HEALTHCARE
Cardiac Care Roundtable : Advancing New Treatments
Compiled by Diane C . Walsh Editor , COMMERCE
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identifies heart disease as the leading cause of death for men , women , and people of most racial and ethnic groups throughout the United States .
About 697,000 people across the country died from heart disease in 2020 – that ’ s one in every five deaths . Each February the nation turns a spotlight on this No . 1 killer .
President Lyndon Johnson , who was among the millions of Americans who suffered heart attacks , was the first to issue the proclamation making February American Heart Month in 1964 . Since then , it ‘ s a tradition this month to focus on heart health and promote the latest achievements in overcoming the disease .
In New Jersey our leading hospitals are dedicated to cardiac care and advancing better ways to diagnose , treat , and alleviate the suffering from heart disease . COMMERCE Magazine asked them to discuss their latest innovations in care .
Atlantic Health System Linda D . Gillam , MD , MPH , MACC , Dorothy and Lloyd Huck Chair , Medical Director , Cardiovascular Service Line
As the leading provider of advanced cardiac care in our state , Atlantic Health System ’ s Morristown Medical Center continues to develop innovative techniques , forge strategic partnerships , and continue critically important community education and outreach . Our Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute has more than 200 private rooms and we continue to expand our programs both in volume and scope . In electrophysiology , for example , we are working on perfecting a technique called left bundle branch area ( LBBA ) pacing . Potential benefits include improved left ventricular ejection fractions and reductions in end systolic and end diastolic volumes . So far , we have treated more than 200 patients with LBBA pacing and achieved excellent results . Our Heart Failure ( Success ) Program treats all types of heart failure with medications , devices and even heart transplant through our clinical partnership with NYU Langone Health , giving patients in NJ access to a renowned transplant program with the shortest wait list times and the best outcomes in the Northeast . We are proud to continue in our efforts to support educating the public about the importance of learning CPR , and how to use an AED to help save lives .
Bergen New Bridge Medical Center Dr . Irfan M . Admani , MD , FACC Chief of Cardiology
Bergen New Bridge Medical Center provides comprehensive cardiovascular care including diagnostic echocardiography , vascular ultrasound imaging , exercise stress testing and cardiac stress imaging .
The Medical Center has made significant advances in cardiac imaging in recent years , and we look forward to further advancing our imaging with cutting edge technology and remote patient monitoring . Some of the other key advances Bergen New Bridge has made are the implementation of technologically advanced electronic medical records to provide physicians with the necessary metrics to increase value-based care .
The Medical Center will be looking to undertake improvements in chronic care conditions . The treatment of risk factors for coronary artery disease will be a key focus for not only cardiology but all clinicians at the hospital . With the expansion of our bariatric services , medical weight management is another area Bergen New Bridge is targeting for risk factor management .
Centre State Healthcare System employees show off their modern cath lab .
Bergen New Bridge will continue to provide advanced cardiac care to the communities we serve . Our mission is to provide technologically advanced compassionate care to everyone we treat .
CentraState Healthcare System Jatinchandra Patel , DO , Medical Director of the Cardiovascular Interventional Laboratory
CentraState Medical Center is now performing emergency angioplasty , also known as emergency PCI ( percutaneous coronary intervention ). The ability for us to perform emergency PCI locally in Freehold will significantly improve time to treatment , allowing patients who show signs of a heart attack to get immediate care in our new , state-of-the-art catheterization laboratory , rather than transferring to another hospital .
Emergency angioplasty allows us to preserve heart muscle by quickly restoring normal blood flow with a minimally invasive procedure where a thin , flexible catheter is inserted through the wrist or groin and threaded through the arteries of the heart . A balloon is inflated to open the blocked arteries of the heart , and in the majority of cases , stents are inserted . Research has proven that
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