Atlantic Health ’ s Chilton Medical Center Receives Approval to Perform Elective Coronary Angioplasties
Cardiothoracic Surgery Program at Englewood Health Receives Top Score From Society of Thoracic Surgeons
The Valley Hospital Center for Sleep Medicine Receives Re-Accreditation
COVER STORY HEALTH NEWS
Atlantic Health ’ s Chilton Medical Center Receives Approval to Perform Elective Coronary Angioplasties
New cardiac service to benefit patients close tohome
Atlantic Health System ’ s Chilton Medical Center recently announced the launch of its percutaneous coronary intervention ( PCI ) program in its newly enhanced cardiac catheterization lab . The addition of this service allows Chilton to provide more advanced cardiovascular care to better serve the community .
For more than 15 years , the Chilton cardiac catheterization team has performed this life-saving procedure on the most critically ill emergency patients , those suffering aheart attack . Now , with the addition of this new service , Chilton Medical Center will take their skill and expertise and apply it to elective , and non-emergent patients with coronary disease .
“ This approval allows Chilton to provide greater access and more comprehensive cardiovascular care to our patients close to home ,” says Maureen Schneider , PhD , RN , FACHE , Senior Vice President , Atlantic Health System and President , Chilton Medical Center .“ The addition of elective PCI is another step forward to providing a continuity of care from a health team our patients know and trust .”
Cardiothoracic Surgery Program at Englewood Health Receives Top Score From Society of Thoracic Surgeons
PCI is a minimally invasive procedure used to clear ablockage in the arteries that supply theheart muscle with blood . A small balloon is inserted in the artery and frequently a metal stent is left in place to stabilize the vessel . This procedure is frequently performed on patients having heart attacks , or other symptoms of coronary disease such as difficulty breathing or chest pain with activity .
“ Being able to offer elective PCI to our patients without need for transport to another facility is a significant medical advancement for the communities we serve ,” says Lawrence Blitz , MD , interventional cardiologist and Medical Director of the Chilton Medical Center Catheterization Lab . “ Our team at Chilton is highly skilled in providing superior outcomes to ourcardiacpatients , and this capability expands the services we offer , which will ultimately provide a better patient experience for those in need of cardiovascularcare .”
Take Atlantic Health System ’ s 2-minute quiz to learn your risk and protect yourself against heart disease : info . atlantichealth . org / heart-risk-quiz .
The cardiothoracic surgery program at Englewood Health has achieved a three-star rating from TheSociety of Thoracic Surgeons ( STS ) for isolated coronary artery bypassgraft ( CABG ) surgery .
In their 2023 report , STS reported that less than 20 percent of participating programs nationwide received a 3-star rating . Englewood Health is among just six programs in New Jersey to achieve the highest quality rating .
The recently published data covers CABG cases from July 2020 through June 2023 . In addition to the 3-star composite score , the team achieved a near perfect score ( 99.76 ) for medication use . Englewood Health performed better than the STSaverage score in all CABG Composite Quality Rating categories .
“ We extend our congratulations to our dedicatedteam of cardiothoracic surgeons and practitioners , whose remarkable expertise and collaborative efforts consistently achieve the best possible outcomes for our patients ,” says Adam Arnofsky , MD , chief of cardiothoracic surgery . “ Englewood Health ’ s cardiothoracic surgery team is at the forefront of healthcare , employing cutting-edge technologies and advanced surgical techniques to enhance and safeguard the lives of individuals facing heart disease .”
The STS database is the premier cardiothoracic surgery clinical outcomes registry . The STS helps hospitals and CT surgeons assess and benchmark their performance . Englewood Health voluntarily submits CABG surgery clinical data to the STS which calculates performance scores and ratings for isolated CABG using 3-year analytic data windows .
The Valley Hospital Center for Sleep Medicine Receives Re-Accreditation
The Center for Sleep Medicine at The Valley Hospital has recently earned its fourth consecutive Sleep Facility accreditation from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine ( AASM ). This reaccreditation , valid for five years , is the culmination of a rigorous evaluation of the Sleep Center ’ s operations , clinical policies and procedures , and patientsafety .
Sleep facility accreditation includes accreditation for all types of sleep testing . According to the AASM , by successfully completing the accreditation process and upholding the Facility Standards for Accreditation , the Center demonstrates the dedication to further the advancement of the sleep medicine field . This accreditation also demonstrates that Valley ’ s sleep medicine programs continue to meet the highest national standards of quality patient care .
“ Good sleep is an essential component of good health ,” says Jeffrey Barasch , MD , Medical Director of The Valley Hospital Center for Sleep Medicine .“ Sleep disorders are common and when not diagnosed and treated , can lead to serious medical problems and impaired quality of life . We are excited to receive this re-accreditation highlighting our commitment to providing high-quality care to our patients for suchan important aspect of health .”
The Center for Sleep Medicine at The Valley Hospital provides advanced diagnosis and treatment for a variety of sleep disorders and ailments , in patients of any age , including obstructive or central sleep apnea , insomnia , narcolepsy , restless leg syndrome , difficulty falling asleep and / or staying asleep , and more . The Center offers a wide range of in-center and at-home sleep services , including overnight and daytime sleep studies , patient education , home sleep apnea testing , sleep pattern and circadianrhythm monitoring , PAPManagement , andmore .
The Center is also proud to now offer two additional advanced services for evaluating sleep disorders . First , the new Wesper home monitoring system enables longer-term evaluation of sleep apnea over multiple nights in the home setting , enabling better assessment of sleepapnea , whichmay vary from night to night . The second is that the Watch PAT home monitor can now detect certain common cardiac arrhythmias as it evaluates for sleep apnea .
The Center for Sleep Medicine is locatedat 579 Franklin Turnpike in Ridgewood . For more information about the Center or to make an appointment , please visit ValleyHealth . com / Sleep .
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