FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PCI, also known as angioplasty, is a minimally invasive procedure performed inside a catheterization laboratory. It is used to diagnose and treat patients with heart disease or blocked heart arteries. A thin catheter is threaded through the body, typically from an artery in the arm, to a blocked vessel in the heart. A diagnosed blockage can be removed, often with a stent that is inserted to restore blood flow within the vessel. Patients treated in the cardiac catheterization laboratory can range from non-emergency cases who are experiencing early heart disease symptoms, to emergency cases who are having a myocardial infarction, or heart attack.
The new data released by the Department of Health reports on the outcomes of patients who were discharged from all 65 statewide cardiac catheterization labs from December 1, 2014, to November 30, 2017. The “Percutaneous Coronary Interventions (PCI) in New York State 2015-2017” report tracked PCI data in overall, non-emergency, and emergency cases, along with individual physicians.
In the report, Pedro R. Moreno, MD, Professor of Medicine (Cardiology) at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Director of Quality Assurance at Mount Sinai Heart, ranked first in safety for all cases combined, meaning that Dr. Moreno had the lowest mortality rates of all interventional cardiologists in New York. Dr. Moreno performed 763 PCI procedures at The Mount Sinai Hospital and Mount Sinai Morningside during this three-year period and achieved a risk-adjusted mortality rate of 0.17 percent, which is 10 times better than the state average of 1.17 percent. Dr. Moreno also received the “two-star” safety rating for the non-emergency PCI category with a risk-adjusted mortality rate of 0.12 percent, compared to the state average of 0.79 percent.
“This achievement is the result of years of intensive work devoted to create a superb and safe environment for PCI, where patients thrive with excellent outcomes,” says Dr. Moreno. “Excellence in interventional cardiology is the rule at Mount Sinai Heart’s catheterization laboratories. The leadership, attending physicians, nurses, and cardiology fellows are focused on quality care and patient protection. We create and constantly update strict, comprehensive, system-wide protocols orchestrated to achieve the best outcome for our patients. Furthermore, the hospital leadership has implemented a firm quality assurance program to guarantee absolute transparency and constant improvement in our care.”
During the three-year period, the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory of Mount Sinai Heart at Mount Sinai Beth Israel (MSBI) was ranked best in the state for achieving higher safety and survival rates than the statewide average for non-emergency PCI cases. It was also one of three hospitals in the state to receive the “two star” safety rating for PCI in the non-emergency category. MSBI’S risk-adjusted mortality rate for all non-emergency cases (0.36 percent) was significantly lower than the statewide average (0.79 percent). “This recognition highlights our strength, which has always been the staff, starting with a small and close-knit group of interventional attending physicians who work together sharing ideas, skill sets, and commitment to delivering high-quality and appropriate care. Our nurses and techs create the backbone of assuring this exemplary care is delivered to each heart patient for best possible outcomes,” says John Fox, MD, Director of the MSBI Cardiac Catheterization Lab. “Our lab comprises a group of people that form a working family, fostering one of the best environments for teaching fellows and safely helping people with complex medical problems.”
Additionally, the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory of Mount Sinai Heart at The Mount Sinai Hospital was awarded the “two star” safety rating for low hospital readmissions following PCI in 2017. This award measures the number of patients who don’t return to the hospital within 30 days after emergency and non-emergency cases. The Mount Sinai Hospital’s “Risk-Adjusted Readmission Rate” is among the lowest in the state (6.46 percent of patients), and significantly lower than New York’s average of 8.95 percent. The Mount Sinai Hospital had the highest volume of PCI cases for this three-year period and its catheterization lab was one of six to receive this prestigious ranking for low readmissions.
“This is a great achievement for The Mount Sinai Hospital’s Cardiac Catherization Laboratory and our interventional cardiac patients. This new safety rating for significantly low readmission rates should reassure our interventional patients, given that repeat hospital admission could be injurious to health and takes a toll on people’s daily lives,” said Annapoorna Kini, MD, Director of the Cardiac Catherization Lab at The Mount Sinai Hospital.
“These new rankings uphold the fact that Mount Sinai Health System’s Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories have been treating our interventional patients with utmost care and success. This results in good outcomes, including significant low mortality and 30-day readmission rates and our patients can be reassured that they are getting the safest and best possible care,” says Samin Sharma, MD, Director of Interventional Cardiology for the Mount Sinai Health System.
About the Mount Sinai Health System
The Mount Sinai Health System is New York City’s largest academic medical system, encompassing eight hospitals, a leading medical school, and a vast network of ambulatory practices throughout the greater New York region. Mount Sinai is a national and international source of unrivaled education, translational research and discovery, and collaborative clinical leadership ensuring that we deliver the highest quality care—from prevention to treatment of the most serious and complex human diseases. The Health System includes more than 7,200 physicians and features a robust and continually expanding network of multispecialty services, including more than 400 ambulatory practice locations throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, and Long Island. Mount Sinai Heart at The Mount Sinai Hospital is the nation’s No. 6-ranked heart center, and The Mount Sinai Hospital is ranked No. 14 on U.S. News & World Report’s “Honor Roll” of the Top 20 Best Hospitals in the country and the Icahn School of Medicine as one of the Top 20 Best Medical Schools in country. Mount Sinai Health System hospitals are consistently ranked regionally by specialty and our physicians in the top 1% of all physicians nationally by U.S. News & World Report.
For more information, visit https://www.mountsinai.org or find Mount Sinai on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
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