Wilton Bulletin
Norwalk Hospital files application to expand angioplasty services

May 10, 2008

Norwalk Hospital, in collaboration with St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport, has filed a certificate of need application with the State of Connecticut Office of Health Care Access to establish primary (or emergency) angioplasty at Norwalk Hospital.

“This will enable Norwalk Hospital to provide our community with timely access to the nationally recognized standard of care for treating heart attack patients,” said Geoffrey Cole of Wilton, president and CEO of Norwalk Hospital.

“Primary angioplasty is a procedure in which the interventional cardiologist opens clogged arteries with tiny balloon-type devices in order to restore blood flow,” said Dr. Charles Augenbraun of Wilton, chief of cardiology at Norwalk Hospital, who also has privileges at St. Vincent’s Medical Center.

Performing emergency angioplasty for a heart attack victim within 90 minutes of arrival at the hospital has proven to be the most effective intervention in saving lives and minimizing heart damage for people suffering a heart attack, he said.

Norwalk Hospital is seeking to expand its existing cardiovascular services through this Primary Angioplasty Myocardial Infarction program to offer angioplasty for patients presenting two common cardiac problems. The two problems are ST-segment elevation, a heart attack resulting from blocked blood supply for a prolonged period of time, and new left bundle branch blockage, an electrical problem of the heart when the left ventricle is delayed, contracting later than the right ventricle.

“We believe that our application demonstrates a clear public need for this life-saving service for our local residents,” Dr. Augenbraun said.

Cardiovascular disease continues to be Connecticut’s leading killer and statistics of the Norwalk Hospital service area indicate a population at higher risk for heart attack as compared to the rest of Connecticut. Last year, 62 patients with these two diagnoses, received their initial care at Norwalk Hospital. This exceeds the minimum guidelines of 36 primary angioplasty cases per year by the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association.

In addition, these patients had to be transferred to other hospitals for services, which resulted in care outside the 90 minute hospital arrival timeframe.

Based on the existing relationship, St. Vincent’s will serve as the primary surgical back-up for the proposed Norwalk Hospital program.

In anticipation and preparation for the proposed program, Norwalk Hospital staff will be pursuing training, including participation in a minimum number of elective angioplasty and emergency angioplasty procedures at St. Vincent’s.

“We are very optimistic and excited about the potential approval of our CON application to offer emergency angioplasty to provide the people of our community with the standard of care they deserve,” Mr. Cole said. “We are most appreciative of the tremendous support we have received in pursuing this initiative from our community, our public officials, our physicians and staff and St. Vincent’s.”

© Copyright 2008 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers