lampasona, Nurse Anesthesia Manager at Mather; and Kevin McGeachy, President, Mather Hospital. Photo courtesy of Northwell
Steven Cortes, a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist at Mather Hospital in Port Jefferson, was honored on Feb. 3 with a lifesaver award from Northwell’s Anesthesia Service Line for his role in saving the life of a house fire victim.
On Oct. 14, 2024 Mr. Cortes finished his 10-hour shift and began driving home to his wife when he came upon an active house fire in his neighborhood. The first person on the scene, he called 911, then assisted in rescuing a 62-year-old disabled man trapped in the blaze.
The paramedics on the scene tried unsuccessfully to place a breathing tube in the man. Steve rushed in and successfully intubated the man on his first attempt. After securing the patient’s airway, he remained at his side in the ambulance and aided in the resuscitation efforts on the way to the closest hospital.
“Steve spent the entire evening and night displaying an extraordinary level of compassion and selflessness,” said Michael Lampasona, Nurse Anesthesia Manager at Mather Hospital. “He truly exemplifies the mission, vision, and values of Northwell Anesthesia.”
“Steven’s quick thinking, training and experience helped save a life that night,” said Mather President Kevin McGeachy. “I congratulate him for showing the highest level of dedication and professionalism, the kind of extraordinary patient care for which Mather is known.”
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.
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