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Stony Brook Center of Excellence for Alzheimer’s Disease was awarded a new $2.35 million, state-funded grant over five years (2022–27 grant cycle) by the New York State Department of Health. Of the 10 NYSDOH-supported, hospital-based centers in the state, Stony Brook Medicine is the only recipient of this competitive grant on Long Island and will continue to serve the growing needs of communities in both Nassau and Suffolk counties.

With scientific strides being made in identifying potential new ways to diagnose, treat and prevent Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, Stony Brook’s efforts during this five-year grant cycle will also include a continued focus on research.

The Stony Brook Center of Excellence for Alzheimer’s Disease also offers a variety of clinical trials in support of groundbreaking research studies on aging, memory and dementia. Stony Brook has been selected as a study site for several clinical trials, including monoclonal antibody therapy trials that target amyloid plaque for the treatment of mild Alzheimer’s disease.

Nikhil Palekar, MD
Photo by Jeanne Neville/Stony Brook Medicine

Catholic Health’s St. Charles Hospital held its annual gala, in-person for the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, raising $150,000 to benefit the hospital’s radiology department and purchase of a second computed tomography scanner. Appropriate for the times, the theme of the gala was “At Last.”

A special wish lantern was released in honor of St. Charles employee and biomedical engineer Ricky Ramirez who suffered from a severe case of COVID-19 in March 2020, with ups and downs, including the need to be intubated three times. After several months of hospitalization between St. Francis Hospital, where he received a life-saving treatment of an experimental medication, and his time at St. Charles Hospital for inpatient rehabilitation, Ramirez turned a corner. Fully recovered, he was able to attend the gala and gave thanks to all who helped him on his road to recovery.

St. Charles Hospital’s annual gala

Northwell Health has been rated the No. 1 health system for diversity in the U.S. for the third consecutive year, according to the latest DiversityInc ranking of Top Hospitals and Health Systems.

New York State’s largest health care provider and private employer made the list for the 10th straight year, where it remained in the top spot 2022 rankings for Hospitals and Health Systems. Northwell also earned recognition from DiversityInc in three other categories: Top Companies for Veterans, Top Companies for Employee Resource Group and Top Companies for Sponsorship.

DiversityInc’s rankings are the latest in a string of accomplishments for the health system. Northwell was recognized as a national leader in LGBTQ+ inclusiveness by the 2022 Healthcare Equality Index. Northwell was named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for 2022 by Ethisphere — and the only health system from New York State. And last month, Northwell was named to Fortune magazine’s 100 Best Companies to Work For list for the third consecutive year.

Northwell rated No. 1 for diversity

Catholic Health’s Good Shepherd Hospice commemorated its 20th anniversary at the Garden City Country Club. The 20th Anniversary Celebration Brunch fundraiser benefited the two inpatient centers located in Port Jefferson and Rockville Centre and in-home hospice care services of Good Shepherd Hospice. In honor of this anniversary, special guest Shelly Schechter, Director of Maternal Child Health Services, Nassau County Health Department, presented Good Shepherd Hospice President Kim Kranz with a citation on behalf of Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman.


Northwell Health has joined the Cardiometabolic Center Alliance (CMCA) as a charter member.

As such, Northwell will further its ongoing research and programs to improve cardiometabolic health nationally.

The CMCA is a coalition founded by the St. Louis-based Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute to provide innovative treatment approaches to patients with Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

The CMCA seeks to establish cardiometabolic centers of excellence nationwide aimed at transforming the treatment of Type 2 diabetes and related cardiovascular and renal comorbidities. The alliance aims to have 20 member institutions as part of the initiative by 2023.

“In an effort to take our practices to the next level of standardization and comprehensive care, we are excited to become a charter member of the CMCA, to share best practices and research to improve patient outcomes,” says Eugenia Gianos, MD, Director of Cardiovascular Prevention at Northwell Health.

