White Plains Hospital Expands Cardiac Catheterization Services with Opening of Second Lab

White Plains Hospital has opened an additional cardiac catheterization laboratory to perform interventional and emergency angioplasty, device implants and other procedures.

The new cath lab is named for a grateful former patient, Marie Promuto, of Rye, in honor of her parents, Salvatore and Concetta Spitaleri. A celebratory ribbon cutting to mark the opening and dedication was held December 9th on the third floor of the Hospital, where the cath lab is located.

The new cath lab features state-of-the art equipment and is adjacent to the Hospital’s original Joan and Alan Herfort, M.D. Cardiac Catheterization Lab, which first opened in 2008 and began performing emergency catheterizations in 2010. The Hospital is opening the second lab to better accommodate greater numbers of patients who are in need of angioplasty.

Angioplasty is the surgical repair or process of unblocking a blood vessel, particularly a coronary artery. Patients sometimes become aware of a blockage and choose to have interventional angioplasty done proactively. Others have emergency angioplasty done following symptoms of a heart attack, when door-to-balloon time, or the time it takes from when the patient first arrives in the emergency room to the time of the unblocking of the blood vessel, is critical.

Mark Greenberg, M.D., Director of White Plains Hospital Cardiac Catheterization Services, and Medical Director of Interventional Cardiology at Montefiore, commented on the growth of the Hospital’s program over the past several years. “White Plains Hospital is known throughout the region as a destination for top quality and lifesaving cardiac care,” he said. “Our door-to-balloon time staying consistently under one hour is an exceptional quality measure, and demonstrates the incredible focus and talent of our staff in both the emergency room and the cath lab.”

The Joan and Alan Herfort, M.D. Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory performed 1,021 catheterizations in 2014, up from 833 in 2013.

Susan Fox, President and C.E.O. of White Plains Hospital, commented on the Hospital’s growing presence as a resource for outstanding cardiac care in the community. “We have been so successful with our cath lab over the past several years, saving so many lives,” she said. “Expanding our services so that more patients can have access to this lifesaving treatment when they need it just made sense.”