Mercy Medical Center Top-Ranked In Bariatric Surgery
Receives Bariatric Surgery Excellence™ Award From HealthGrades® With Highest Rating In New York State

(Aug 25, 2008 - Rockville Centre, NY) - In the latest affirmation of the hospital’s delivery of the highest quality patient care, Mercy Medical Center has received the 2008 Bariatric Surgery Excellence Award from HealthGrades, the nation’s leading independent healthcare ratings organization.

The award is based on the recently-released Healthgrades annual study of Bariatric Surgery Trends in hospitals across the country. Mercy was top ranked among the 64 facilities reviewed in New York State, and one of only 93 nationwide to receive HealthGrades’ highest Five-Star Rating. HealthGrades made its assessments by independently analyzing the quality of bariatric surgery care at 680 hospitals in 17 states that publish outcomes data, objectively assessing their clinical performance and quality.

Earlier this year, Mercy received continuation of its designation as a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence from the American Society For Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, and the HealthGrades 2008 Orthopedic Care Excellence Award – marking the fourth year in a row that Mercy’s program received that highest possible rating. Mercy also recently received another full 3-year accreditation and Gold Seal of Approval™ from The Joint Commission, the nation’s predominant standards-setting and accrediting body in health care, as well as Approval With Commendation for its Community Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Program from The Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons.

Mercy’s Bariatric Center offers both Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass (also referred to as Roux-en-Y gastric bypass) which is considered the “Gold Standard” of modern obesity surgery, and Laparoscopic Banding (Adjustable Gastric Band). Both procedures are performed using state-of-the-art laparoscopic techniques with smaller incisions, less post-surgery pain, less time in the hospital, and a faster recovery.

Mercy offers monthly education and informational presentations for individuals who are contemplating bariatric surgery. For more information contact Mercy Medical Center at: 516-62-MERCY. Or visit on line at: http://mercymedicalcenter.chsli.org

HealthGrades’ ratings for bariatric surgery and orthopedics, along with 26 other medical procedures, are published on the Web, free of charge, at www.healthgrades.com.

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Contact: Mel Granick
Phone: (516) 705-2618
e-Mail: Mel.Granick@chsli.org