NUHEALTH BOASTS SUCCESSFUL FIRST 100 IMPLANTABLE CARDIAC DEVICES SINCE ARRHYTHMIA PROGRAM INCEPTION
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 11, 2011
PRESS CONTACT:
Shelley Lotenberg
shelley@numc.edu
516-572-6055
NUHEALTH BOASTS SUCCESSFUL FIRST 100 IMPLANTABLE CARDIAC DEVICES SINCE ARRHYTHMIA PROGRAM INCEPTION
East Meadow, NY… Arthur A. Gianelli, President/CEO of the NuHealth System, congratulated the department of cardiology for news of the successful completion of their first 100 cardiac pacemaker/defibrillator implantations at NUMC. “Cardiology was the first significant regionalized joint-partnership program through our affiliation with North Shore-LIJ Health System – in a very short period of eighteen months, the arrhythmia center has provided over a 100 patients with life-saving devices,” stated Gianelli. “We remember not too long ago when Ms. Anne Marie Ballato, a then pregnant woman from Valley Stream with a severe heart condition known as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, was saved by placement of a implantable defibrillator, as have been countless others, including a young man who presented with cardiac arrest but went home on July 4th 2010, to celebrate his life along with his family. None of this could have been done without the heroism and selfless care of Dr. Erik Altman, an electrophysiologist from the North Shore-LIJ Health System who has been instrumental in the development of our arrhythmia program” exclaimed Gianelli.
Steven J. Walerstein, MD, FACP, NuHealth’s executive vice president for medical affairs and medical director, added, “The landmark of having performed 100 device procedures in our cardiology program is one of which we are very proud. It demonstrates that the goal of bringing state of the art services to our community and our patients is being met. We now provide life saving and life extending interventions which were previously unavailable to all patients, regardless of their insurance status.”
“In an effort to further enhance cardiac services at NUMC, we have hired Alex Vidal, MD, a full-time electrophysiologist from North Shore-LIJ,” explained Sanjay Doddamani, MD, chairman of NUMC’s department of cardiology. “Dr. Vidal brings an expertise in all areas of cardiac electrophysiology including pacemakers and ICD implantation. We are confident that his clinical expertise will be an asset to the already successful cardiac program.”
Dr. Stanley Katz, senior vice-president for cardiovascular services at the North Shore-LIJ Health System, expressed tremendous satisfaction over the unprecedented growth of cardiology at NuHealth System. “NUMC has developed a new reputation for cardiac care, offering exceptional quality in all aspects of general cardiology, arrhythmia and device implantation and a newly introduced heart failure center that will serve the residents of the towns it serves.”
The department of cardiology performs over 6,000 annual imaging studies, including echos and stress tests, sees over 2,000 annual outpatient visits, performs cardiac catheterizations, has established a reputable electrophysiology pacemaker and defibrillator program and now offers a fully operational heart failure program.
About the Arrhythmia Center at NUMC
The Arrhythmia center is located on the 2nd floor of the DCB building at NUMC. Hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Patients with electrical abnormalities of the heart like atrial fibrillation or other rhythm disorders, pacemaker and defibrillator follow-up care or congestive heart failure may seek consultation. The center provides most aspects of electrophysiology diagnostic care with advanced services like cardiac ablation being performed at their partnered program at North Shore University Hospital. Other services include ambulatory Holter, loop implant, device monitoring and pacer checks. The program is supported by Dr. Vidal, physician-assistant Rodlie Jean, PA, MBA and by Mary Eng, electrophysiology nurse. For more information, please call (516) 296-4949 or email meng1@numc.edu
ABOUT NUHEALTH
NuHealth is a Long Island health care organization delivering essential medical care and disease and lifestyle management to everyone at every stage of life. Also known as Nassau Health Care Corporation, NuHealth is a public benefit corporation managing the operations of Nassau Medical Center, A. Holly Patterson Extended Care and a network of Family Health Centers that bring primary and specialty care out into the community. By emphasizing wellness, cultural sensitivity and collaborative efforts with the North Shore-LIJ Health System, NuHealth is working to make good care more affordable and easier to access.
For more information about NuHealth or its Centers of Care, visit www.nuhealth.net.