A first-ever, comprehensive report recently issued by the US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) ranks the Stern Family Center for Extended Care and Rehabilitation (CECR) in Manhasset and the Orzac CECR in Valley Stream among the top 12 percent of the nation’s long-term care facilities. Both facilities, part of the North Shore-LIJ Health System, received five stars -- the highest quality rating.

CMS analyzed 15,800 nursing homes over a three-year period that participate in Medicare or Medicaid, assigning facilities with a star rating from a low of one star to a high of five stars based on health inspection surveys, staffing information and quality of care measures.

“We are proud to be ranked among an elite group of nursing homes in the country, demonstrating the quality of care we provide to our patients,” said Maureen McClusky, executive director of the Stern and Orzac CECR facilities. “Choosing a nursing home for a loved one can be a difficult and confusing decision for families. The new government data gives consumers another tool to make informed decisions about their healthcare.” But Ms. McClusky was quick to add that “nothing substitutes for an in-person visit when considering a nursing care facility.”

Of the 79 nursing homes on Long Island, 22 percent of Nassau’s County’s 35 facilities and 14 percent of Suffolk County’s’ 44 homes earned five stars. Twenty two percent of nursing homes in both counties earned one star, the same as the national average. The government data is publicly available on CMS’s Nursing Home Compare Web site at www.medicare.gov.

In addition to the data analyzed by CMS, Ms. McClusky said there were many factors that contribute to consistently high patient satisfaction scores and quality outcomes at both facilities, including being part of a larger health system, “where clinical expertise and resources are at your finger tips.” She also cited a “high sense of camaraderie” among staff members, tenured staff, a high ratio of staff to patients, a team of board-certified geriatricians on staff, extensive consultative services and continual upgrades to the physical plants and buildings.

Established in 1989, the Stern CECR – located on the campus of North Shore University Hospital -- is a 256-bed facility specializing in short-term rehabilitation, skilled nursing and extended care services. The Orzac CECR, also opened in 1989, is a 120-bed long-term care facility located on the grounds of Franklin Hospital.

Media Contact: Betty Olt, 516-465-2645, bolt@nshs.edu