News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 26, 2014 

Three HHC Hospitals Receive Patient Safety Awards for Women’s Health

Coney Island Hospital and Woodhull Medical Center in Brooklyn, Queens Hospital Center in Queens, Recognized by Healthgrades

New York, NY –  The New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) announced today that three HHC hospitals in Brooklyn and Queens have earned top performing hospital awards for women’s health services from Healthgrades Inc., a national organization that helps healthcare consumers evaluate and compare hospital performance. The awards were determined based on quality and safety indicators for hospitals in 17 states and represent a range of female healthcare needs.

Coney Island Hospital in Brooklyn and Queens Hospital Center in Queens both received the Healthgrades 2014 Maternity Care Excellence Award, a distinction Coney Island Hospital also earned in 2013 and 2012. To be recognized, hospitals must rank among the top 10 percent of best performing hospitals for services to mothers during and after childbirth, and for the care of their newborn babies. Maternity Care ratings were based on an analysis of complications due to vaginal deliveries and C-sections, newborn mortality rates and percentage of newborns with low birth weight.

The Healthgrades report highlights that patients treated at 5-star rated hospitals like Coney Island and Queens had a 54.4 percent lower risk of complications during a vaginal childbirth delivery and 77.6 percent lower risk of complications from a C-section delivery than those treated at 1-star hospitals.

Woodhull Medical Center in Brooklyn received the Healthgrades 2014 Gynecologic Surgery Excellence Award, a distinction it also earned in 2013. To be recognized, hospitals must perform in the top ten percent of all hospitals that were analyzed for performance in female reproductive surgery, including hysterectomy and surgeries to treat benign tumors, cancer, infertility, incontinence, and various other conditions. Healthgrades has found that women undergoing gynecologic surgery at a hospital rated 5-stars have a 57.5 percent lower risk of complication than women having surgery at hospitals rated 1-star by Healthgrades.

“We are extremely proud to receive this distinction for the third year in row which shows our consistency of providing high-quality care for women in Brooklyn during their pregnancy and childbirth, and the care of their newborn babies,” said Arthur Wagner, Executive Director of Coney Island Hospital.

"We are thrilled to receive this distinction, which recognizes our commitment to women's health and our tradition of providing outstanding care to women and babies in Queens," said Julius Wool, Executive Director of Queens Hospital Center. "The Women's Health Center at Queens Hospital is a comprehensive outpatient and inpatient service that offers state-of-the-art level of care. The hospital has recently renovated its labor and delivery suite, which includes a beautiful nursery, and a Level III NICU. 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.”

"We are very proud of the OB/GYN services that are available for women in the communities served by Woodhull. Receiving this recognition, for the second year in a row, affirms the quality and commitment that staff provide to our patients on a daily basis,” said George M. Proctor, Executive Director of Woodhull Medical Center.

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.

Queens Hospital’s Women’s Health Services provides women with an entire range of obstetrical and gynecological subspecialties for emergency, primary, and preventative inpatient and outpatient activities, in a culturally sensitive environment. In addition, there are three satellite clinics, including the Teenage Program (TAP), Communicare/Parsons Medical Center, and Springfield Medical Center. The primary and satellite clinics offer patients both ambulatory obstetrical and gynecological services during the daytime, evening, and weekend hours. Every effort is made for patients who register in the clinic to see the same provider for their prenatal, postpartum, and gynecologic care. Specialty services are also available for pregnant teenagers and patients with diabetic, infectious disease and high-risk complications.

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.

 

Contact: Ian Michaels (HHC) (212) 788-3339

About HHC

The New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) is a $6.7 billion integrated healthcare delivery system, the largest municipal healthcare organization in the country, and one of the New York area's largest providers of government-sponsored health insurance, MetroPlus Health Plan, the plan of choice for nearly half a million New Yorkers. HHC serves 1.4 million New Yorkers every year and more than 475,000 are uninsured. HHC provides medical, mental health and substance abuse services through its 11 acute care hospitals, five skilled nursing facilities, six large diagnostic and treatment centers and more than 70 community based clinics. HHC Health and Home Care also provides in-home services for New Yorkers. HHC was the 2008 recipient of the National Quality Forum and The Joint Commission's John M. Eisenberg Award for Innovation in Patient Safety and Quality. For more information, visit www.nyc.gov/hhc or find us on facebook.com/nycHHC or twitter.com/HHCnyc.