What's New?

Feburary 2012

January 2012

December 2011

Beth Israel Heart Institute Petrie Division has been granted a three-year term of accreditation in Nuclear Cardiology by the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Nuclear Medicine Laboratories (ICANL).

Accreditation by the ICANL affirms that Beth Israel Heart Institute at Petrie has undergone a thorough review of its operational and technical components by a panel of experts. The ICANL grants accreditation only to those facilities that provide quality patient care, in compliance with national standards through a comprehensive application process including detailed case study review.

ICANL accreditation is a “seal of approval” that patients can rely on as an indication that the facility has been carefully critiqued on all aspects of its operations considered relevant by medical experts in the field of nuclear medicine.

November 2011

BIMC Echocardiography Department receives ICAEL Reaccreditation

The Echocardiography department of Beth Israel Medical Center has been granted a three-year term of reaccreditation in the area of Adult Stress, Adult Transesophageal and Adult Transthoracic by the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Echocardiography Laboratories (ICAEL).

Accreditation by the ICAEL means that the Echocardiography department has undergone a thorough review of its operational and technical components by a panel of experts. The ICAEL grants accreditation only to those facilities that provide high quality patient care in compliance with national standards through a comprehensive application process including detailed case study reviews.

ICAEL accreditation is a “seal of approval” that patients can rely on as an indication that the facility has been carefully critiqued on all aspects of its operations considered relevant by medical experts in the field of echocardiography. When scheduled for an echocardiography procedure, patients are encouraged to inquire as to the accreditation status of the facility where their examination will be performed and can learn more by visiting www.icael.org/icael/main/patients.htm.

October 2011

In recognition of National Physical Therapy Month, Beth Israel Medical Center's Heart Institute would like to express its gratitude to the Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehab Team of The Alice Lawrence Center for Health and Rehabilitation for their continued efforts towards Beth Israel's commitment to outstanding patient care. The Rehab Team provides exceptional care to individuals with chronic heart and lung diseases. The therapists participate in managing a twelve-week AACVPR-certified outpatient program centered on aerobic exercise, patient education, risk factor modification, and lifestyle change in order to help prevent recurrent incidents and hospitalizations, and to promote overall quality of life. The Alice Lawrence Center for Health and Rehabilitation is located in Beth Israel Medical Center's Petrie Division, and is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM for Phase II and Phase III cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation. For additional information, please call (212) 420-2357.

Congratulations to Rodney Thomas on his recent promotion to Assistant Director. Rodney will now serve as second in command to Lisa Allen for the administrative functions of the division. Rodney is also now responsible for the Park Slope Cardiology practice as well as the Long Island Pacemaker practice. Please join in congratulating Rodney on his new roles in the division.

Jacqueline Chan, MD a graduate of New York Medical College joins the Cardiology Division as an Assistant Attending at Beth Israel. Dr. Chan is providing services in Chinatown as well as consults at Petrie.

Tatyana Danilov, M.D., a graduate of St. George's University joins the Cardiology Division as an Attending and Director, Attending Cardiology Services (ACS) at Beth Israel. Dr. Danilov is providing services at PACC, ACS and performing Echo's at Petrie.

Yili Huang, D.O., a graduate of New York College of Osteopathic Medicine joins the Cardiology Division as an Assistant Attending at Beth Israel.. Center. Dr. Huang is providing services at Chinatown as well as performing Cardiac Caths at Petrie.

David Lau, M.D., PhD., a graduate from New York University joins the Cardiology Division as an Assistant Attending at Beth Israel. Dr. Lau is providing services in Chinatown as well as performing EP procedures at Petrie.

