Peconic Bay Medical Center Prepares to Open Cardiac Cath Lab

Physicians, nurses and other clinical staff at Peconic Bay Medical Center (PBMC) have undergone final simulation training as the hospital prepares to open its new cardiac catheterization laboratory on Monday, October 16. The new facility provides ready access to advanced artery-opening techniques for a quarter-million East End residents who previously would have had to travel long distances for the life-saving procedures.

“The opening of our cath labs marks a major milestone in the transformation of health care quality for our region,” said Andrew J. Mitchell, president and CEO of Peconic Bay Medical Center. “For too long, the East End has been isolated from this kind of life-saving medical technology. In situations like a heart attack, when every minute counts, East End residents have had to travel farther for interventional cardiology services than any other residents of the Tri-State area.”

Staff from Northwell Health’s Center for Learning and Innovation led simulation training, which included programs to replicate real-life cardiac scenarios that challenged the team to respond with timeliness, teamwork and clinical excellence, with the ultimate goal of providing the best patient outcome.

“The opportunity to bring cath lab services to the East End is deeply satisfying and a great honor for our entire staff,” said Susan Somerville, RN, PBMC Vice President of Clinical Transformation. “With the opening of our first catheterization suite, we will be providing diagnostic as well as interventional coronary angiography and stent placement for elective, urgent and emergency-level patients. This will finally give East End residents local access to life-saving interventional cardiology services on a 24/7 basis.”

Stanley Katz, MD, chief of cardiology at PBMC, heads the hospital’s team of three interventional cardiologists, including Steven Lederman, MD, and Louis Heller, MD. With a support staff of 20 highly trained nurses, physician assistants and lab techs, the new cath lab is prepared to provide immediate interventional cardiac care to heart attack victims in medical emergencies on a 24-hour basis. The lab will also provide a wide range of diagnostic capabilities for cardiac patients on an elective basis by appointment.

“We are already the only North Fork medical center that serves as both a Level III trauma center and a New York State-designated stroke center,” said Jean M. Cacciabaudo, MD, the hospital’s Medical Director, who is also a cardiologist. “Supported by Northwell Health’s SkyHealth emergency helicopter transport system, this is the first cardiac-focused emergency care of its kind available on the East End.”

The new cath lab will be housed on an interim basis in one of the ultra-modern operating suites of Peconic Bay Medical Center’s Kanas Center for Advanced Surgery, and staffed by an expert team of interventional cardiologists who will be working with highly specialized and experienced registered nurses and cardiovascular technologists.

The cath lab is slated to move to a permanent location in the new Kanas Regional Heart Center in PBMC’s new $65 million critical care tower, which is currently under construction. The new facility will include an expanded emergency department and stroke center along with two additional cath labs, as well as an electrophysiology lab and a comprehensive array of cardiac services.

The largest hospital on Long Island’s East End, PBMC is part of Northwell Health, the state’s largest health care provider.