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Peconic Bay rated 5 stars by U.S. News & World Report

NEWS-REVIEW FILE PHOTO | Peconic Bay Medical Center had a strong showing in the Consumer Reports study on patient safety that was released this week.
NEWS-REVIEW FILE PHOTO | Peconic Bay Medical Center’s Skilled Nursing Facility received a five-star rating from U.S. News & World Report.

Peconic Bay Medical Center’s Skilled Nursing Facility received a top rating in U.S. News & World Report’s annual “Best Nursing Homes” rankings.

The 60-bed facility, located on Peconic Bay Medical Center’s grounds in Riverhead, received a five-star rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), which sets and enforces standards for nursing homes enrolled in Medicare or Medicaid.

Using CMS information, U.S. News & World Report ranks nursing homes according to their overall performance in health inspections, nurse staffing and quality of medical care, according to the report.

Only 18 percent of all nursing homes in New York earned an overall five-star rating, according to the U.S. News & World Report’s website. Two facilities in Greenport earned five-star ratings as well: San Simeon by the Sound and Peconic Landing.

“The 5-Star rating is a validation of what we already know — the staff of our skilled nursing facility delivers superb care and services, treating our patients like family,” said Gerry Zunno, PBMC Health’s Chief Nursing Officer and Senior Vice President for Patient Care Services, in a release.

According to the U.S. News & World Report study, the facility’s patients received a daily average of 161 minutes of nursing care from registered and licensed nursing professionals, much higher than the state average of 92 minutes and 68 percent more than the national average for nursing homes.

The facility’s physical therapy staff spends 22 minutes on average with patients, more than three times the state average of six minutes, according to the study.

“This is truly an honor our entire team can be proud of,” said Ronald R. McManus, PBMC Health Senior Vice President, who is the chief administrator for the facility. “They all care deeply about the comfort and safety of the patients. We have a lot of highly trained and dedicated professionals here, but the one thing they have in common is an outstanding level of compassion.”

The PBMC Skilled Nursing Facility provides short-term rehabilitation as well as long-term care, palliative care and end-of-life care, according to its website.

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