LIJ Medical Center Gets Gynecology Distinction

LIJ Medical Center recently received the designation of an Academic Center of Excellence by the American Institute of Minimally Invasive Surgery for this type of surgery in gynecologic oncology and gynecology. 

LIJ is the first hospital in New York and the entire Northeast region to achieve this prestigious national designation.

“We’re pleased to receive this accreditation, which has been awarded to only a select group of hospitals across the country that have demonstrated a commitment to providing women with cutting-edge, minimally invasive and robotic surgical gynecologic care," said Chantal Weinhold, executive director of LIJ Medical Center. “It’s a testament to the daily dedication, caring and expertise of our physicians and staff.”

AIMIS is the nation’s pre-eminent educator of advanced surgical techniques for women’s health specialists and recognizes hospitals and clinics that excel and provide leadership in leading-edge surgical techniques. A hospital or surgical center can be recognized as a Center for Excellence once it has combined efforts with an accredited AIMIS surgeon and meets AIMIS standards. Recognized institutions have made minimally invasive surgery a priority, which helps minimize recovery times and provide better patient outcomes.

"I am very proud of LIJ Medical Center, our gynecologists and our gynecological oncologists, who have a  long, proud track record of providing exemplary care to their patients and offering the latest advances in minimally invasive surgery to effectively treat a range of gynecological cancers and benign conditions,” said Diana Contreras, MD, division director of gynecologic oncology at LIJ Medical Center, and director of minimally invasive and robotic in the hospital’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. “As the only hospital in the Northeast to achieve this national designation, LIJ has consistently demonstrated a long-standing commitment to the thousands of women who rely on us for safe, high-quality, state-of-the-art care during an incredibly difficult time in their lives.”

Every year, LIJ Medical Center’s Division of Gynecologic Oncology receives more than 3,000 patient visits, while performing about 500 gynecological oncology surgeries. The hospital’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology also performs about 2,500 gynecological procedures annually.

Minimally invasive surgery, whether laparoscopic or robotically assisted, is advancing healthcare for women by providing doctors new tools to accomplish the same goals as they would with traditional open surgery. Most patients who undergo minimally invasive procedures experience less pain and blood loss, decreased scarring, fewer complications, faster recovery and a decreased length of hospital stay.

AIMIS teaches and supports minimally invasive gynecological and urogynecological surgical methods while improving patient outcomes through advanced surgical techniques. The organization brings together hospitals, surgeons, clinics, medical technology companies, the insurance industry and patients by providing a platform to deliver advanced surgical procedures that improve health care for women of all ages.

To contact LIJ’s Ann and Jules Gottlieb Women’s Comprehensive Health Center at 1554 Northern Blvd., Manhasset, call 516-390-9242. To learn more about North Shore-LIJ’s minimally invasive and robotic surgery capabilities, go to: www.northshorelij.com/wh/wh-our-services/wh-min-inv-robotic-surgery.