Westchester’s major medical centers advance the region’s economic health by providing steady, well-paying jobs. That, coupled with their mission of providing state-of-the-art care, is a prescription that improves the quality of life for county residents.
The 643-bed Westchester Medical Center, home to the region’s Level 1 trauma center, boasts more than 100 specialty physicians offering the most advanced care available. Services include heart and vascular care from diagnosis to heart transplant, gynecologic oncology, endovascular neurosurgery, advanced imaging and organ transplants. The medical center received the HealthGrades Cardiac Surgery Excellence Award three years in a row (2010-2012), and has an economic impact of more than $1.6 billion annually.
Northern Westchester Hospital is the only hospital in the United States designated as both a Planetree Patient-Centered Care Hospital with Distinction, which recognizes the expertise and humanity of the staff, and a Magnet Recognized Hospital, given for excellence in nursing service and the overall quality of care. U.S. News & World Report listed it among the best regional hospitals of 2012-13, recognizing it as a “best hospital” in three specialties: urology, gynecology and geriatrics.
U.S. News & World Report also touted White Plains Hospital Center, giving it high marks for clinical excellence in geriatrics and gynecology and naming 112 of its physicians “Top Doctors.” These physicians, chosen by their peers, represent 40 specialty areas. The 292-bed hospital is also a nine-time winner of the Consumer’s Choice Award.
Phelps Memorial Hospital Center is the first new accredited family medicine residency program in New York in 15 years. This is a critical step in addressing the growing shortage of primary care physicians in the United States. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association named it a Blue Distinction Center for Knee and Hip Replacement, and Phelps has been designated a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence by the American College of Radiology.
Lawrence Hospital Center is in the midst of a $34 million expansion to create a state-of-the-art cancer center with operating rooms that allow for the latest technological equipment. The center will allow county residents to receive top-quality cancer care without having to travel into New York City. The hospital also added a comprehensive genetic counseling service for individuals with a personal or family history of breast, ovarian or associated cancers.
Sound Shore Medical Center, a 252-bed hospital and major teaching affiliate of New York Medical College, is a designated Level 2 trauma center and stroke center. The Sound Shore Health System includes Mount Vernon Hospital, Schaffer Extended Care Center and Hopfer School of Nursing. Hopfer graduates had a 100 percent first-time pass rate on the national registered nursing licensing exam for the second quarter of 2012.
Patients needing an MRI at the Hudson Valley Hospital Center no doubt appreciate the hospital’s new imaging suite, which has an “Open Friendly” MRI with a larger opening. The hospital also recently added a third hyperbaric chamber to its Institute for Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine.
St. Joseph’s Medical Center renovated its MRI department and in fall 2012 began updating its behavioral health units at both the Yonkers and Harrison campuses, thanks to more than $7 million in grant money. St. Joseph’s also is adding a special procedures room, an outpatient cardiovascular center and electronic medical records in the Emergency Department.
St. John’s Riverside was the first hospital in Westchester, founded in 1869. In 2012, it received the Stroke Silver Plus Quality Achievement Award, which recognizes the hospital’s success in implementing a higher standard of stroke care. It also received the 5 Star Award for Excellence in Maternity Care from HealthGrades for the sixth year in a row; not surprising for a hospital that has delivered more than 116,000 babies – and counting!
New York-Presbyterian Hospital’s Westchester Division, located in White Plains, opened its Center for Autism and the Developing Brain, which provides multidisciplinary care to patients of all ages with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and other developmental disorders. New York-Presbyterian is ranked fifth in the nation for psychiatry by U.S. News & World Report.
New York Medical College is where tomorrow’s physicians study before doing their clinical work in Westchester’s hospitals.
Three nursing schools — Lienhard, Cochran and Hopfer Schools of Nursing — ensure that care won’t be compromised by a shortage of nurses.
Trivia:
• Hudson Valley Hospital Center was chosen from among thousands of hospitals to speak about its no-wait emergency room at the International Conference on Emergency Medicine in Ireland in July 2012.
• Healthcare workers make up the largest economic sector of the county.