In September 1997, University Hospital and Medical Center (i.e., our cardiac surgery program, which performs the only open-heart surgery in Suffolk County) was officially ranked in the top group of the New York State Department of Health's listing of hospitals statewide that are licensed to perform heart bypass surgery. Of the 18 Long Island and New York City hospitals that perform these open heart operations, we are ranked fifth. Statewide among 31 hospitals, we are ranked in eleventh place. Hospitals were ranked by their risk-adjusted mortality rates per 100 bypass operations in 1995.