By Daniel Dunaief

A top source for consumers searching for doctors and hospitals, Healthgrades continued to recognize several departments and clinical efforts within Huntington Hospital, while adding others.

Healthgrades named Huntington Hospital one of the 100 best hospitals for Coronary Intervention for the fourth year in a row.

An affiliate of Northwell Health, Huntington Hospital also was ranked fourth in critical care in the state and, among other recognition, received five star distinction for Cranial Neurosurgery, earned the 2025 Pulmonary Care Excellence Award, and was named among the top 10 percent in the nation for overall pulmonary services.

“Healthgrades is one of the more recognizable accolades that hospitals can achieve,” said Dr. Nick Fitterman, Executive Director of Huntington Hospital.

The hospital has hung two banners and plans to celebrate the distinctions with staff on Nov. 6th.

“People want to play for a winner,” said Fitterman. “It really does make the team members, the doctors, nurses and support staff all feel better, knowing that they’re in health care, they’re compassionate people. To see the recognition makes them feel proud.”

Through ongoing and growing recognition of the expertise and services available to patients, word has spread about the quality of care people receive at Huntington Hospital.

“Our doctors that run the Emergency Room are seeing more people from zip codes outside of our usual primary and secondary catchment area as the reputation of the hospital is spreading,” said Fitterman. “I like to think that it’s because of excellent care” as well as people telling friends and family about their experiences.

Patients outside the normal coverage area mostly live to the east and south on Long Island.

Healthgrades also gave ongoing high rankings to the coronary interventional procedures for four years in a row, provided a five-star rating for treatment of stroke for two years in a row, and named the hospital a five-star provider for treatment of pneumonia for seven years in a year.

Huntington earned five stars for its treatment of sepsis for the third consecutive year.

‘We don’t set out to achieve any recognition,” said Fitterman. “The core ideology that I espouse to all team members is that excellence in clinical care is the best business strategy. Provide the best care possible and all this other stuff will fall into place.”

While Huntington received a top five percent recognition for cardiac interventions, which includes stents for people who have heart attacks and pacemakers for those whose conduction system is not working well, the hospital recently completed a $5 million renovation of its cardiac catheterization lab.

The lab, which will have a ceremonial opening in the next few weeks, will implement “some of the most advanced technology,” said Fitterman.

Amid predictions about extended hospital stays as the population ages, Fitterman suggested that Huntington Hospital was focused on improving the way it treats diseases to get patients out of the hospital and return them to their normal lives in a timely fashion.

In addition to enhancements in cardiac care, Huntington Hospital has added new neurosurgeons to the staff and has invested in a Zeiss microscope that has a three dimensional display.

“You’d think you’re seeing a Star Wars movie,” said Fitterman.

Huntington Hospital taps into the Northwell Health network, helping patients benefit from specialists spread throughout the system.

Hospital staff can consult with tumor boards that include hematologists, oncologists, and radiation oncologists spread throughout the Northwell network.

To help patients manage the stresses and strains that come from giving up control when they spend time in a hospital, Huntington converted several years ago to a dining service that allows people to order their meals according to their own schedule.

Patients can call any time of day to place an order. Food is then delivered to their room within 40 minutes, with no set breakfast, lunch and dinner times.

“Food is health,” said Fitterman. “If they were getting the same tasteless food that hospitals are renowned for serving, they would not be contributing to a healthy, therapeutic environment.”

For meetings, the hospital rarely orders from outside caterers, choosing food from the hospital kitchen.

The hospital has restructured the workflow to prevent any additional costs for the round-the-clock service.

Fitterman calls the chicken quesadillas “outstanding,” while he said some patients have come back to the cafeteria after they are discharged because of the popularity of the salmon.

Fitterman added that he is always looking out for ways to improve the experience for patient and their families.

“When I walk the halls, I’m still looking at things we can do better,” he said.