Greenwich Hospital announced that the Connecticut Dept of Public Health has approved the hospital’s Certificate of Need (CON) application to establish elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) services, commonly known as coronary angioplasty. The approval 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. While Greenwich Hospital has provided emergency PCI services for more than 20 years, the new approval enables the hospital to perform elective and urgent elective PCI procedures as well.
For patients, this means faster, more convenient access to advanced cardiac care in Greenwich. Many patients who previously required a transfer to another hospital for elective PCI will be able to receive diagnosis and treatment from the same care team at Greenwich Hospital, avoiding unnecessary 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 program will be offered through Greenwich Hospital’s Heart and Vascular Center and will utilize 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 Christopher Howes, MD, 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.”