The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) employs a star rating system to rate the quality of acute care hospitals that treat Medicare and Medicaid participants. This rating methodology analyzes hospital-submitted data on various quality metrics, calculates a standardized score for each measure, and then consolidates the scores into a unified overall quality rating on a 1 to 5-star scale, with 5-stars being the best score on the scale. Specific metrics analyzed for acute care hospitals include mortality, the timeliness of care, patient safety, readmission rates, and patient experience.  As of September 7, 2025, only fifteen (15) acute care hospitals in the state of Ohio earned a CMS five-star quality rating.  Alphabetically listed, here are the five-star quality acute care hospitals in Ohio as rated by CMS:

Five-Star Quality Acute Care Hospitals in Ohio

1. Christ Hospital
   Location:  Cincinnati
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2. Cincinnati VA Medical Center
   Location:  Cincinnati
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3. Cleveland Clinic
   Location:  Cleveland
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4. Cleveland Clinic Avon Hospital

   Location:  Avon

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5. Crystal Clinic Orthopaedic Center

   Location:  Akron

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6. Fairview Hospital

   Location:  Cleveland

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7. Hillcrest Hospital       

   Location:  Mayfield Heights

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8. Holzer Medical Center Jackson

   Location:  Jackson

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9. Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center

   Location:  Cleveland

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10. Marymount Hospital

    Location:  Garfield Heights

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11. McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital
    Location:  Oxford
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12. Medina Hospital

    Location:  Medina

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13. Memorial Hospital
    Location:  Marysville
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14. Mercy Allen Hospital  
    Location:  Oberlin
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15. Mercy Health Urbana Hospital
    Location:  Urbana
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The CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) employs a star rating system for gauging the overall quality of acute care hospitals that service Medicare and Medicaid participants. This rating methodology involves examining hospital-submitted data on assorted quality metrics, calculating a standardized score for each measure, and then aggregating the scores into an all-embracing overall quality rating on a 1 to 5-star scale, with 5-stars being the scale's highest score. Specific metrics examined for acute care hospitals include the timeliness of care, readmission rates, patient experience, patient safety, and mortality.  As of September 1, 2025, only ten currently active acute care hospitals in the state of Florida earned a CMS five-star quality rating.  Alphabetically listed, here are the CMS five-star quality acute care hospitals in Florida:

CMS Five-Star Quality Acute Care Hospitals in Florida

1. AdventHealth Fish Memorial
   Location:  Orange City
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2. AdventHealth Zephyrhills
   Location:  Zephyrhills
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3. Baptist Medical Center - Nassau
   Location:  Fernandina Beach
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4. Doctors Hospital
   Location:  Coral Gables
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5. Mayo Clinic Hospital

   Location:  Jacksonville

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6. Memorial Hospital Miramar

   Location:  Miramar

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7. Orlando VA Medical Center

   Location:  Orlando

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8. Sarasota Memorial Hospital

   Location:  Sarasota

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9. Viera Hospital

   Location:  Melbourne

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10. West Kendall Baptist Hospital

    Location:  Miami

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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) uses a star rating system for assessing the overall quality of an acute care hospital that treats Medicare and Medicaid enrollees. This rating methodology examines hospital-submitted data on assorted quality metrics, computes a standardized score for each measure, and then aggregates the scores into a unified overall quality rating on a 1 to 5-star scale, with 5-stars being the scale's top score. Specific metrics examined for acute care hospitals include  the timeliness of care, patient safety, readmission rates, patient experience, and mortality.  As of September 1, 2025, only fifteen acute care hospitals in the state of Pennsylvania earned a CMS five-star quality rating.  Listed alphabetically, here are the CMS five-star quality acute care hospitals in Pennsylvania:

Five-Star Quality Acute Care Hospitals in Pennsylvania

1. AHN Wexford Hospital
   Location:  Wexford
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2. Geisinger-Lewistown Hospital
   Location:  Lewistown
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3. Grand View Health
   Location:  Sellersville
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4. Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania 

   Location:  Philadelphia

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5. Lancaster General Hospital

