The Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at Mount Sinai Receives Highest Safety Rating from New York State
New York’s Busiest Cardiac Catheterization Lab Receives Two-Star Rating from Department of Health For Significantly Lower Mortality Than Statewide Rate
(New York – October 16, 2012) Mount Sinai’s Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory has again been awarded New York State’s highest "two-star" safety rating in the categories of overall and non-emergency cases for 30-day risk adjusted mortality for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), commonly known as angioplasty, according to new data released October 15 that examine patient discharges from 2008-2010. Mount Sinai is one of only four hospitals in the state to earn this rating.
Pedro Moreno, MD, Professor of Medicine (Cardiology), was one of only three physicians statewide to be individually recognized with a two-star rating, indicating that he had significantly below average mortality ratings among doctors performing PCI in all cases. He joins three other Mount Sinai interventionalists who have received the two-star rating in the past: Samin Sharma, MD, Director of Clinical and Interventional Cardiology; Annapoorna Kini, MD, Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory; and Mazullah Kamran, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine (Cardiology).
The catheterization lab achieved these results while also performing the highest number of PCI procedures in the state: 14,414 for the entire three-year period from 2008 to 2010. The report, produced by the New York State Department of Health, assessed data for all 59 cardiac catheterization labs in the state.
“For more than 15 years, Mount Sinai and our catheterization laboratory physicians have received the highest double-star safety rating by the New York State Department of Health because of the integrated teamwork of our staff,” said Samin Sharma, MD, Director of Clinical and Interventional Cardiology at The Mount Sinai Medical Center. “Our dedication to open communication and maintaining strict protocols before and after PCI minimizes complications and improves outcomes.”
The Lab maintains stringent practices for close monitoring, education, and communication. The team meets at the start of every morning to discuss the previous day’s events, reviewing any difficulties, how these can be prevented, and what they learned from the situation. In addition, during a monthly one-hour departmental meeting, the team further details each challenge they faced and provides a summary report to every cath lab doctor.
"Our strong leadership team works side-by-side, encourages teamwork and communication among everyone involved in our patients’ care to ensure the best outcomes for the individual," said Annapoorna Kini, MD, Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at Mount Sinai. "This method has proven effective and earned Mount Sinai its place among the best in cardiac catheterization.”
Valentin Fuster, MD, PhD, Director of Mount Sinai Heart, the Zena and Michael A. Wiener Cardiovascular Institute, and the Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis Center for Cardiovascular Health, said, “The continued success of our cath lab is a tribute to the efforts of Drs. Samin Sharma and Annapoorna Kini in creating a team of world-class interventionalists who thrive on collaboration. Mount Sinai treats a unique population that often requires complex care, but the strict protocols our cath lab team has implemented significantly reduce risks and improve patient outcomes, furthering Mount Sinai’s reputation for delivering superior cardiovascular care.”
New York State tracks PCI data in three categories: overall, non-emergency, and emergency. Mount Sinai’s Cardiac Catheterization Lab achieved the highest two-star safety rating in the overall and non-emergency categories.
“Equally important as our work in the lab are our efforts in the community, where we maintain first-class patient outreach and education programs, as well as affiliate partnerships throughout the region, to increase the quality of care throughout the tri-state area,” said Dr. Moreno.
The Mount Sinai Medical Center is ranked among the world’s leading centers for cardiovascular medicine, ranking 10th in the U.S. News and World Report “Best Hospitals” list for Cardiology and Heart Surgery, up from No. 18 in 2009. It offers advanced diagnostic and therapeutic technologies to care for heart patients of all ages —from before birth to the end of life—while serving one of the most diverse patient populations in the world. Mount Sinai’s comprehensive approach integrates the latest techniques, including nanomedicine and sub-cellular medicine, genetics, and advanced imaging. World-class clinical research conducted onsite aims to speed discoveries from the laboratory to benefit all patients with cardiovascular disease.
For more information, visit http://www.mountsinai.org.
