By: Robert Remler
A team of interventional cardiologists at Winthrop-University Hospital has become one of the first on Long Island to utilize the new Food and Drug Administration-approved drug-releasing stent to keep heart arteries open following angioplasty procedures.Kevin Marzo, MD, acting chief of Winthrop's Department of Cardiology, was one of the first Long Island physicians to insert one of the newly approved drug-coated stents into a patient. In less that 24 hours, Winthrop's team of interventional cardiologists had deployed 15 of these much-anticipated stents into their patients. "This breakthrough technology promises to dramatically improve outcomes for many thousands of heart patients undergoing angioplasty and stent placement as a treatment for their coronary artery disease," said Marzo. Heart disease is due to the narrowing of the coronary arteries, reducing the amount of blood that reaches the heart muscles, often leading to symptoms of angina. If the artery becomes completely blocked, a heart attack will result. One way to treat a narrowed artery is to reopen it using a tiny balloon, a surgical technique called angioplasty - and then hold it open with a tiny wire mesh tube called a stent. By coating the stent in a drug that will prevent the overgrowth of cells lining blood vessels and discourage the formation of scar tissue near the stent, the device is expected to revolutionize treatment of coronary artery disease and significantly cut the rate of artery re-narrowing, or restenosis, following angioplasty procedures."Patients who receive this new stent will need fewer repeat surgeries," Marzo said. "And the reduced risk of recurrence will allow cardiologists to treat many blockages that are currently not easily treated."For more information, contact Winthrop-University Hospital's Department of Cardiology in the Institute of Heart care at (516) 663-2396.
'Osteoporosis: Prevention & Treatment'
After the age of 30, women slowly begin losing bone density. If bone loss becomes severe, osteoporosis may result, leading to thinning bones that can easily fracture. However, steps can be taken to prevent or deter the condition. Women can learn how to protect themselves at Winthrop-University Hospital's free lecture, "Osteoporosis: Prevention & Treatment," on Wednesday, May 28. The program will begin with registration at 6:45 p.m., followed by the lecture at 7, at Winthrop's Community Outreach Center, 101 Mineola Blvd. in Mineola, at the corner of Second Street. Parking and the entrance are available in the rear of the building. Seating is limited and reservations are required. To register, call 1-888-53-WOMEN.Two of Winthrop's experts in the field of osteoporosis, Jane Moore, RN, MA, CCRC, clinical research coordinator of the Bone Mineral Research Center, and Linda Radler, MPA, PT, director of physical therapy, will discuss the latest advances in the treatment of the disease. The discussion will include information about new medications and current research, as well as the benefits of proper body mechanics, posture and weight bearing exercises. A question and answer period will follow the lecture.The Women's Health Forum is a community health education program coordinated by Women's Health Services, part of Winthrop's Institute for Family Care.
Free skin cancer screening
Mercy Medical Center will be conducting a free skin cancer screening for community residents. Mercy physicians will do the screenings on Saturday, May 31, from 9 a.m. to noon in the St. Anne's Center on the Mercy campus. Skin cancer is the most common of all cancers. Most cases are highly curable; however, the most serious form, melanoma, can be deadly. This year, more than 53,000 people are expected to be diagnosed with melanoma, and more than 7,000 will die. Individuals with light skin, a personal or family history of melanoma, moles and freckles, or a history of severe sunburn early in life are at the highest risk. The free skin cancer screening is by appointment only. Appointments can be scheduled by calling (516) 705-1391 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Award for North Shore
As a result of its leadership in the latest healthcare technologies, the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System won an award at this year's Long Island Software Awards competition, held at the Long Island Technology Center in Great River on May 6.The health system won for its NS-LIJ HealthPort, which brings vital patient data from disparate systems to the doctor's fingertips with just a few clicks of a mouse. HealthPort's clinical browser brings critical patient information to physicians in real time, thanks to a series of complex computer interfaces and a clinical data warehouse. HealthPort, developed in conjunction with Perot Systems, also provides physicians with business and industry news through its Intranet. North Shore-LIJ is one of the few winners that is an end-user, rather than an information technologies provider. "The award is very exciting to us, because health-care organizations typically are not associated with innovative software developments, but that is exactly what we have created with HealthPort," said Rick Carney, North Shore-LIJ's chief information officer. "As we move to provide greater amounts of technology to our physicians and health-care providers, HealthPort will become even more important as our clinical systems strategies are implemented."
