Northern Westchester, Phelps hospitals honored 

Phelps Hospital
Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco and Phelps Hospital in Sleepy Hollow – both part of Northwell Health, were recently cited for their accomplishments. Photograph courtesy Northwell Health.

Phelps Hospital, part of Northwell Health, is the first and only emergency department in Westchester County to be recognized by the New York State Department of Health as an Always Ready for Children (ARC) hospital. The pediatric emergency recognition program underscores a hospital’s preparedness and commitment to providing exceptional care to children in the emergency room. 

Phelps received the highest level within the ARC designation – Pediatric Innovator. To reach this level, a hospital must score above 80 on the National Pediatric Readiness Project (NPRP) assessment, identify a pediatric emergency care coordinator to ensure ongoing readiness and be willing to share best practices and resources with other hospitals. 

“We are thrilled to be recognized for our emergency department’s expertise in caring for children when they’re most vulnerable,” said Jessica Cooper Foltin, M.D., FAAP, chief of pediatric emergency medicine and hospital-based pediatrics at Phelps Hospital. “We have an outstanding team of clinical and support staff who are highly trained and credentialed to care for children of all ages, from newborns and toddlers to adolescents and young adults.” 

Phelps’s ARC designation comes at a time when access to emergency pediatric care across the nation has become more limited. The latest statistics reveal that even though children account for approximately a quarter of all emergency visits in the U.S., 85%  are treated in non-pediatric emergency rooms, which are often not optimally prepared to care for youngsters. According to a recent National Pediatric Readiness Project assessment, the median pediatric readiness score for U.S. emergency departments was just 69.5 out of 100. 

The ARC program was created in June 2023 and is managed by the EMS for Children State Partnership Programs (EMSC) with support from the Health Resources and Services Administration and the EMSC Innovation and Improvement Center. 

Phelps is nationally recognized for emergency care. Earlier this month, the emergency department received the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) Lantern Award demonstrating its commitment to quality, safety and an exceptional work environment. 

In addition to Phelps, Northwell Health’s North Shore University Hospital (NSUH) and Cohen Children’s Medical Center were also recognized as ARC Pediatric Innovators.  

Moreover, NSUH lead the way as seven Northwell Health hospitals combined to earn top 50 national rankings in 30 adult medical specialties – 11 of them rated top 20 programs –  in U.S. News & World Report’s 2024-25 Best Hospital rankings, making Northwell the most awarded health system in New York state two years in a row. Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco ranked 46th nationally in pulmonology. (See our related story here.) https://westfaironline.com/latest-news/northwell-health-introduces-new-members-of-its-local-leadership-team/ 

 “I’ve seen the expertise and sheer willpower that our team members exhibit each and every day, first as leader of Lenox Hill Hospital and now overseeing an entire health system,” said Jill Kalman, M.D., executive vice president and chief medical officer at Northwell. “The U.S. News specialty rankings bear that out. From cancer and cardiology to orthopedics and urology, no health system in the region is more awarded based on the scope and quality of the work our hospitals deliver.” 

Northwell Health was recently named one of the Best Workplaces in New York 2024 by Fortune magazine. As New York’s largest health-care provider and private employer, Northwell was the only integrated health system in the state to make the list. In addition, Modern Healthcare named Northwell one of the 2024 Best Places to Work in Healthcare while the system was named a national leader in LGBTQ+ inclusiveness by the 2024 Healthcare Equality Index, compiled by the Human Rights Campaign.  

This marks the 35th anniversary of U.S. News’ Best Hospitals rankings. Its methodologies in most areas of care are based largely on objective measures such as risk-adjusted survival and discharge-to-home rates, volume and quality of nursing, among other care-related indicators. U.S. News evaluated nearly 4,500 medical centers nationwide in 15 specialties to compile its 2024-2025 rankings. Only 160 U.S. hospitals were ranked in at least one specialty. 

“Providing an amazing patient experience is the ultimate goal at all of our Northwell hospitals and the latest U.S. News Best Hospitals list shows just how dedicated we are at making it happen,” said Michael Dowling, Northwell’s president and CEO. “Our culture of caring and education begins with our staff and extends to the patients and their loved ones. This health-care journey takes a village to heal and its impact continues long after someone is discharged. The goal is to raise the health of the communities we serve in proactive, lasting and meaningful ways.” 

Visit U.S. News’ website for the full Best Hospitals 2024-2025 rankings.