Leading the Way in Cardiac Catheterization

According to the State's 2001 figures (the latest year for which figures are available), Winthrop was ranked first in the State for having a risk-adjusted mortality rate significantly below the statewide rate for all percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI)*, cases including the most critical emergent cases.

The risk-adjusted mortality rate was used in the State report as a measure of quality of care provided by hospitals and cardiologists. "We are proud of our statistics, but especially of our entire cardiology team," said Daniel P. Walsh, President & CEO of Winthrop-University Hospital.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in New York State, and one of the most common procedures performed on patients with coronary heart disease is PCI. Typically with PCI, a balloon catheter is threaded up to the site of the blockage in an artery in the heart, and is then inflated to push arterial plaque against the wall of the artery to create a wider channel in the artery.

"These excellent outcomes are attributable to our experienced, dedicated staff, and the comprehensive program we have worked diligently to assemble," said Kevin Marzo, MD, Chief, Division of Cardiology. Dr. Marzo and his team of interventional cardiologists at Winthrop were one of the first on Long Island to utilize the new FDA approved drug-releasing stent to keep heart arteries open following angioplasty procedures.

Tops for Open Heart Surgery

Winthrop was also one of only two hospitals in New York State with the lowest risk-adjusted mortality rates for cardiac surgery, according to the State Health Department's most recent findings. Statistics released by the State indicate that in 2000, the latest year for which figures are available, Winthrop was the only hospital on Long Island that had a significantly lower risk-adjusted mortality rate than the State average. The statistics rank New York State hospitals in terms of mortality rates following coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG), one of the more commonly performed open-heart procedures.

Risk-adjusted mortality rates use a formula to compensate for acuity of patients' conditions. This helps to create a level playing field for those hospitals that operate on higher risk patients, including patients who are more critically ill, elderly, or have other serious medical conditions that might impact on their ability to recover from open-heart surgery.

In addition, since Winthrop's expected mortality rate (EMR) data is the second highest and includes some of the most difficult cases, (the sum of the predicted probabilities of death for all patients divided by the number of patients), these results are significant.

"Winthrop's tradition of providing high quality cardiac care is a top priority to our patients," said Scott Schubach, MD, Chairman of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery at Winthrop. "That is why we recently opened our new state-of-the-art, comprehensive heart surgery center and are building a fourth open heart operating room."

Dr. Schubach continued, "As the only hospital on Long Island with a risk-adjusted mortality rate for cardiac surgery significantly below the statewide average, we are pleased to be recognized as a leading heart surgery center."

For more information on the groundbreaking work being performed in Winthrop's Institute for Heart Care, call 1-800-443-2788 or visit www.winthrop.org.

* PCI is most commonly known as angioplasty.