North Shore-LIJ Health System granted approval to extend cardiac surgery program to Southside Hospital

North Shore-LIJ Cardiothoracic Chairman Alan Hartman, MD, Recognized as One of NY's Best, to Head Southside Cardiac Surgery Team

The New York State Hospital Review and Planning Council today approved North Shore-LIJ Health System's request to extend its open-heart surgery program to Southside Hospital in Bay Shore, bringing one of New York's most renowned cardiothoracic surgery programs to Suffolk County's south shore. The council's action will be forwarded to State Health Commissioner Richard Daines, MD, for final approval.

Alan Hartman, MD, chair of cardiothoracic surgery at North Shore University Hospital (NSUH) and LIJ Medical Center, will be the on-site clinical leader of the North Shore-LIJ cardiac surgery program at Southside, along with well known and experienced cardiac surgeons Michael Graver, MD, and Robert Kalimi, MD, as well as their team of anesthesiologists and cardiac perfusionists. Dr. Hartman and his surgical team are among the best in the state for valve and valve/coronary artery bypass surgery, with risk-adjusted mortality rates among New York's lowest – an achievement that has earned the state Department of Health's coveted double-star ranking for outcomes significantly better than the statewide average.

"Extending our existing cardiac surgery program to Southside provides enormous benefits from both a quality and convenience perspective," said Michael J. Dowling, president and chief executive officer of the North Shore-LIJ Health System. "Suffolk residents will now have access to a program headed by an individual with an unparalleled record of outcomes that consistently rank as one of the state's best."  

In making the request to the state to extend North Shore-LIJ's cardiothoracic program to Southside, North Shore-LIJ officials pointed to North Shore-LIJ's existing volume and referral patterns from Suffolk County-based cardiologists. "Of the 1,990 cardiac surgeries performed last year at North Shore University Hospital and LIJ Medical Center, 593 or nearly 30 percent involved Suffolk residents," Dr. Hartman said. "Those percentages are going up.  We have a significant number of cardiology groups and solo practitioners in Suffolk who refer their Suffolk patients to us at North Shore University Hospital and LIJ Medical Center.  Expansion of the program enables us to meet the needs of patients closer to the communities where they live."

In addition to the surgeons, Dr. Hartman's Southside cardiac team includes Steve Bello, PA, director of the program, Dr. Steven Herling, chief of cardiac anesthesia and Karl Bocchieri, chief of perfusion. Administrative oversight will be carried out by Donna Moravick, NP, the North Shore-LIJ Health System's vice president of cardiac services.

The addition of a cardiac surgery program is a natural progression for Southside, which has been expanding its roster of cardiac services over the past decade and has been performing elective angioplasty since 2006. Southside was the first community hospital in New York State to receive DOH approval to perform percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or elective angioplasty. As of 2009, it had performed 570 interventions and 1,725 diagnostic catheterizations, making it the third-largest combined program in Suffolk County.

Winifred Mack, RN, executive director of Southside Hospital, said the extension of North Shore-LIJ's cardiac surgery program continues the long-standing commitment of the health system to the communities served by Southside.

"At a time when many hospitals have closed programs or shut their doors, the North Shore-LIJ Health System continues to invest in programs and the communities it serves," she said.  "The health system has already made a significant investment in Southside and will continue that with additional expansion over the next several years."

She said adding a cardiac surgery program to Southside is part of a four-year investment of more than $300 million that the North Shore-LIJ Health System is making to transform Southside into a tertiary hospital.

The extension of North Shore-LIJ's cardiac program to Southside is supported by local community leaders and elected officials.

"Since the early 1970s, Southside continues to be the major provider of primary care to underserved populations," said Rev. Roderick A. Pearson, president of the Islip Town Branch of the NAACP. "Having a full complement of cardiac services, including cardiac intervention and now open heart surgery, close to our community and medical home will eliminate many of the barriers we currently face."

"Southside Hospital has served our respective communities for almost 100 years and has provided medical care to our community of diverse and at times low income and underserved patients," added State Assemblyman Philip Ramos of Brentwood. "We endorse the addition of a cardiac surgery program to complement the other excellent cardiac services Southside currently provides."