September 2011

Women's Heart NY, a multi-site comprehensive heart program under the co-direction of Drs. Jacqueline Tamis-Holland and Deepika Misra, will be presenting a half-day heart health symposium on Saturday, September 17th. The Love Your Heart symposium will feature presentations on smoking, nutrition, and exercise relating to heart health, with attention to how these issues differ for women. There is no cost to attend. Presenters are female cardiologists with Continuum Health Partners, comprising the staff of Women's Heart NY. We will be providing free cardiovascular risk screenings and heart-friendly lunch! Catering by Olla New York. Head Chef and owner, Roxana Picado, will be performing a food demo of dishes being served and explaining how to select healthy oils for a heart-healthy pantry. It will be a great morning!

Women's Heart NY targets women who are at risk for, or who have, heart disease. The morning will also provide insight for communicating with loved ones who are at risk for cardiovascular disease. We look forward to seeing you on September 17th!

We are pleased to announce the launching of the Peripheral Arterial Disease Rehabilitation Program at Beth Israel Medical Center, a multidisciplinary program which will offer a structured exercise program, risk factor education & modification, smoking cessation, diabetes control, nutrition counseling, and guided telemetry-monitored exercise (if indicated). Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) affects over 8 million Americans and is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States. A medically supervised exercise rehabilitation program has been shown to be more effective treatment for slowing progression of disease than a general recommendation for exercise. With the PAD Rehab Program, patients will undergo stress testing and an initial evaluation at our facility, followed by enrollment in a 12-week program with exercise twice a week. For more information, or to refer patients to the PAD Rehab Program, please contact Dr. Margaret Furman at (212) 844-8830.

We are pleased to announce the go-live of a newly adopted clinical information system in the Echocardiography Laboratory - ProSolv Synapse. The Echo Lab officially went live with the clinical system on August 24th. Adoption gives us exceptional image viewing, a highly sophisticated engineering software package that assesses motion and heart function, performs echo measurements and calculations in real time, and stores studies digitally. ProSolv offers everything you need to successfully complete any Echo exam. Summer in the Square - Heart Institute's CPR Office joined Union Square, Karpas Health Information Center and Friedman Diabetes Center in the event Summer in the Square. It was held in the South Plaza of Union Square and was sponsored by the Union Square Partnership. Each Thursday from July 16 - August 14, various events were held during the day such as exercise, music and crafts for kids, and a concert at 6PM. We were able to provide the community with educational and clinical information. Thanks to all that supported!

July 2011

Beth Israel and St. Luke's and Roosevelt Hospitals are among 27 hospitals and health care organizations across the country-and the only two hospitals in New York State-to receive perfect scores on the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation Healthcare Equality Index, earning the designation of a "Leader in Healthcare Equality." The Healthcare Equality Index, which focuses on key policies and practices for creating a welcoming environment, is an important indicator of an organization's ability to meet new Joint Commission requirements regarding equitable, knowledgeable care for LGBT patients and their families.

• Welcome Our New Fellows - The Cardiovascular Fellows are: Salma Akter, MD, Arzhang Fallahi, MD, Moinakhtar Lala, MD, Arthur Okere, MD, Justin Raticliffe, MD, Madeeha Saeed,MD, Jagdeep Singh, MD and Nitinbhai Sapan Talati, MD are Cardiovascular Fellows for the academic year July 2011 - June 2012.
• Tina Chahil, MD is the Heart Failure Fellow for the academic year July 2011 - June 2012.
• Ail Shaukat MD and Naji Bourji, MD are the Interventional Fellows for the academic year July 2011- June 2012.
• Michael Levine, MD is the Electrophysiology Fellow for the academic year July 2011 - June 2012

June 2011

In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Heart Institute is offering an education session on "Hispanics/Latinos and Cardiovascular Disease: Raising Awareness". Presented by Hugo Rosero, D.O., FACC on Tuesday, June 28th.

Congratulations to our Cardiology Fellows who graduate this June: Shaukat Ali, MD., Sandeep Dhillon, MD., Dayana Eslava, MD., Vladimir Fridman, MD., Yili Huang, DO, Erika Gehrie, MD, Michael Levine, MD, Hejmadi Prabhu, MD, Christine Roncari, MD, Hliang Thinn, MD., Lori Vales, MD. We wish them success in their future endeavors!