   Location:  Lancaster

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6. Lebanon VA Medical Center

   Location:  Lebanon

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7. Mount Nittany Medical Center

   Location:  State College

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8. Paoli Hospital

   Location:  Paoli

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9. Penn Presbyterian Medical Center

   Location:  Philadelphia

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10. Philadelphia VA Medical Center

    Location:  Philadelphia

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11. St Luke's Hospital - Anderson Campus
    Location:  Easton
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12. St Luke's Hospital Bethlehem

    Location:  Bethlehem

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13. Wellspan Evangelical Community Hospital
    Location:  Lewisburg
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14. Wellspan Good Samaritan Hospital
    Location:  Lebanon
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15. Wilkes Barre VA Medical Center
    Location:  Wilkes Barre
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The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) latest occupational employment data reported nearly 41,000 optometrists at work in the United States as of May 2024.  At that time, just over 6,000 optometrists were employed in the five-state Great Lakes region. BLS data shows the region to be a modestly weak one for optometrist pay.  Only one state in the region, Wisconsin, produced an annual mean wage level for optometrists that topped the national average. A deeper look into BLS data from May 2024 details the following about optometrist pay in the Great Lakes region:

Optometrist Pay in the Great Lakes Region

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
IL	1,670	$134,250	28th
IN	960	$133,060	30th
MI	1,330	$133,610	29th
OH	1,450	$131,550	34th
WI	750	$141,570	20th
U.S.	40,900	$137,190	-------

(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states and the District of Columbia

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on September 16, 2025

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) utilizes a star rating system to gauge the quality of of more than 4,000 acute care hospitals that treat Medicare and Medicaid enrollees. This rating methodology analyzes hospital-reported data on multiple quality metrics, including mortality, the timeliness of care, patient safety, readmission rates, and patient experience.  The CMS employs a multi-step analytical process to calculate a standardized score for each measure, then aggregates the scores into an all-embracing quality rating on a 1 to 5-star scale, with 5-stars being the highest score on the scale. Based on this analysis, as of September 13, 2025, only six (6) acute care hospitals in the state of Michigan earned a five-star quality rating from the CMS.  Listed alphabetically, here are the hospitals rated by the CMS as five-star quality acute care hospitals in Michigan:

CMS Five-Star Quality Acute Care Hospitals in Michigan

1. Dingell VA Medical Center
   Location:  Detroit
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2. Holland Community Hospital
   Location:  Holland
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3. Iron Mountain VA Medical Center

   Location:  Iron Mountain

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4. MyMichigan Medical Center Alpena

   Location:  Alpena

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5. Corewell Health Butterworth ( formerly Spectrum Health)

   Location:  Grand Rapids

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6. VA Ann Arbor Healthcare
   Location:  Ann Arbor
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Speech Language Pathologist Pay in the U.S. Southwest

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) recently published reports indicating that nearly 174,000 speech-language pathologists (SLPs) were working in the United States as of May 2024. More than 24,500 of those employed as SLPs lived in the four-state Southwest region of the country. The Southwest region performed relatively well, with all states but one—Oklahoma—reporting annual mean wages above the national average. New Mexico, specifically, ranked in the top ten. An examination of BLS data from May 2024 reveals the following about speech-language pathologist pay in the U.S. Southwest:

Speech Language Pathologist Pay in the U.S. Southwest

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
AZ	2,830	$98,390	15th
NM	1,040	$106,280	6th
OK	2,040	$87,210	28th
TX	18,600	$94,850	18th
U.S.	173,910	$91,089	-------

(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states and the District of Columbia

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on September 12, 2025

Clinical Lab Tech Pay in New England

More than 337,000 clinical laboratory technologists and technicians were employed in the United States as of May 2024 according to data released earlier this summer by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).  Just over 20,000 clinical lab techs were employed in the six-state New England region.  For clinical lab techs, New England is one of the best in the nation in terms of pay.  The average annual mean wage for clinical lab techs in every state in the region is near or above the national average. Moreover, four states in the region rank in the top 10 nationally for clinical lab tech annual mean wages.  BLS data from May 2024 reveals the following about clinical lab tech pay in New England:

