A new state report shows that Long Island Jewish (LIJ) Medical Center in New Hyde Park was ranked the best hospital in New York for angioplasty success rates. LIJ was the only hospital to receive a prestigious double-star ranking, meaning its outcomes were significantly better from a statistical standpoint than the statewide average. Angioplasty is a procedure used to clear blocked heart arteries and increase blood flow.

The latest three-year report (encompassing data from 2003-05), released on Wednesday by the New York State Department of Health (DOH), reviewed risk-adjusted angioplasty outcomes for 50 hospitals and more than 300 cardiologists performing the procedure. The report showed that Lawrence Y. Ong, MD, director of interventional cardiology at North Shore University Hospital (NSUH), was among four cardiologists in New York State with superior outcomes.

During the three-year period, LIJ had an angioplasty caseload of 5,238 and a risk-adjusted mortality rate (RAMR) of 0.64 percent, marking the fourth consecutive report in which the hospital’s outcomes were significantly better than the statewide average. It was the first time that a hospital has received a double star four consecutive releases since New York State began to track angioplasty outcomes in 1995. LIJ was also one of only two hospitals in New York – and the only one in the New York metropolitan area -- that had significantly better angioplasty outcomes involving patients who suffered heart attacks (a RAMR of 1.51 percent).

“Being the only hospital in New York State to get a double star for angioplasty outcomes for four consecutive years is an extraordinary achievement for LIJ cardiologists and their staff,” said Stacey Rosen, MD, chief of cardiology at LIJ. “But the true winners are our patients in Queens and Long Island who have access to our top-ranking cardiologists and our services.”

Included in the DOH report is the collective risk profile of the angioplasty patients for each hospital and physician. “With the Health Department’s most recent report, consumers have an opportunity to review the clinical outcomes of hospitals and cardiologists performing angioplasty in their region and make an informed decision about their healthcare choices,” said Stanley Katz, MD, senior vice president of cardiovascular services for the North Shore-LIJ Health System, who is also a member of the New York State Department of Health Cardiac Advisory Committee.

LIJ is the only hospital in the state to perform a majority of angioplasty procedures using the radial approach, a technique in which the procedure is performed through the patient’s wrist instead of the groin. The radial approach has been shown to reduce bleeding complications and allows for quicker walking after the procedure. The hospital’s Cardiac Catheterization Lab is headed by Barry Kaplan, MD.

The DOH’s full report can by found online at: www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/heart/heart_disease.htm. Scroll down to “percutaneous coronary interventions.”

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