Ravi Diwan, MD. (BIMC/LICH) and Rashmi Barbhaiya, MD (BIMC) were named Chief Cardiology Fellow for the 2011 - 2012 academic year.

Dr. Preety Chawla is now evaluating patients at the Park Slope Cardiology location on Tuesdays. Services include EP consultations and stress echocardiograms.

We are pleased to announce an additional procedure offered by our Cardiac Electrophysiologist to benefit our patients - atrial fibrillation (a-fib) ablations. This minimally invasive procedure provides benefits such as 75 to 90 percent cure rate of atrial fibrillation, reduction in risk of blood clots and stroke, reduction or discontinuation of blood thinners such as Coumadin and most patients who have had the procedure report an ability to exercise more frequently and for longer periods of time.

We are pleased to announce the opening of a Nuclear Cardiology suite at 132 Greenpoint Avenue. Services commenced on May 25th. The addition of nuclear cardiology services at the Greenpoint office will have a tremendous impact on the access to services for our large Brooklyn-based population and convenience for the referring physicians in the area. Drs. Papapietro and. Samuel would like to thank Dr. Bergmann and everyone who participated in bringing this project to fruition. Please feel free to stop by and visit for a tour of the Greenpoint Avenue office and the Ventri.

May 2011

Wall Street Run and Heart Walk - The Heart Institute participated in the American Heart Association's "Start! Wall Street Run & Heart Walk" on May 17, 2011. Our team raised $3,492 to fight heart disease and stroke locally in our community. While the event has passed there is still opportunity to donate and meet the event goal of $2.1 million. Our team, the "Heart Institute Heart Savers", consisted of the twenty members who had an amazing time walking/running for such a wonderful cause. Thanks to everyone who donated and participated.

Congratulations to the following individuals who are recognized for acceptance of two abstracts at the Quality of Care and Outcomes Research (QCOR) meeting in Washington - Kathleen Kearney, NP; Drs. Dayana Eslava, Niki Kantrowitz, John Fox, Mariusz Wysoczanski, MD; and Vladimir Fridman. The two abstracts are entitled "Lack of English Comprehension is Associated with Delays in Hospital Presentation in Patients with ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction" and "Cardiac Symptoms and Time to Presentation in Women and Men with ST Segment Elevation Infarction." Please join in congratulating these individuals for their continued dedication to research and improving outcomes for the Division and Medical Center.

Congratulations to the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Beth Israel has been recognized by the New York State Department of Health as having some of the lowest mortality rates of any New York City hospital. It's also consistently ranked among the state's top cardiac programs. To schedule a consultation, call (212) 420-2584.

April 2011

Congratulations to the following associates who were recognized on 4/1/11 with "Service Awards" as follows: Maureen St. Hill, Lena Lau-Chang, SueAnn Scheer, and Yan Ling Liu were recognized for 15 years of service. Dr. John Fox, Kathleen Kearney, Daniel Hicks, Mirtha Berrouet, Tamara Kazakov were also recognized for 20 years of service. Antonia Martinez was recognized for 35 years of service; Audrey Riley and Carmen Weston were recognized for 40 years of service to Beth Israel Medical Center.

Congratulations to Dr. Paul Schweitzer, Assistant Chief of Cardiology, and his team, Sam Hanon, MD, Chirag Barbyaiya, MD and Jose Ricardo on their abstract being selected as one of the best three oral abstract of ECAS-2011. The abstract topic is T Peak - T End and T Peak - T End/QT Ratio as markers of ventricular arrhythmia risk in cardiac resynchronization therapy patients.

Employee of the Year - Congratulations to Samuel Lopez, Senior Cardiovascular Technician in the Cardiac Cath and EP Labs, who received the first annual employee of the year award for his outstanding contributions to the mission of the division. We are very proud of Sam and this wonderful recognition!!!