Clinical Lab Tech Pay in New England

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
CT	3,850	$75,690	8th
MA	12,780	$72,960	11th
ME	1,240	$66,540	20th
NH	650	$78,350	5th
RI	1,130	$82,450	2nd
VT	490	$76,110	7th
U.S.	337,740	$65,012	-------

(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states and the District of Columbia

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on September 11, 2025

The CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) operates a star rating system to appraise the quality of of more than 4,000 acute care hospitals that serve Medicare and Medicaid participants. This rating methodology involves assessing hospital-reported data on assorted quality metrics, including mortality, patient safety, readmission rates, the timeliness of care, and patient experience.  The CMS utilizes a multi-step analytical process to compute a standardized score for each measure, then consolidates the scores into a unified quality rating on a 1 to 5-star scale, with 5-stars being the top the scale. Based on this assessment, as of September 11, 2025, only eight (8) acute care hospitals in the state of North Carolina earned a five-star quality rating from the CMS.  Listed alphabetically, here are the hospitals rated by the CMS as five-star quality acute care hospitals in North Carolina:

Five-Star Quality Acute Care Hospitals in North Carolina

1. Asheville VA Medical Center
   Location:  Asheville
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2. Davie Medical Center
   Location:  Bermuda Run
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3. Duke University Hospital

   Location:  Durham

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4. ECU Health Bertie Hospital

   Location:  Windsor

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5. Pardee Hospital Henderson County

   Location:  Hendersonville

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6. UNC Rex Hospital
   Location:  Raleigh
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7. UNC Hospitals
   Location:  Chapel Hill
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8. WakeMed, Cary Hospital
   Location:  Cary
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Family Medicine Physician Pay in the Far West

Recently released data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) put family medicine physician employment in the United States at just over 104,700 as of May 2024. More than 22,840 family medicine physicians were working in the six-state Far West region. A look at BLS data reveals a wide pay disparity for family medicine physicians across the region. Two states in the Far West reported annual mean wages for family medicine physicians that fell below the national average, while three states came in above. Notably, Alaska ranked among the top ten states nationwide for annual mean wages in the field. Data for Nevada & Hawaii was incomplete due to a reporting error. A closer examination of May 2024 BLS data provides the following details about family medicine physician pay in the Far West region:

Family Medicine Physician Pay in the Far West

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
AK	650	$286,990	9st
CA	18,640	$257,060	22nd
HI	N/A	$209,870	47th
NV	360	N/A	N/A
OR	1,770	$250,080	24th
WA	1,420	$226,040	39th
U.S.	104,780	$253,047	-------

(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states and the District of Columbia

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on September 8, 2025

The CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) employs a star rating system to assess the quality of more than 4,000 acute care hospitals that treat Medicaid and Medicare participants. This rating methodology analyzes hospital-submitted data on assorted quality metrics, calculates a score for each measure, and then aggregates the scores into a unified quality rating on a 1 to 5-star scale, with 5-stars being the top score on the scale. The particular metrics examined for acute care hospitals include mortality, the timeliness of care, patient safety, readmission rates, and patient experience. As of August 30, 2025, only five (5) acute care hospitals in the state of Georgia earned a five-star quality rating from the CMS.  Alphabetically listed, here are the hospitals rated by the CMS as five-star quality acute care hospitals in Georgia:

CMS Five-Star Quality Acute Care Hospitals in Georgia

1. AdventHealth Murray
   Location:  Chatsworth
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2. Houston Healthcare - Emory Hospital Perry
   Location:  Perry
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3. Memorial Health Meadows Hospital

   Location:  Vidalia

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4. Northeast Georgia Medical Center Lumpkin

   Location:  Dahlonega

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5. Piedmont Columbus Regional - Northside

