The Department of Urology is again ranked among the top 50 in the “America’s Best Hospitals” August 2009 issue of U.S.News & World Report. This is the second time SBUMC and the Department has received the distinction as one of the best urology programs nationwide, joining the ranks of institutions such as Johns Hopkins, Cleveland Clinic, and the Mayo Clinic. The 2009-10 listing of America’s Best Hospitals can be found at www.usnews.com/besthospitals
SBUMC was one of only four hospitals highlighted in New York State and the only Long Island hospital so ranked in urology. The program had the second highest survival rate out of the top 50 programs included on the ranking list in that category. The Department was ranked 48th in the 2007 “America’s Best Hospitals” issue.
“Our being named to the top 50 list and our rise to number 32 nationally is a reflection of the high quality of care provided to patients by our doctors, nurses, and clinical support staff,” said Wayne C. Waltzer, professor and chair, who was part of the team that performed the first kidney transplant on Long Island more than 25 years ago. “Our outstanding score in the Mortality Index category was the key component to our high ranking.”
According to U.S.News & World Report, the Mortality Index indicates a hospital’s ability to keep patients alive. An index of 1.00 means the hospital’s number of actual and expected deaths were the same. An index below 1.00 indicates that fewer deaths than expected occurred. The Stony Brook program had an index of 0.23, which was lower than all of the top 10 urology programs nationwide and the other New York State institutions on the list.
Led by Waltzer, SBUMC urology provides sophisticated care for a wide variety of advanced urological problems. With 10 full-time faculty, it comprises the largest urologic practice on Long Island and includes sub-specialty physicians in oncologic urology, pediatric urology, endourology/stone disease, robotics, laparoscopy/minimally invasive surgery, sexual dysfunction, male infertility, female urology/voiding dysfunction, reconstructive surgery, and renal transplantation.
The Department incorporates the use of high-tech instrumentation for diagnostic and surgical care, including the da Vinci® S HD™ Surgical System, purchased by SBUMC in 2007 to enhance the approach to minimally invasive and difficult surgical procedures. The Department also provides a Kidney Transplantation Service that is the most active renal transplant program on Long Island. Approximately 1,100 transplants have been performed since the program began in 1981 under Waltzer. The service is in the top 20 percent of kidney transplant programs nationwide by patient volume.
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