Peconic Bay Medical Center Receives Awards of Excellence

Riverhead, NY– Peconic Bay Medical Center (PBMC) recently received two awards from the American Heart Association (AHA) for its work in providing exceptional care to heart attack and stroke patients. The first was the 2023 MISSION: LIFELINE® Quality Achievement Award for the hospital's work as a STEMI Receiving Center for heart attack patients with a completely blocked coronary artery. The second achievement award was a Gold Plus rating as part of the AHA's Get With The Guidelines® program, which celebrated PBMC's ability and commitment to provide high-quality, timely care to stroke patients. Both awards recognize PBMC's outstanding performance in patient care and its work to meet or exceed AHA treatment guidelines in the treatment of critical care patients. PBMC also achieved Honor Roll Elite status for the treatment of stroke patients with type 2 diabetes.

“Peconic Bay Medical Center's mission is to make advanced, life-saving medical care available and accessible to everyone in Eastern Suffolk County, and these designations from the AHA are a testament to our entire team's commitment to making that mission a reality Amy stated. Loeb, EdD, MBA, RN, PBMC executive director. “We have made a significant investment to offer the highest possible quality and most advanced healthcare services — especially for intensive care patients. No one should feel the need to compromise their health for the quality of suburban life. We hope these accolades will give the residents of Eastern Suffolk County peace of mind knowing we are here and that they will have access to the best emergency care when they need it most.”

These awards were the latest PBMC achieved in 2023 for the high level of emergency medical services it provides in Eastern Suffolk County. PBMC was ranked by Healthgrades as a top 100 hospital nationally for coronary intervention, as well as receiving a 5-star rating from Healthgrades for heart attack treatment and stroke treatment. In addition, PBMC was the only hospital in the region to receive an 'A' patient safety rating from the Leapfrog Group this past spring.

MISSION: LIFELINE® is the American Heart Association's national, community-based initiative to improve systems of care for patients with STEMI, NSTEMI, stroke, and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. The program focuses on streamlining processes to expedite the delivery of appropriate treatment for time-sensitive, neurocardiovascular conditions by showcasing hospitals like PBMC that provide 24/7 support and coordinate emergency medical services to deliver guideline-directed STEMI care .

AHA's Get With The Guidelines ® – Stroke is an inpatient program to improve stroke care by promoting consistent adherence to the latest scientific treatment guidelines. Numerous published studies demonstrate the program's success in achieving measurable improvements in patient outcomes. The Gold Plus Award honors hospitals that have demonstrated this high level of care for 24 consecutive months or more.

“These awards are also shared by the incredible EMS teams and paramedics throughout Eastern Suffolk County who are the first on the scene to care for patients who have suffered a heart attack or stroke. They play a critical role in getting patients to our emergency medicine and coronary care specialists quickly so they can provide the necessary care that will increase their chances of survival,” said Loeb.

To accommodate the population growth Eastern Suffolk has experienced in recent years, PBMC announced plans to significantly expand its emergency department as part of a $92 million renovation initiative. This is the next phase in the evolution of Peconic Bay Medical Center, bringing the most advanced level of health care to the residents of Eastern Suffolk County. The emergency department expansion will add more than 6,600 square feet to the facility and increase the ability to more easily handle an increase in critical care patients. It will allow the hospital to implement new, life-saving technology to enhance its ability to care for patients experiencing acute heart attacks.

As a New York State-designated Level III trauma center and stroke center, PBMC has demonstrated the ability to provide life-saving care to stroke patients. As the only trauma and stroke center in the North Fork and Eastern Suffolk County's largest healthcare provider, PBMC is committed to practices that save lives. PBMC provides more than 250,000 Eastern Suffolk residents with the closest access to advanced cardiac catheterization suites, a New York State-designated stroke center, Level III trauma services and Eastern Suffolk County's largest and busiest emergency department .

For more information about Peconic Bay Medical Center's emergency department, visit www.pbmchealth.org.

About Peconic Bay Medical Center

Located in Riverhead, New York, Peconic Bay Medical Center is a 144-bed not-for-profit hospital committed to providing excellent care and improving the health of the communities it serves. Peconic Bay Medical Center offers broad-spectrum, full-scope services and programs, including advanced surgical, cardiac, orthopedic and women's health care, comprehensive inpatient medical care, palliative care and a wide range of outpatient services, along with state-of-the-art technology. Peconic Bay Medical Center joined Northwell Health in 2016. For more information, visit PBMCHealth.org and follow us @PeconicBayMedicalCenter on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.