Until now, the procedure, which unblocks clogged arteries in the heart and often makes invasive surgery unnecessary, had been conducted on an elective basis only at hospitals with full cardiac surgical programs. However, South Nassau has already performed hundreds of angioplasties on an emergency basis through its participation in C-PORT (Cardiovascular Patient Outcomes Research Team), a Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health System multi-hospital, national study. The study demonstrates that hospitals without
open-heart surgical programs can perform angioplasty as safely and
effectively as hospitals that do perform open heart surgery.
South Nassau is one of just five hospitals without an open-heart surgical program and approved by the New York State Department of Health to perform elective angioplasty. The others are Southside Hospital in Bay Shore, Elmhurst Hospital in Queens, Park Ridge Hospital in Rochester and Glens Falls Hospital.
In preparation for providing elective angioplasties, South Nassau recently announced that renowned interventional cardiologist Dr. Jason Freeman has joined its cardiology program and cardiac catheterization lab. Dr. Freeman, a specialist in both coronary and peripheral interventional procedures, will serve as director of interventional cardiology. He has been active in research on stenting in acute myocardial infarction as well as peripheral arterial interventions. Dr. Freeman joins a team of interventional cardiologists that has successfully performed thousands of angioplasties and has more than 50 years of combined experience.
The number of angioplasties performed in Nassau County is increasing due to the aging population and the effectiveness of the procedures, especially when combined with drugs. ³As with other advanced health care services, we expect that South Nassau will become a location of choice for elective angioplasty and that the experience of our patients in terms of safety, outcome, comfort and convenience will be outstanding,² said Dr. Freeman.
For more information about elective angioplasty or South Nassau¹s cardiac catheterization lab, call 1-877-South-Nassau.
NUMC support staff honored
Members of the support services department of Nassau University Medical Center (NUMC) in East Meadow were recently recognized during a luncheon sponsored during Support Services Month. Stephen Suspenski, fifth from left, vice
president of support services at NUMC, joined in the celebration and thanked the laundry and housekeeping employees for their hard work and commitment to the success of the hospital. The recognized employees are, from left, Nadia Bahoui, Maria Lavrado, Rosa Reis, Carmelina Rodrigues, Suspenski, Maria Silva, Carmen Orozco, housekeeping department supervisor, Rosa Simoes, Maria Gomes, Olivia Portela and Natalia Nazarios.
