Saratoga Hospital Completes Update And Expansion Of Its Cardiovascular Services

Saratoga Hospital recently completed a $3.25 million update and expansion of its Whitney-Hendrickson Cardiovascular & Interventional Suite to meet increased demand for advanced cardiovascular and cancer treatments.
The expansion added a second catheterization suite to support critical services, including the hospital’s 24/7 emergency interventional cardiology program and state-of-the-art minimally invasive oncology procedures.
The newly renovated Cardiovascular & Interventional Suite also has 16 pre- and post-procedure patient care bays—instead of the previous eight—and is equipped with the latest patient monitoring technology.
“Our patients now have access to more advanced, potentially lifesaving care in one of the most modern, comfortable cath labs in the Capital Region,” said Jeffrey Winacott, administrative director, cardiovascular service line. “This is yet another example of our commitment to invest in technology, facilities and talent to better serve our growing community.”
Officials said that in recent years, Saratoga Hospital has seen a steady increase in cardiovascular and other interventional procedures. Much of the growth is due to the hospital’s ability to provide increasingly sophisticated cardiac procedures because of its affiliation with Albany Med.
The partnership cleared the way for Saratoga Hospital to launch its 24/7 emergency interventional cardiology program. More recently, affiliation providers began offering cardiac electrophysiology services—including defibrillator implants—at Saratoga Hospital.
“Heart attack patients are receiving critical interventional care much sooner than in the past, when they had to be taken to hospitals more than 30 miles away,” Winacott said. “Time is muscle for these patients. In many cases, in the time they would have spent traveling south, we’ve already completed the procedure.”
The Cardiovascular & Interventional Suite also is equipped for minimally invasive interventional oncology services that typically have been associated with academic medical centers, officials said. For example, Saratoga Hospital interventional oncologists are performing procedures that use imaging guidance and small catheters or probes to deliver heat, cold, chemotherapy or radiation to shrink or destroy tumors.
“Interventional procedures are transforming the way we treat many conditions,” Winacott said. “Our new suites were designed and outfitted with these and future advances in mind.”