Eugenia Gianos, MD

Catholic Health’s Good Samaritan Hospital broke ground on its $500 million Patient Care Pavilion. The 300,000-square-foot addition will be located on the northeast portion of the campus and feature a state-of-the-art, 75-bay Emergency Department, 16 high-tech replacement operating rooms and three floors of private patient rooms. The project will not increase the hospital’s overall bed count. Instead, it provides patients with more private space, larger and enhanced clinical areas, and closer access within the hospital to key services. The project is scheduled to be completed in early 2025.

Bishop Barres alongside members of the Catholic Health/Good Samaritan leadership teams

The Sandra Atlas Bass Heart Hospital at North Shore University Hospital(NSUH) has been rated Long Island’s top-ranked hospital for cardiac surgery and coronary intervention — and among the top three programs in New York State, including No. 2 in cardiac surgery — according to a new analysis released by Healthgrades.

Healthgrades also ranked NSUH as a top three hospital in New York State for stroke care, and NSUH is an America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Stroke Care Award recipient. Hospitals recognized as among the top ranked in their state by Healthgrades provide patients with measurably superior clinical outcomes. Healthgrades is a leading medical resource that connects consumers, physicians and health systems.

Alan Hartman, MD, who oversees cardiovascular and thoracic surgery

The Critical Care Unit at Long Island Jewish Valley Stream Hospital has earned the Gold Beacon Award for excellence from the American Association of Critical Care Nurses. The gold level is the highest achievement of the Beacon Award for Excellence. The award recognizes individual units that distinguish themselves by improving every facet of patient care and achieving optimal outcomes.

The Beacon Award for Excellence recognizes hospital units that employ evidence-based practices to improve patient and family outcomes. The award provides gold, silver and bronze levels of recognition. The unit achieved the Bronze level in 2021.

Long Island Jewish Valley Stream Hospital achieves Gold Beacon Award for Critical Care Nursing Excellence

Northwell’s Center for Global Health, in cooperation with the Ukrainian military, is launching telemedicine platforms to several undisclosed health centers where intense fighting has left millions displaced and thousands of civilians wounded and killed — stressing already taxed medical resources and providers in those areas. Telemedicine is a unique area of opportunity for the health network to provide 24/7 consultations and a support mechanism that lends expertise to clinicians in the field caring for wounded soldiers and civilians.

In February, Northwell aligned with Doctors Without Borders, an organization with extensive experience in combat medicine and humanitarian relief across the globe. As part of the health system’s humanitarian efforts for Ukraine, Northwell collected more than $210,000 earmarked for Doctors Without Borders and shipped 18,000 pounds of medical supplies to the government.

Michael Dowling, Northwell Health’s President and CEO, stands in front of 28 pallets holding 18,000 pounds of medical supplies that Northwell sent to Ukraine in March.

Mather Hospital had an economic impact on the local economy of $712 million with 4,000 jobs created during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new Healthcare Association of New York State economic impact report. The figures, which draw on 2020 data, looked at the economic impact of hospitals across the state.

During that same period, the hospital served 154,000 patients, including 30,000 in the Emergency Department and 9,200 admitted to the hospital. The report found that 71% of inpatient discharges and 52% of outpatient visits at Mather were covered by Medicare and Medicaid.


Stony Brook Cancer Center was awarded a $1 million state-funded grant by the New York State Legislature in the FY23 State Budget. This marks the fifth year in a row that the legislature, led by the advocacy and support of Assemblyman Steven Englebright, was able to secure funding to support the Cancer Center’s application process for National Cancer Institute (NCI)-Designated Cancer Center status. To date, Assemblyman Englebright has secured nearly $3.7 million in state grants to support this effort.

There are currently 71 NCI-Designated Cancer Centers across the country, with the closest clinical NCI facility to Long Island residents based in New York City. NCI designation would enable Stony Brook Medicine to hire additional researchers and clinical investigators to work in its research laboratories, spurring even more federal funding for breakthrough discoveries.

Stony Brook Cancer Center was awarded a grant of $1 million.

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Source: MD News April 2022, Long Island Edition