Greenwich Hospital Approved To Expand Cardiac Care Services

GREENWICH, CT — Greenwich Hospital has received approval from the Connecticut Department of Public Health to establish elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) services, commonly known as coronary angioplasty, the hospital announced Tuesday.

The approval of the hospital's Certificate of Need application allows Greenwich Hospital's Heart and Vascular Center to provide a broader range of heart procedures locally, reducing the need for patients to be transferred to other hospitals for treatment.

Elective PCI is a minimally invasive procedure used to open narrowed or blocked coronary arteries and improve blood flow to the heart.

Greenwich Hospital has provided emergency PCI services for more than 20 years. The new approval allows the hospital to perform elective and urgent elective PCI procedures in addition to emergency PCI.

According to the hospital, patients who previously required transfers to other hospitals for elective PCI will be able to receive diagnosis and treatment from the same care team at Greenwich Hospital, reducing delays, duplicate testing and additional travel.

"This approval marks a transformational milestone for Greenwich Hospital, expanding access to advanced cardiovascular care and ensuring patients throughout Greenwich and our surrounding communities can receive world-class cardiac care closer to home," the hospital said in an announcement.

The elective PCI program will be offered through Greenwich Hospital's Heart and Vascular Center using the hospital's existing cardiac catheterization laboratories, equipment and clinical staff. No new construction or major capital investment is required.

"This approval allows us to provide a more complete continuum of cardiovascular care for our patients," said Dr. Christopher Howes, chief, cardiology, Greenwich Hospital; associate professor of medicine, Yale School of Medicine. "Our experienced cardiac team already delivers outstanding emergency PCI care, and we are excited to expand those services to better meet the growing needs of the communities we serve."