Press releases

Released October 9, 2003
Yale-New Haven Hospital news release

The Westerly Hospital and Yale-New Haven Heart Center collaborate to improve access to cardiac services

For more information, contact David Tranchida at 401-348-2300 or Mark D'Antonio at 203-688-2493.

The official opening this week of a diagnostic cardiac catheterization lab at The Westerly Hospital represents a significant evolution in local access to advanced medical services.

Commonly known as a cath lab, this new service - a procedure vital to diagnosing cardiac illnesses - is a result of The Westerly Hospital's long-range strategic plan, its association with the Yale New Haven Health System, and a groundswell of community support for the addition of such a program on the local level. Prior to the addition of this service at The Westerly Hospital, patients had to be transported to other facilities for the procedure.

Leaders of The Westerly Hospital and Yale-New Haven Heart Center gathered to celebrate the opening of the facility. The first procedure was performed September 23 and several more have been performed since.

"With the addition of a cath lab, we can now offer rapid cardiac diagnoses to the residents of southern Rhode Island and southeastern Connecticut," said Michael K. Lally, president and chief executive officer of The Westerly Hospital. "The addition of this procedure, combined with the availability of our local cardiologists and the hospital's Cardiac Rehabilitation Program, means that, in many cases, patients will never have to travel out of the community for cardiac services," Lally added.

Westerly-based Heartlab Inc. contributed the digital technology for storing and accessing results from the procedure. Heartlab's Digitial Image Management System allows files to be digitally stored, accessed and sent to physicians and other hospitals, such as the Yale-New Haven Heart Center. This system, patented by Heartlab and used in top cardiology centers worldwide, eliminates the need for film records, thus greatly increasing storage capabilities and accessibility.

Physicians and staff of Yale-New Haven Heart Center are providing clinical oversight and training for staff of The Westerly Hospital facility. Patients found to have coronary disease warranting intervention can choose to be transferred to Yale-New Haven Heart Center or another facility.

"We are enthusiastic about the opportunities this more structured collaboration will provide," said Kyle Kramer, executive director of the Yale-New Haven Heart Center. "When our ability to diagnose cardiac disease is improved, it often results in more and better treatment options. I suspect people will seek out a diagnosis more promptly now that a cath lab is available in their neighborhood. And once they have a diagnosis, we look forward to working with Westerly cardiologists to bring the best in evidence-based therapies to their patients."

Westerly cardiologist Howard L. Haronian will perform the catheterizations along with cardiologists Steven Fera and John Murphy of Wakefield. "With the opening of our own cath lab, we will be able to effectively diagnose patients with coronary disease without having to send them to another facility," said Dr. Haronian, who is Director of Cardiology Services at The Westerly Hospital and also practices at the Yale-New Haven Heart Center.

Mary Slattery, RN, nurse manager of The Westerly Hospital cath lab, will provide administrative and clinical leadership. Slattery will be assisting physicians during catheterizations and notes that the accessibility should make local residents feel better about undergoing the procedure when recommended by a physician. "Opening this lab means more than improved access to care," stated Slattery. "It means residents from throughout the region can feel more comfortable undergoing a cath because they won't automatically have to go to Providence or New Haven for the procedure. Their family and primary care physician are right here for consultation if necessary, and we find this to be very reassuring for patients," Slattery said.

"The Westerly Hospital has enjoyed a very positive collaboration with the Yale New Haven Health System," said Westerly Hospital President and CEO Lally. "We look forward to this being the first of many novel collaborations to benefit the citizens of Westerly and surrounding communities."

Yale-New Haven Hospital is a 944-bed, not-for-profit hospital serving as the primary teaching hospital for the Yale School of Medicine. Yale-New Haven was founded as the fourth voluntary hospital in the U.S. in 1826 and today, the hospital complex includes Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital and Yale-New Haven Psychiatric Hospital, with a combined medical staff of about 2,400 university and community physicians practicing in more than 100 specialties.

Reporters: For more information, call 203-688-2493 or E-mail Mark D'Antonio.

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