Good Samaritan opens new cardiac unit

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Rockland hospital gets okay to do heart surgery

Wednesday December 13, 2006

SUFFERN, N.Y. (AP)

Good Samaritan Hospital in Rockland County is expected to get the okay to do heart surgery.

The first operation is expected next year. It will be the first time open-heart surgery will be done anywhere west of the Hudson River in New York state, between the Bronx and Albany.

Good Samaritan will hold a ceremony tomorrow to mark the completion of its new 25 (M) million dollar cardiac unit.

Cardiologist Doctor David Brogno says its been a long haul to get the approval.

Doctors, patients and people from the community who supported the hospital's nearly 20-year effort to bring cardiac surgery to Rockland will attend the ceremony.

A representative from the Vatican will be at the hospital to bless the hands of Doctor Edward Lundy -- a Pennsylvania heart surgeon who is the center's director.

In October 2003, the hospital began to offer emergency angioplasty, in which a catheter or stent is used to prop open blocked arteries on patients who have suffered heart attacks.

Good Samaritan has been allowed to do the life-saving operation only on patients who are having a heart attack.

Once the cardiac center is open, it will be able to perform cardiac bypass surgery, cardiac valve replacement and other procedures that local patients now have to leave the county to get.

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That's great news for Rockland and Orange, esepcially since they are such a growing area.

But on the flip side, that's another blow to WMC.

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That's great news for Rockland and Orange, esepcially since they are such a growing area.

But on the flip side, that's another blow to WMC.

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Actually, its not. (Well, it wouldn't have been an issue when I worked over there four years ago.) The Good Sam cardiologists were long done with the WMC cardiologists by then. They send ALL of their caths down into Jersey. It was a normal day to have three or four caths lined up to be transferred out in the AM by RMC (now Regional, I believe.) This will be a welcome addition for them, I am sure. No more cath runs!!!

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Englewood & Valley hospitals in bergen county were geting alot of the rockland county work I wish them luck with the new program