Rhode Island Hospital, The Miriam Hospital Launch Cardiovascular Institute

Posted Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Program combines hospitals’ cardiovascular programs, community cardiology practices to provide more convenient, streamlined cardiac services for patients

Rhode Island Hospital and The Miriam Hospital have launched the Cardiovascular Institute in an effort to meet the demands of a changing health care environment and to enhance the level of cardiovascular care provided to the community. This innovative program brings together the well-known cardiac programs of both institutions and places a stronger emphasis on extending these programs into the community, where it’s more convenient for patients to receive care.

The new program includes the addition of a new cardiovascular surgeon, four new cardiologists specializing in electrophysiology and heart rhythm disturbances, and the creation of three new ambulatory care centers in East Providence, East Greenwich, and Providence.

“The model of health care is changing, and health care organizations must adapt to meet the needs of our patients and the community,” said Timothy J. Babineau, MD, president and chief executive officer of Lifespan, Rhode Island Hospital and The Miriam Hospital. “By partnering with our peers in the community, we are able to deliver a stronger, more effective approach to cardiac care while maintaining our high standards, and making that care more convenient and accessible to our patients.”

The Cardiovascular Institute (CVI) at Rhode Island Hospital and The Miriam Hospital is a collaboration of cardiovascular services at the two campuses, along with cardiology programs in the community. The new institute bridges cardiac experts on both campuses, providing them with the necessary resources to deliver streamlined, high-quality, patient-centered care with the latest tools and technologies available for diagnosis and treatment.

“Cardiac services is one of the fastest-growing areas in health care, and we expect this trend to continue,” said Frank Sellke, MD, chief of cardiothoracic surgery at Rhode Island and The Miriam hospitals. “Both Rhode Island and The Miriam hospitals provide outstanding cardiac care. Through the Cardiovascular Institute we are combining the expertise of both hospitals to enhance our existing programs and bring both diagnostics and non-surgical treatment closer to home for many of our patients.”

According to Peter Tilkemeier, MD, interim director of cardiology at Rhode Island and The Miriam hospitals, the strength of the CVI rests in its goal of providing the best possible patient experience. “The experience starts the moment you need our services – the person on the other end of the phone when you make an appointment, the employee who greets you when you arrive for your appointment, the doctors, nurses and many others you will come in contact with. The CVI will further enhance this experience, ensuring that all of our cardiac patients receive high-quality care in a timely, efficient, convenient and comfortable fashion.”

To meet the demands of the cardiac program, the CVI has hired cardiac surgeon Afshin Ehsan, MD, who comes to the CVI from Tufts Medical Center in Boston. The CVI also will strengthen the electrophysiology program with the hiring of four cardiologists: Mike Kim, MD, who will serve as director of arrhythmia services, from Northwestern University Medical Center in Chicago; Antony Chu, MD, director of complex ablations, from the Reading Hospital Medical Center in Pennsylvania; as well as Arnoldas Giedramas, MD, and Laura Gravelin, MD, who each completed electrophysiology training at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University last year.

In addition to the ambulatory care centers in East Greenwich, East Providence and Providence, which will be opening over the next year, the CVI also offers comprehensive cardiac services in North Providence and Attleboro. Those services include: cardiac diagnostic testing and intervention and programs for management of hypertension, lipid management and disease prevention. For more information on the CVI or the new ambulatory care centers, please call 401-444-4800 or go to www.cviri.org.

Filed under: Cardio Institute, Miriam, RIH,