MANHASSET, NY – A new state Department of Health (DOH) report shows that North Shore University Hospital (NSUH) in Manhasset had New York State’s best outcomes for patients undergoing surgeries to repair or replace heart valves and for those in need of surgeries for both valve/coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery.

A separate DOH report showed that for the second consecutive year, NSUH had significantly better outcomes for patients undergoing emergency angioplasty, the procedure to clear blocked arteries and improve blood flow. NSUH was one of three hospitals in the state and the only one on Long Island to receive a double-star ranking for the procedure performed on high-risk patients. The DOH’s open-heart surgery and angioplasty reports encompass data from 2005 to 2007.

In addition to the hospital’s top ranking, two NSUH surgeons – Alan Hartman, MD, chairman of cardiothoracic surgery at North Shore and LIJ Medical Center, and Rick Esposito, MD, associate chair of cardiothoracic surgery at NSUH, had risk-adjusted mortality rates that were among the lowest in the state for CABG, earning them the DOH’s coveted “double-star” asterisk for outcomes that were significantly better than the statewide average. That distinction was also earned by LIJ Medical Center surgeon Robert Palazzo, MD – who had zero mortality for his 258 cardiac bypass surgery patients during the three-year period covered by the DOH report.

For angioplasty, the report reviews risk-adjusted outcomes for 53 hospitals and approximately 350 cardiologists who perform the procedure. NSUH cardiologist Lawrence Ong, MD, had the state’s best outcomes for all types of angioplasty during that time frame and had zero mortality among his 793 patients.

“Cardiac services provided throughout the North Shore-LIJ Health System continue to demonstrate excellence,” said Stanley Katz, MD, senior vice president of cardiovascular services for North Shore-LIJ Health System. "It’s important for the public to have access to this type of statistical medical information, so that they can make informed decisions about their healthcare providers and life-saving procedures."

Contacts:Terry Lynam/Brian Mulligan 516-465-2640/516-465-2618