March 2011

Update on Atrial Fibrillation - The Heart Institute will sponsor an Update on Atrial Fibrillation" continuing education live symposium at the Phillips Ambulatory Care Center Auditorium on Saturday, May 14, 2011 from 7:30AM until 1PM. Tuition includes continental breakfast and lunch for participants. There will be 3.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits offered. Information and online registration is available on the Continuing Education Department's website at www.chpnet.org/cme. For more information, please call (212) 420-HEART.

April 6th is National Start! Walking Day! On this day, employees are encouraged to wear sneakers to work and take at least 30 minutes out of their day to get up and walk. Physical inactivity doubles the risk of heart disease, our nation's No. 1 killer. Adopt a heart-healthy work environment and spread the word. Get your company started in taking a stand against heart disease.

AHA Wall Street Heart Walk: Please join our team at the AHA Wall Street Heart Walk on Tuesday, May 17th from 6:45PM until 9:00PM. We are walking to fight the number one killer of all Americans - cardiovascular disease. This year's team is BI Heart Institute's - Healthy Hearts. To join our team, please visit the website at: BI Heart Institute's Healthy Hearts Team Page. Your support is greatly appreciated and contributions are tax deductible. Please feel free to share this link with associates, friends and family who may be interested in joining our team as well!

February 2011

Did you know nearly 37 percent of all female deaths in America occur from cardiovascular disease, which includes coronary heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases?

Did you know cardiovascular disease is preventable?

In celebration of heart month, Beth Israel's Heart Institute is hosting several events to provide education for patients, staff and the surrounding communities. There will be educational lectures by our Heart Institute physicians, free screenings, a heart healthy cooking session, and a raffle. Please join us for one of these exciting events!

The month will begin with Go Red for Women on Friday, February 4, 2011 at the Petrie Division's 2 Dazian Rotunda. Blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, and body-mass index screenings will be offered along with lectures and nutritional counseling, and all are welcome to attend.

Valentine's Day is Monday, February 14, 2011, and what better way to celebrate than to host Heart Healthy Day! This event will be held at PACC and will consist of free screenings for the community, educational lectures, and raffles, all to promote healthy living and raise awareness of heart disease. Also, on Tuesday, February 15, 2011 we will host Sweetheart CPR - an introduction to CPR to train proper ways to care for your companions and loved ones AND a ZUMBA class - a heart healthy, upbeat, fitness workout session that will get your hearts pumping!

To finish off the month on Friday, February 25, 2011 we will host a Heart Healthy Cooking Session with Beth Israel's own Chef Oreilli Collado. Chef Collado will teach how to prepare heart healthy food options without sacrificing taste. This is an event you won't want to miss!

For advance registration for screenings, please email us at screenings@biheartinstitute.org.

View Our 2011 Heart Month Calendar

December 2010

BI Spearheads New Cardiac Bypass Technique: Click below to watch Beth Israel Medical Center's Chief of Cardiac Surgery, Dr. Robert Tranbaugh, on CBS-2 News as he explains how a new procedure being used at BI improves long-term survival in cardiac bypass patients: Click here to view video.

ACS Expansion

Cardiology Fellowship ACGME Re-Accreditation - We are happy to announce that the Cardiology Fellowship Program has successfully completed their Re-Accreditation process and we anticipate that our program will be accredited for the next five years. We received very positive feedback from the accreditation committee and expect a formal response in June 2011. We would like to thank everyone who worked extremely hard toward this accomplishment.

November 2010

Congratulations to the Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation Center on having been re-certified by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR) until August 2013. Thanks to everyone who worked very hard to accomplish this.

VNS Project for Heart Failure Patients - Beth Israel has teamed up with The Visiting Nurse Service of New York (VNS) to provide better care to our heart failure patients. All patients admitted with a diagnosis of heart failure will be referred to VNS. They will provide inpatient education and upon discharge make initial daily visits, monitor symptoms and clinical signs, help with medication compliance and contact the primary physician with any issues. The goal is to improve care to this patient population. The project is spearheaded by Meir Shinnar, MD, Director of the Heart Failure Program, Beth Israel Medical Center. For more information please contact Dr. Shinnar at (212) 420 - 2878.

