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HHC Jacobi Advances Cardiac Care With New Heart Monitor
Mar 26, 2015
William P. Walsh, Senior Vice President of the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation’s (HHC) North Bronx Healthcare Network and Executive Director of HHC Jacobi Medical Center, announced today that Jacobi has begun offering a new, smaller and more powerful system for continuous monitoring of heart activity in patients with cardiac arrhythmia (irregular heart beat). Cardiac monitors are often recommended for patients experiencing heart rhythm irregularities such as atrial fibrillation that can result in symptoms including dizziness, palpitation, fainting, chest pain or stroke. Continuous monitoring allows physicians to determine a patient’s cardiac activity over a longer period of time than standard external monitors, and can provide real-time alerts in case of cardiac events, leading to more timely interventions.
“HHC is committed to bringing the best care available to the City’s public hospital system,” said Mr. Walsh. “We want our patients to have access to the latest technologies, and we also want to be sure that those technologies are improving outcomes and reducing avoidable disease and hospitalizations.”
The device is an insertable cardiac monitor that is approximately one-inch long and one-third the size of a AAA battery. It is placed just beneath the skin through a small incision in the chest, and provides continuous and wireless monitoring of cardiac activity. Should an alarming condition arise, the device transmits an alert to both the patient and his or her physician via a secular cellular signal. It also records cardiac rhythms for up to a three-year timespan.
HHC Jacobi Medical Center’s began providing patients with the device late last year after it was approved for use earlier in 2014. It is implanted in a minimally invasive procedure at Jacobi’s state-of-the-art cardiac catheterization lab.
Dr. Michael Grushko, Attending Physician of Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology at Jacobi, performs the procedure and sees the device as a significant advancement in long-term monitoring of patients who may be suffering from arrhythmias.
“Due to the transient nature of arrhythmia issues, they may be missed on standard cardiac monitors that are typically used externally for 24-hour periods and then removed,” said Dr. Grushko. “This device allows us to effectively monitor patients continuously and remotely, and then quickly intervene at the first sign of trouble.”
Moreen Hunter, 53, from the Olinville community of the Bronx, is a HHC patient who recently received the device at Jacobi. She suffers from hypertension and coronary artery disease, as well as a variety of other ailments.
“The incision was very small, I was able to get back on my feet the same day,” said Ms. Hunter, “Now if I feel dizzy I’m able to check the device for peace of mind. By doing so, I’m also able to prevent unneeded trips to the hospital.”
Dr. Grushko said, “As technology continues to advance at a rapid pace, the opportunities we will be able to afford our patients also increases at an exponential level. I have every confidence that devices such as this, given its quick insertion and patient recovery times, will soon become the medical standard for long-term monitoring of potential cardiac arrhythmia issues.”
The device, called “Reveal LINQ,” is manufactured by Medtronic.
The device is implanted in the chest just below the skin to remotely monitor irregular heart activity (Illustration courtesy of Medtronic)
Contact: Ian Michaels, (212) 788-3339
About NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi
NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi is a 457-bed teaching hospital affiliated with the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. The facility holds numerous center of excellence designations for its renowned trauma center, burn center, regional stroke center, regional perinatal center, breast health center and bariatric surgery service. The facility also has a multi-person hyperbaric unit and a surgical intensive care unit. NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi’s Ambulatory Care Pavilion is a stunning complement to its recently constructed inpatient facility and allows staff to provide patients with high-quality care in a modern, state-of-the-art environment. For more information visit https://www.nychealthandhospitals.org/jacobi.
About NYC Health + Hospitals
NYC Health + Hospitals is a $6.7 billion integrated healthcare delivery system and is the largest municipal healthcare organization in the country. HHC provides a wide range of high quality and affordable healthcare services to 1.4 million New Yorkers every year and more than 475,000 are uninsured. HHC offers medical, mental health and substance abuse services, as well as specialized care for a wide range of health conditions through its numerous Centers of Excellence. Comprehensive, personalized care is available to all New Yorkers at HHC’s 11 acute care hospitals, five skilled nursing facilities, six large diagnostic and treatment centers and more than 70 community based clinics. HHC Health and Home Care also provides in-home services for New Yorkers. HHC’s own MetroPlus Health Plan is one of the New York area’s largest providers of government-sponsored health insurance and is the plan of choice for 445,000 New Yorkers. HHC was the 2008 recipient of the National Quality Forum and The Joint Commission’s John M. Eisenberg Award for Innovation in Patient Safety and Quality. Several HHC facilities have been recognized nationally for clinical excellence and commitment to quality achievements. For more information, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org/hhc or find us on facebook.com/NYCHealthSystem or twitter.com/NYCHealthSystem.