Northern Westchester Hospital will open its highly anticipated comprehensive Cardiac Catheterization Lab on September 2nd, providing state-of-the-art interventional cardiology services to residents of Westchester, Putnam and Fairfield Counties, who would otherwise have to travel long distances during cardiac events when every second counts.
The Cath Lab will work as an extension of and in conjunction with Lenox Hill Hospital’s cardiac services, providing care for emergency level patients 24-hours a day, seven days a week.
“A cardiac catheterization lab is a specialized area in a hospital where cardiac specialists diagnose and treat coronary artery disease, such as various types of heart attack, using tiny flexible tubes called catheters to access the heart and coronary (heart) blood vessels,” explained Interventional Cardiologist Carl Dietrich Reimers, M.D., FACC, FSCAI, director of the new NWH Cardiac Cath Lab.
Garvey Rene, M.D., FACC, FSCAI of Caremount Medical, is associate director of the Cath Lab.
According to Dr. Reimers, Northern Westchester Hospital’s Cardiac Catheterization Lab will treat patients with coronary artery disease–a narrowing or blockage of arteries carrying oxygenated blood to the heart.
Until now, Northern Westchester Hospital patients who needed cardiac catheterization were taken to Valhalla, New York, or Stamford or Danbury, Connecticut. The new Cath Lab will eliminate the time between an emergency and treatment.
“It is critical to have a catheterization lab in close proximity since the most effective treatment is performed within 90 minutes of the onset of symptoms,” says Dr. Reimers, who is also vice chairman of cardiology at Lenox Hill Hospital and assistant professor of Cardiology at the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell.
“When there is a blockage in the artery, the heart begins to suffocate from the lack of oxygen. However, if treated promptly, the damage can be reversed.
“When someone experiences chest pain and calls 911, the goal is to diagnose the patient, bring them to the catheterization lab and perform the procedure all within 90 minutes,” he added.
This new location eliminates delays in care that may come along with being transported to a location outside of Northern Westchester.
“The new Cath Lab will be vital to elevating the level of care that patients can receive right in the community,” said Dr. Reimers. “All of the physicians covering the Cath Lab also rotate at Lenox Hill to ensure seamless care for patients who require more complex procedures.”
Northern Westchester Hospital and Lenox Hill Hospital are both a part of New York State’s largest healthcare system, Northwell Health. A benefit of being a part of this network is the collaboration that exists between hospitals and facilities across the system.
All of the nurses preparing to work in Northern Westchester Hospital’s Cath Lab are trained in critical care medicine and have experience working in intensive care units. To build the team’s experience, the nursing team trained at two of Northwell’s facilities on Long Island. Additionally, Dr. Reimers said, four techs all trained at Lenox Hill Hospital to get hands-on experience prior to the lab opening.
Healthgrades ranked the cardiac program at Lenox Hill Hospital among the top 5% for six consecutive years. Additionally, Lenox Hill Hospital was one of the first hospitals in New York City to open a cardiac catheterization lab. In 1938, the first angiocardiography in the United States was performed at Lenox Hill Hospital, and in 1967, Lenox Hill Hospital opened the first cardiac care unit in the New York metropolitan area.
The collaboration between Northern Westchester Hospital and Lenox Hill Hospital will allow doctors, nurses and staff to discuss difficult scenarios.
“We will be available 24/7, 365 days a year to handle all cardiac emergencies,” said
Dr. Reimers. “We believe Northern Westchester Hospital’s Cardiac Cath Lab will save lives.”
For more information, please visit:nwhc.net/blog/CardiacCathLab