Suffolk Reporter

Northwell Health hospitals have been recognized by Healthgrades with the 2025 Patient Safety Excellence Awards. Huntington Hospital received this award for the seventh consecutive year and was named among the top 5% of short-term acute-care hospitals nationwide for patient safety for six years in a row. Long Island Jewish Medical Center, which includes Long Island Jewish Valley Stream and Long Island Jewish Forest Hills, earned the award for the second consecutive year and was also named among the top 5% of hospitals for patient safety.

The recognition highlights a culture of excellence at these Northwell Health facilities, reflected in their other achievements. Huntington Hospital is noted as the only hospital on Long Island to achieve Magnet designation by the American Nurses Credentialing Center four times consecutively. Meanwhile, Long Island Jewish Medical Center was recognized by Healthgrades as fourth in New York State for stroke care and joint replacement. Additionally, Long Island Jewish Valley Stream is certified as a stroke center by the American Heart Association and recognized as a Network of Excellence in hernia surgery by Surgical Review Corporation. Long Island Jewish Forest Hills holds designations as a Level II Perinatal Center and an American College of Radiology-designated Lung Cancer Screening Center.

Plainview Hospital also received the Healthgrades Patient Safety Excellence Award. As a New York State Department of Health Primary Stroke Center, it has been awarded the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Quality Achievement Award.

“I continue to be proud of these hospitals who do so much to serve our communities,” said Peter Silver, MD, MBA, senior vice president and chief quality officer at Northwell. “These awards reflect our unwavering dedication to providing the highest quality and safest care possible to our patients."

Healthgrades' analysis evaluated 4,500 hospitals nationwide from 2021-2023, revealing that 173,280 preventable safety events occurred among Medicare patients during this period.

Patients treated in hospitals receiving the 2025 Patient Safety Excellence Award are significantly less likely to experience one of four leading safety issues:

- They are 54% less likely to suffer in-hospital falls resulting in fractures.

- They are 55% less likely to experience collapsed lungs due to procedures or surgeries near the chest.

- They are 69% less likely to develop pressure sores acquired in hospital settings.

- They are 72% less likely to acquire catheter-related bloodstream infections.

“These impressive statistics underscore the real-world impact of our commitment to patient safety," Dr. Silver added. "By minimizing preventable harm, we are not only improving patient outcomes but also enhancing their overall experience of care.”