The WMCHealth Heart and Vascular Institute Provides Advanced Cardiac Care Across the Hudson Valley

The Institute recently opened a new location in the Ambulatory Care Pavilion adjacent to Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla.

By Sally Parker
As seen in the January/February 2020 Issue of Advancing Care

Whether you require preventative, routine or cutting-edge, life-saving care, residents across the region can benefit from the Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth) Heart and Vascular Institute’s expertise and services at 11 practice locations.

“With our vast geographic reach, multidisciplinary expertise and state-of-the-art technology and facilities, the WMCHealth Heart and Vascular Institute provides world-class care throughout the spectrum of cardiovascular disease, from primary prevention to the acute treatment of patients facing the most complex conditions,” says Julio A. Panza, MD, Director of Cardiology at WMCHealth.

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To make an appointment with a heart and vascular specialist at the WMCHealth Heart and Vascular Institute, call 914.909.6900 or visit WMCHealth.org/heart for more information.

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Prevention

Offering a full range of cardiac care services, the WMCHealth Heart and Vascular Institute recently opened a new location in the Ambulatory Care Pavilion adjacent to Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla. It features two state-of-the- art cardiac catheterization labs and an outpatient practice. Services include noninvasive imaging, echocardiography, stress tests, nuclear medicine, cardiac MRI and cardiac CT scans.

A new program for cardiovascular disease prevention and health promotion “will emphasize healthy lifestyle habits through nutrition and exercise tailored to each patient,” says Panza. “It will also include a 360-degree cardiovascular risk assessment for patients with cardiovascular disease or at risk of developing it.”

The Institute also features a cardio-oncology program focused on preventing and treating the cardiovascular complications of cancer therapies. Additionally, the Institute will soon offer a service that detects cardiomyopathies at an earlier stage.

Managing Your Heart Health

The Institute offers expanding — and top-notch — expertise. Cardiologists Aneta Dimova, MD; Louis Heller, MD; Ellis Lader, MD; and Falak Shah, MD, joined WMCHealth to bring cardiology services to the Kingston community at HealthAlliance Hospital: Mary’s Avenue Campus. This sets the stage for a new interventional cardiology program at HealthAlliance, which, as of press time, was awaiting final state approval. As well, the hospital’s cardiac catheterization lab activities will transfer from the Broadway campus to the Mary’s Avenue campus following a transformative hospital expansion. And new offices in Mamaroneck and New Paltz offer cardiac consultation services and noninvasive imaging by appointment.

“We’re already recognized for advanced and specialized medical care for acute cases, so these offerings highlight that we are also the place where patients come for exceptional primary and secondary intervention,” says Dr. Panza.

Emergency and Immediate Intervention

The WMCHealth Heart and Vascular Institute has earned a reputation as a trusted regional resource for treating acute cardiovascular disease.
The heart failure and transplant program has seen continued growth, with 38 cardiac transplants in 2018 — the second-largest number of transplants in the state that year.

A new telecardiology program links specialists at Westchester Medical Center with medical teams and patients at all 10 WMCHealth hospitals in real time. In the works: The Institute will offer virtual telemedicine consultation services with patients anywhere in the world.
Finally, the Institute has expanded its structural heart disease offerings at Bon Secours Charity Health System.

“We have expanded the scope of our regional vascular heart disease program on the foundation of our nationally recognized transcatheter aortic valve [TAVR] program,” Dr. Panza says. “We’re pleased to provide this remarkable level of care to patients with all levels of severity of the disease, throughout our entire region.”

Visit us at Westchester Medical Center, a member of Westchester Medical Center Health Network, to learn more. Advancing Care. Here.