October 2010

BI Heart Institute Celebrates Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month

• Sudden Cardiac Arrest Free Screening 2010
• "Sudden Cardiac Arrest: What Can You Do?" Educational Seminar presented by Dr. Sam Hanon
• Acute Myocardial Infarction a Heart Attack" Educational Seminar presented by Navin Nakra

September 2010

Wonder what it's like to work at Continuum Health Partners, the non-profit system that manages Beth Israel Medical Center? Watch a short video from senior level leadership of Continuum as they share their thoughts. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30dEO3dOSAk

Wilson Ko, MD Joins the Cardiac Surgery Division as an Attending and Co-Director of Cardiac Asian Services at Beth Israel.

ACS Expansion The Attending Cardiology Service (ACS) will be expanded from 15 beds to 25 beds on 10 Linsky which will greatly reduce Length of Stay (LOS) numbers significantly. This expansion is anticipated to be complete by September 22nd. This unit is currently staffed with eight Nurse Practitioners 24/7 and they are: Milla Arabadjian, NP, Rivka Cohen, NP, Nguyet Doung, NP, Jo-Ann Douglas, NP, Jacqueline Lagazo-Guia, NP, Adaobi Igboeli, NP, Jessie Kim, NP, Won Kyung Lee, NP and Maria Noa-Levito, NP.

We are happy to announce that Beth Israel Medical Center, St. Luke's and Roosevelt Hospitals and Long Island College Hospital have each been awarded a $10,000 grant by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to assess the number of staffed, vacant beds that could be made available for admissions during emergency incidents. The four Continuum facilities were among only six city hospitals to be selected. The grants run from September through November and culminate with Continuum hospitals submitting summary reports of their findings and recommendations to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, which will inform citywide decision makers.

August 2010

ATTENTION: Aetna Members: Despite Aetna's planned termination of Beth Israel Medical Center doctors on August 5, 2010, you can continue to see your Beth Israel physicians as in network past August 5th by simply requesting that Aetna treat your physician as in network for a period of one year or until the anniversary date of your employer's contract with Aetna, whichever is sooner. For additional information please view the attachment for further information http://www.chpnyc.org/AetnaAgreement.pdf

ATTENTION: Medical Residents and Former House Staff: If you trained at Beth Israel Medical Center between January 1, 1995 and March 31, 2005, you may be entitled to a refund of taxes you previously paid while you were a resident or clinical fellow. This information explains your entitlement and provides details on how to provide the hospital with the information it needs to file for a refund on your behalf and send your refund to you. Please view the attachment for further information. http://www.chpnyc.org/patients/BI_home/BIMC.pdf

Beth Israel is amongst the Most Wired hospitals in the nation - Continuum Health Partners, comprised of five hospitals including Beth Israel Medical Center was named one of the Most Wired hospital systems in the country, according to results of the 2010 Most Wired Survey, released in the July issue of Hospitals and Health Networks Magazine. http://www.hhnmag.com/hhnmag_app/index.jsp

July 2010

Welcome Our New Fellows - Thinn Hlaing, MD is the Electrophysiology Fellow. The Cardiovascular Fellows are: Luis Andres Aybar, MD, Salim Baghdadi, MD, Muhammad M. Chaudhry, MD, David James, MD, Vinay M. Pai, MD, Rahul Patri, MD, Padmakshi Singh, MD, and Melanie Wijetunga, MD. Yili Huang, MD and Lori Vales, MD are the Interventional Fellows for the academic year July 2010 - June 2011.

Vladimir Fridman, MD (BIMC/LICH) and Michael Levine, MD (BIMC) were named Chief Cardiology Fellow for the 2010 - 2011 academic year.

Congratulations to Shirley Escala, RN on receiving the Wholeness of Life Award by Beth Israel's Department of Pastoral Care and Education. Ms. Escala is the Nurse Manager, Cardiac Care Unit on 9 Dazian.