   Location:  Columbus

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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) utilizes a star rating system to appraise the quality of acute care hospitals that treat Medicaid and Medicare enrollees. This rating methodology analyzes collected data on assorted quality measures, computes a score for each measure, and then consolidates the scores into a single, all-embracing quality rating on a 1 to 5-star scale, with 5-stars being the scale's top score. The particular metrics examined for acute care hospitals include the timeliness of care, patient safety, readmission rates, patient experience, and mortality. The data used in the CMS scoring system comes from various reports submitted by participating hospitals.  Only hospitals that submit data used in the CMS quality rating process are eligible for a quality rating.  As of September 5, 2025, only 12 acute care hospitals in the state of Illinois earned a five-star quality rating.  Alphabetically listed, here are the 12 hospitals rated by the CMS as five-star quality acute care hospitals in Illinois:

Five-Star Quality Acute Care Hospitals in Illinois

1. Advocate Sherman Hospital
   Location:  Elgin
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2. Crawford Memorial Hospital
   Location:  Robinson
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3. Jesse Brown VA Medical Center

   Location:  Chicago

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4. NorthShore University HealthSystem - Evanston Hospital

   Location:  Evanston

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5. Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital

   Location:  Lake Forest

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6. Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital

   Location:  Winfield

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7. Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital

   Location:  Geneva

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8. Northwestern Medicine McHenry

   Location:  McHenry

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9. Northwestern Memorial Hospital

   Location:  Chicago

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10. OSF Saint Luke Medical Center
    Location:  Kewanee
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11. Rush University Medical Center

    Location:  Chicago

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12. UChicago Medicine AdventHealth La Grange Hospital
    Location:  La Grange
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As of May 2024, the most current date of occupational employment data available from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the BLS reported dental assistant employment in the United States at nearly 287,800. The five-state Rocky Mountain region accounted for over 11,400 of those dental assistant jobs. However, due to a statewide reporting error, Colorado’s employment and wage data were not available in the May 2024 BLS release. Historically, Colorado has been home to approximately 40% of the region’s dental assistants and has consistently recorded wage levels above the national average for the occupation.

In contrast, the available data show that Idaho and Utah—home to another 49% of the region’s dental assistants—ranked in the bottom ten nationally for dental assistant annual mean wages. A closer look at the May 2024 BLS data reveals the following details about dental assistant pay in the Rocky Mountain region:

Dental Assistant Pay in the Rocky Mountain Region

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
CO	N/A	N/A	N/A
ID	2,860	$42,710	40th
MT	1,540	$45,930	33rd
UT	6,310	$40,260	47th
WY	700	$43,160	38th
U.S.	287,780	$48,225	-------

(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states and the District of Columbia

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on September 2, 2025

The CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) uses a star rating system to measure the overall quality of acute care hospitals that treat Medicare and Medicaid participants. This rating methodology assesses collected data on various quality measures, calculates a score for each measure, and then combines the scores into a single, overall quality rating on a 1 to 5-star scale, with 5-stars being the highest score on the scale. Specific metrics examined for acute care hospitals include patient safety, readmission rates, patient experience, the timeliness of care, and mortality experience. The data used in the CMS scoring system comes from assorted reports submitted by the hospitals themselves.  Only hospitals that provide data used in the CMS quality rating process are eligible for an overall quality rating.  As of September 1, 2025, only 12 acute care hospitals in the state of New York earned a five-star quality rating.  Per CMS analysis, here are the 12 five-star quality acute care hospitals in New York (alphabetically listed):

CMS Five-Star Quality Acute Care Hospitals in New York

1. Hospital for Special Surgery
   Location:  New York City
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2. Mather Hospital
   Location:  Port Jefferson
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3. New York Presbyterian Hospital
   Location:  New York City
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4. Northern Westchester Hospital

   Location:  Mount Kisco

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5. Northwell Hospital Glen Cove

   Location:  Glen Cove

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6. Northwell Huntington Hospital

   Location:  Huntington

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7. NYU Langone Hospitals

   Location:  New York City

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8. St. Anthony Community Hospital

   Location:  Warwick

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9. St. Francis Hospital - the Heart Center

   Location:  Roslyn

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10. VA Hudson Valley Healthcare System

    Location:  Montrose

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11. VA New York Harbor Healthcare - Brooklyn
    Location:  Brooklyn
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12. White Plains Hospital Center

    Location:  White Plains

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