New York, NY ― The New York City Health and Hospitals (HHC) today announced that two HHC acute care hospitals in Brooklyn earned top performing hospital awards for excellence and superior clinical outcomes in women’s health. The awards were presented to Coney Island Hospital and Woodhull Medical and Mental Health Center by Healthgrades, the national organization that helps healthcare consumers evaluate and compare hospital performance. The awards were determined based on quality and safety indicators for hospitals in 18 states and represent the cycle of a woman’s healthcare experience – from the needs of starting a family, to caring for their unique health needs.

“We are extremely proud to receive this distinction, which recognizes our commitment to women’s health and our tradition of providing outstanding care to women and babies in Brooklyn, particularly as we reopen our Labor and Delivery unit for the first time since Hurricane Sandy,” said Arthur Wagner, Executive Director of Coney Island Hospital.

“This recognition offers strong validation of our quality of care and surgical expertise to help prevent unnecessary hospitalizations and complications for women in our community,” said George M. Proctor, Executive Director of Woodhull Medical Center.

Coney Island Hospital received the Healthgrades 2013 Maternity Care Excellence Award and ranked among the top 10% of best performing hospitals for services to mothers during and after childbirth or for the care of their newborn babies. Maternity Care ratings were based on an analysis of complications due to vaginal deliveries and C-sections, and newborn mortality rates. The Healthgrades report highlights that patients treated at 5-star rated hospitals like Coney Island Hospital had 55% fewer complications during a vaginal childbirth delivery and 77% fewer during a C-section delivery than those treated at 1-star rated hospitals.

Woodhull Medical Center received the Healthgrades 2013 Gynecologic Surgery Excellence Award and also ranked among the top 10% of best performing hospitals offering high quality surgical care involving the female reproductive. system and includes hysterectomies and surgeries to treat benign tumors, cancer, infertility, incontinence, and various other conditions. Hysterectomy accounted for the majority (75.4%) of all procedures evaluated.

The Women's Health Center at Coney Island Hospital is a comprehensive practice and inpatient area that offers many of the services female patients will need throughout their lifetime. The hospital has a state-of-the-art labor and delivery suite, a beautiful nursery, and a top neonatal intensive care unit. General obstetric and gynecological care is available six-days-a-week, offering ultrasound specifically for women and other services such as prenatal care, family planning, and HIV testing and counseling.

Woodhull’s Women’s Health Pavilion houses the hospital’s Women’s Health Practice, which is a comprehensive, ambulatory care service that provides obstetrics, gynecology, family planning, STD screening, referrals for oncology screenings (breast, cervical and colon), and diagnostic and treatment services to an average of 225 women per day. The Women’s Health Practice also offers continuity prenatal care throughout a woman’s pregnancy; fetal assessment (ultrasound, non-stress testing and bio-physical profiles); genetic counseling and follow-up; infertility treatment, GYN oncology, acupuncture, and a special program for adolescents.

For more information about Coney Island Hospital or Woodhull Medical Center, visit www.nyc.gov/hhc. For information about the Healthgrades awards, visit: www.Healthgrades.com/quality.