Yili Haung, MD and Lori Vales, MD are the Interventional Fellows for the academic year July 2010 - June 2012.

Thinn Hlaing, MD is the Electrophysiology Fellow for the academic year July 2010 - June 2011.

June 2010

Congratulations to our Cardiology Fellows who graduate this June: Sesha Chinnammagari, MD, Dali Fan, MD, Aslam Ahmed Faraz, MD., Shafik Hanna-Moussa, MD., Yili Huang, MD, Julie Master, MD, Naresh Mori, MD, Siva Mulpuru, MD, Andrew Najovits, MD, Lori Vales, MD, Nikolas Wanahita, MD., Felix Yang, MD. We wish them success in their future endeavors!

Congratulations to Tak Kwan, MD on receiving the Ellis Island Medal of Honor presented annually by the U.S. National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations Foundation to foreign-born, naturalized citizens who have made extraordinary contributions to their adopted country. The Ellis Island Medal of Honor is recognized by the United States House of Representatives and the Senate, and as such the names of all winners are listed in the Congressional Record.

We are happy to announce that The Human Rights Campaign Foundation has found that Beth Israel leads the nation in policies for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. Their Healthcare Equality Index 2010 was based on four main equality issues: patient non-discrimination; visitation policies; LGBT training and employment non-discrimination policy. Beth Israel is one of only 11 facilities in the country to receive perfect ratings.

Please join us in welcoming the following physicians from St. Vincent Catholic Medical Centers who now have admitting privileges: Edward Bernaski, MD, Thomas Elmquist, MD, Al Fard, MD and Damian Kurian, MD.

May 2010

The NYC-LI Regional Emergency Cardiovascular Care (ECC) Committee recognized CPR Instructor, Maureen Slakas for twenty years of service as an American Heart Association CPR Instructor at their annual volunteer recognition program on May 17, 2010. This event recognizes volunteers for the tremendous work they do every day by fostering the mission of saving lives and dedication to the community. We are very proud of Maureen and this wonderful recognition.

Congratulations to Barbara Ravida, RN, who received the Nurse of Distinction Award at the Seventh Annual Nurse of Distinction Awards sponsored by 1199 League. Ms. Ravida was selected from nominees from all over the region and is a nurse on the Cardiac Progressive Care Unit (CPCU) on 10 Dazian.

Gail Buccellato, RN received the Excellence in Patient Centered Care award at the 2010 Beatrice Renfield Circle of Excellence Awards which were held on May 12, 2010. Ms. Ravida and Ms. Buccellato were among eight nominees at both the Petrie and Kings Highway Divisions and both work in the Cardiac Progressive Care Unit (CPCU) on 10 Dazian.

Congratulations to the Cardiac Progressive Care Unit (CPCU) on 10 Dazian received the award for Excellence in Multidisciplinary Team Collaboration as well as the award for Nursing Unit Posters.

April 2010

Congratulations to Steven Bergmann, MD, John Fox, MD, Niki Kantrowitz, MD, and Robert Tranbaugh, MD for being selected by Key Professional Media, Inc., as New York Super Doctors. Doctors are selected after peer nomination based on one question, If you needed medical care, which doctor would you choose. In addition to the nomination, Key Professional Media identifies New York City doctors who had achieved special recognition from their peers or had demonstrated other indications of expertise in their specialties. The New York Super Doctors list appeared in the April 25, 2010 edition of the New York Times Magazine.

We are happy to announce a bridging program for hospital patients with an indication for anticoagulation with warfarin with discharge pending therapeutic internationalized normalized ratio (INR). Enoxaparin may be initiated concurrently with warfarin as a "bridge" to a therapeutic INR and the patient may be discharged once enrolled and scheduled with an appointment for further management. To enroll a patient or for more information please call Anticoagulation Services (PACC Suite 2A) at (212) 844-8436.

