U.S. News & World Report Recognizes NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln as High Performing in Heart Failure and COPD Care
Aug 22, 2018
U.S. News & World Report has named NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln a “High Performing” hospital for both heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The recognition was published as part of the national magazine’s “Best Hospital” issue for 2018-19.
“We are delighted that once again U.S. News & World Report has recognized the world-class care provided to the South Bronx community,” said Milton Nuñez, chief executive officer of NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln. “This care is among the best found anywhere and is evidence of the compassion, focus, and hard work of staff and leadership.” For the second consecutive year, NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln received the “High Performing” designation for both heart failure and COPD.
The hospital’s clinical leaders credit their success working with patients with heart failure or COPD with their collaborative, comprehensive approach involving staff in the departments of Medicine, Nursing, Social Services, and the Emergency Department.
Patient care management is guided by the most current clinical guidelines. Nurses and care managers work with patients to help them manage these chronic conditions, preferably in the adult medicine clinic. They ensure that each patient is on appropriate medications and has no adherence barriers. They also identify the impact of social determinants on disease control and initiate mitigation plans, when appropriate, in collaboration with other disciplines and community service providers. For patients with congestive heart failure, a check list is created that ensures that the American Heart Association’s “Get with the Guidelines” criteria are implemented for each patient.
Similar oversight is applied for patients who go to the emergency department. For patients with either condition who are hospitalized, their primary care physician is made aware. On discharge, patients receive a month’s supply of medications and follow-up appointments are scheduled within a week, both with their primary care physician and their cardiologist (for heart failure) or pulmonologist (for COPD).
U.S. News & World Report‘s “High Performing” rankings for heart failure and COPD are based on multiple critical data categories, including patient survival, number of patients treated, and care-related factors. NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln earned the recognition by performing significantly better than the national average.
“The recognition by U.S. News & World Report is further validation that our hospital continues to provide excellent health care to the community we serve,” stated Anita Soni, MD, chief medical officer for the hospital. “We are committed to meeting the health care needs of this community and reducing health disparities in services found in urban communities.”
U.S. News & World Report generates hospital rankings annually by evaluating data on nearly 5,000 hospitals to help patients decide where to receive the most appropriate care.