Stony Brook University Hospital One Of U.S.'s 50 Best Hospitals: Healthgrades

STONY BROOK, NY — Healthgrades has designated Stony Brook University Hospital one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals for 2023, placing it in the top one percent of hospitals in the country, Stony Brook Medicine officials said Monday.

The hospital has "steadily" increased its rankings, having been named to the top 250 since 2015, then the top 100 since 2019, and now the top 50, according to officials.

To determine the top 50 hospitals, Healthgrades evaluated patient mortality and complication rates for 31 of the most common conditions and procedures at nearly 4,500 hospitals in the United States to identify the top performers, officials said.

The analysis this year saw "significant variation" between America’s Best 50 Hospitals and hospitals that did not receive the distinction, officials said, adding that if all hospitals performed similarly to America’s 50 Best, over 150,000 lives could have been saved. Those statistics are based on Healthgrades' analysis of Medicare Provider Analysis and Review data for years 2019 through 2021 and represent three-year estimates for Medicare patients only, according to officials.

Dr. Hal Paz, executive vice president for health sciences and Stony Brook University and chief executive officer for Stony Brook University Medicine, said he is "delighted" with the "significant accomplishment, which places us among the top one percent of hospitals in the country."

"It reflects the ongoing efforts of everyone across our hospital to continuously deliver outstanding clinical outcomes and an unwavering dedication to our patients," he said.

The hospital's chief executive officer, Carol Gomes, said the "exceptional care" found at the hospital "is only possible when a hospital commits to high standards of quality and continuous improvement throughout the organization."

"I am grateful to our physicians, nurses, and all staff for their tireless hard work, dedication, and commitment to excellence," she said.

Healthgrades' chief medical officer and head of data science, Brad Bowman, said the organization is proud to recognize the hospital, adding that it "consistently delivers better-than-expected outcomes for the patients in their community and is setting a high national standard for clinical excellence."

The hospital has also been named one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Surgery for two years in a row between 2022 and 2023. It's only one of two hospitals in New York named among America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Care for nine years in a row from 2015 to 2023.

It's also been named one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Stroke Care for eight years in a row from 2016 to 2023. Healthgrades also placed the hospital at number two in New York for both Neurosciences and Stroke Care in 2023, making it only one of two hospitals on Long Island in the top five.

"Year after year, our hospital’s Heart Institute and Cerebrovascular and Comprehensive Stroke Center continue to shine, providing a level of care few hospitals anywhere can match," Dr. Paz said. "And our five-star rating for Hysterectomy places us among our nation’s Hysterectomy leaders."