N E W S R E L E A S E
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 2, 2017
24/7 Emergency Cardiac Care Now Available at Saratoga Hospital
New interventional program provides closer, lifesaving option for heart attack patients
SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY, August 2, 2017—Saratoga Hospital now offers emergency cardiac interventions 24/7 for heart attack patients.
That means emergency medical services teams can save precious time by bringing heart attack patients straight to Saratoga Hospital for potentially lifesaving procedures such as coronary angioplasty and stenting.
Saratoga Hospital has provided these services since 2014, but not on an emergency basis. Instead, heart attack patients were rushed to hospitals outside Saratoga County—a trip that could delay treatment by 30 minutes or more.
Now, because of the new, emergency cardiac program, specialists are available at Saratoga Hospital around the clock to provide expert care as quickly as possible.
“Saratoga Hospital assembled the ideal combination of experience, talent and technology,” said Dr. Patrick H. McNulty, the hospital’s director of interventional cardiology. “As a result, the opportunities to be taken care of for heart attack at Saratoga Hospital are as good as anywhere in the Capital Region.”
Interventional cardiology is a branch of cardiology that deals specifically with minimally invasive, catheter-based procedures—including balloon angioplasty and stenting—to diagnose and treat heart conditions. Procedures are performed in high-tech cardiac catheterization laboratories by specially trained cardiologists.
At Saratoga Hospital, the interventional team includes three cardiologists who are members of Saratoga Hospital Medical Group and two who are on the medical staff of Saratoga Hospital’s affiliate, Albany Medical Center. The team also includes nurses and technologists with specialized cardiac-related expertise. Many received their training at Albany Med, which is nationally recognized for cardiac care.
“This new emergency service is exactly what we envisioned when we decided to pursue the affiliation with Albany Med,” Saratoga Hospital President and CEO Angelo Calbone said. “Because of our partnership with Northeastern New York’s only academic health sciences center, our community now has access to potentially lifesaving care that Saratoga Hospital could not have provided alone.
“This is one of many benefits that our community can expect to realize from this exciting partnership,” he added.
The partnership with Albany Med played a role in Saratoga Hospital’s ability to recruit specialists in interventional cardiology and facilitated training in best practices. For patients who need even more complex care, such as open-heart surgery, the affiliation also helps ensure continuity of care.
The two hospitals announced their plans to partner in October 2015 and finalized their affiliation Jan. 1, 2017.
***
About Saratoga Hospital: Saratoga Hospital is the Saratoga region’s leading healthcare provider and the only acute-care facility in Saratoga County. With a medical staff of more than 450 providers, the hospital offers care in a broad range of medical specialties at more than 20 locations including its Wilton campus and the Saratoga Medical Park at Malta. The Saratoga Hospital Medical Group ensures easy access to services that can have the greatest impact on both individual and community health. In keeping with its emphasis on quality, Saratoga Hospital was the first in the Capital Region to earn Magnet designation for nursing excellence. On Jan. 1, 2017, Saratoga Hospital finalized its affiliation with Albany Medical Center, joining Columbia Memorial Health in creating a regionally integrated, locally governed healthcare system. For more information: www.saratogahospital.org or www.facebook.com/SaratogaHospital.
###
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Peter M. Hopper
Director, Marketing and Communications
518-583-8679
phopper@saratogahospital.org