HHC ♥ NY

Dr. Mazullah Kamran of Elmhurst Hospital and Emilio Rosario

When Emilio Rosario came to Elmhurst Hospital Center with chest pains, he didn’t expect to be one of the first beneficiaries of a new expansion in HHC cardiology services for Queens residents.

After much debate, a select group of NY hospitals without on-site cardiac surgery have been allowed to offer angioplasty – a procedure to open clogged arteries in the heart. Access to this life-saving treatment is limited in low-income communities at high risk.

Prior to this change in state regulations, Rosario, whose case was not considered an emergency, might have been referred to a hospital in Manhattan. Thanks to the new service at Elmhurst, he was able to get the life-saving procedure closer to home.

“I feel good,” said Rosario, after the procedure. “I would like to get back to working soon.”

Dr. Mazullah Kamran, Director of Elmhurst’s Cardiac Catheterization Lab and Cardiovascular Interventions, said that making angioplasty available in Queens has reduced the hardship for patients. The hospital serves a large population at elevated risk for cardiovascular disease and is effectively expanding access to patients who might otherwise have limited options or need to travel longer distances for this service.

“Sometimes it would take days to complete the process,” said Kamran. “The idea of going into Manhattan for treatment often keeps people from seeking the medical care they need. Now, it’s convenient for them. The procedure takes approximately 30 minutes and is performed right here at Elmhurst Hospital Center. They go home the next day.”

New Yorkers are increasingly finding that some of the most sophisticated cardiology services in the city are found in the HHC hospitals in their own neighborhoods. Preventive and comprehensive cardiac care including diagnostic screenings, stress tests, cardiac catheterization, surgery and other services are available in HHC hospitals in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens.

HHC hospitals have also developed some unique prevention programs to reach out to new immigrant communities, some of whom are actually at greater risk to develop cardiovascular disease. For example, South Asians are four times as likely as Caucasian or other Asian populations to be diagnosed with early onset Coronary Artery Disease. Coney Island Hospital, Elmhurst and other HHC hospitals are reaching out to the Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Indian communities to encourage cardiovascular screening and save lives.

In recognition of American Heart Month in February, HHC facilities throughout the city are offering special heart healthy screenings and programs to educate communities about cardiovascular health, including tips on how to prevent or reduce the damage caused by heart disease, congestive heart failure and high blood pressure.