March 2010

As part of its ongoing focus on customer satisfaction, Beth Israel is now offering valet parking to patients and visitors. This new service will minimize the stress of parking a car or picking up patients after they discharged from the hospital or after a procedure," says Harris M. Nagler, MD, BI President. "It is designed for customer convenience, and we are confident they will be pleased with it."

Congratulations to Park Slope Cardiology on receiving accreditation through the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Echocardiography Laboratories (ICAEL) through 2012. Thanks to everyone who worked very hard to accomplish this.

The new patient holding, pre-Cath screening and post-Cath monitoring area in Beth Israel's Cardiac Catheterization Lab opened last week at a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by administrators, cardiologists and nurses. This expansion nearly doubles the size of the prep/recovery area--providing the capability to prepare multiple patients at any given time and increase workflow efficiency. The area features seven additional beds and state-of-the-art technology, including touch-screen cardiac monitors and EKG improvements, all designed to improve care delivery. In addition, there are finished locker rooms and bedside televisions to enhance patient privacy and comfort.

February 2010

BI Heart Institute Celebrates American Heart Month

Beth Israel's Heart Institute in conjunction with the Friedman Diabetes Institute and Karpas Health Center will be hosting activities during the month of February.

• 2010 Heart Month Calendar

Events will include Go Red for Women on Friday, February 5th where there will be free cholesterol, diabetes, blood pressure, and body mass index screenings as well as a lecture on woman and heart disease.

• Go Red for Women on Friday - February 5, 2010

Cardiac Rehab week will be celebrated with two yoga sessions and an educational session on exercise. There will also be lectures on how to use AED (Automated External Defibrillator), an introduction to Electrophysiology for nurses, coronary bypass grafting, and why African Americans are at an increased risk of heart disease.

We are also sponsoring a Heart Healthy Day at PACC on February 17th. All screening participants will have the opportunity to enter a variety of raffles that will help promote a heart healthy lifestyle.

• Heart Health Day - February 17, 2010

For addition information on any of our upcoming events please call (212) 420 - 2806, visit our Heart Month Page, or Contact Us via email.

January 2010

The Attending Cardiology Service (ACS) was opened on January 12th; a 15 bed unit located on 10 Linsky. This unit is currently staffed with four Nurse Practitioners 24/7 and they are: Jacqueline Lagazo-Guia, NP, Jo-Ann Douglas, Jessie Kim, NP, Milla Arabajian, NP and Rivka Cohen, NP. Attending cardiologists or patients without a private cardiologist can be admitted to this service. It is anticipated that the protocol-driven care will result in decreased length of stay, decreased recidivism, and a switch to out-patient management and testing, and improved patient satisfaction.

December 2009

Congratulations to Greenpoint Cardiology on receiving accreditation through the American College of Radiology for Vascular Ultrasound. Accreditation represents high practice standards and provides a high level of confidence for patients, referring physicians, and managed care organizations that only the highest quality care is being provided. Thanks to everyone for their hard work during the accreditation process.

November 2009

The Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery is now performing procedures using Transmyocardial Revascularization (TMR) to relieve severe angina in patients that are not candidates for bypass surgery or angioplasty. For more information on this treatment option, please contact Robert Tranbaugh, MD at (212) 420 - 2584.

October 2009

Congratulations to Third Avenue Cardiology on receiving accreditation through the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Echocardiography Laboratories (ICAEL) through 2011. Thanks to everyone who worked very hard to accomplish this.

Congratulations to Third Avenue Cardiology on receiving accreditation through the American College of Radiology for Vascular Ultrasound services through October, 2012. Thanks to everyone for their hard work during the accreditation process.

September 2009

Congratulations to 8 Linsky and 10 Linsky on having Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) scores in the 99th percentile for the month of September. HCAHPS is a nationally standardized, publicly reported survey of patient's perceptions of their hospital care.

Happy Anniversary Cardiac Surgery - The Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery celebrated 20 years of existence here at Beth Israel Medical Center on September 18, 2009. Congratulations to Robert Tranbaugh, MD and the Cardiac Surgery team.