Cardiovascular innovation at the highest level

St. Francis Heart Center...a national leader

No hospital on Long Island matches Catholic Health’s St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center® for cardiovascular expertise or outcomes.

Few hospitals in the country can match St. Francis for cardiovascular expertise and exceptional patient outcomes across a number of cardiac services and sub-specialties. Our physicians are lead investigators in numerous research trials, which are yielding new techniques for restoring heart patients to health using minimally invasive approaches.

“Our dedicated team of board-certified physicians is committed to providing cardiac patients the highest quality care using the latest treatments available. And our nursing staff is continually recognized for excellence,” said St. Francis President Charles Lucore, MD, MBA.

St. Francis Heart Center’s cardiothoracic expertise has long been available at Good Samaritan University Hospital. Additionally, St. Francis has catheterization labs at Mercy, St. Joseph and St. Catherine of Siena hospitals, plus a dedicated chest pain unit at St. Catherine. This means our worldleading cardiac care is available across Long Island, wherever you live.

A world leader, here at home

Beyond its national standing, St. Francis Heart Center is now recognized as a global leader. Its expert cardiologists have presented their world-class techniques in precision angioplasty to the most respected physician conferences in Europe and Asia, and they teach fellow cardiologists around the globe the advanced techniques and protocols that have earned St. Francis Heart Center unmatched honors at home.

“Most angioplasties are still being guided by two-dimensional coronary imaging. Not at St. Francis,” said Catholic Health Chairman of Cardiovascular Services and Chairman of Cardiology at St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center Richard Shlofmitz, MD. “We utilize leading-edge 3D imaging to place stents with far more precision, knowing exactly how long the stent should be and how wide. This is much better for the patient’s long-term cardiac health. That’s why we call it precision angioplasty.”

How we stand out

Cardiac care, where you are St. Francis Heart Center services are now available across Long Island, accessible at the following Catholic Health campuses:

• Good Samaritan University Hospital in West Islip

• Mercy Hospital in Rockville Centre

• St. Catherine of Siena Hospital in Smithtown

• St. Joseph Hospital in Bethpage

First use of new heart tool St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center, New York State’s only specialty designated cardiac center, has performed the world’s first heart valve procedure using the new TELLTALE electrosurgical guidewire system to assist minimally invasive valve replacement and repair.

The history-making procedure was performed in February of this year at St. Francis Hospital by Jaffar Khan, MD, innovator of the BASILICA procedure, assisted by George Petrossian, MD, and Newell Robinson, MD, co-chairs of St. Francis Hospital’s structural heart program.

“Using the TELLTALE device, the St. Francis team was able to successfully treat a patient who was at high risk of coronary obstruction post-TAVR due to the patient’s anatomy,” commented Dr. Khan. “We were able to cut the diseased valve leaflet out of the way within minutes, allowing for safe and effective implantation of the prosthetic valve. Bringing this therapy to Long Island and beyond is the result of collaboration among physicians at St. Francis, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), MedStar Washington Hospital Center and Emory University Hospital. Ultimately, it’s our patients who will reap the benefits.”

Highest honors for excellence

The American College of Cardiology (ACC) has awarded St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center the HeartCARE Center National Distinction of Excellence. No other hospital in our region—inclusive of Long Island, Westchester and New York City’s five boroughs—has achieved the ACC’s prestigious HeartCARE Center designation.

The ACC designation recognizes St. Francis’s extraordinary cardiovascular care provided to patients every day, spanning accreditations for its Catheterization Lab and Chest Pain Center, as well as certification of its TAVR program.

“Our numerous certifications, accreditations and recognitions assure patients that our outcomes are exceptional,” said Dr. Robinson, who is also chair of cardiothoracic and vascular surgery at St. Francis. Added Dr. Petrossian, “St. Francis provides the world-class cardiac treatments that allow our patients to recover, return home and get on with their lives. That’s the most important outcome of all.”

Dr. Shlofmitz summed it up simply: “You have only one heart. Where you go for care makes all the difference.”

To schedule a consultation with one of St. Francis Heart Center’s expert cardiologists, call (866) MY-LI-DOC or visit chsli.org/cardiac-care

Stream “The Heart of St. Francis” on Mediflix.com Mediflix, a trusted “edutainment” video streaming platform, has produced an exclusive docuseries: “The Heart of St. Francis.” This five-part telecast explores how St. Francis Heart Center is leading the way in minimally invasive cardiovascular care. Visit Mediflix.com to learn how the future of cardiology is happening here on Long Island—at St. Francis Heart Center.

St. Francis, Catholic Health’s flagship hospital, boasts a long list of awards and accolades. U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center a national leader in cardiology and cardiac surgery. The hospital has also earned a 5-star rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for three consecutive years. And St. Francis has earned more “A” grades for safety from The Leapfrog Group than any hospital in New York State. In addition:

• St. Francis has been awarded the highest overall rating by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) for coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

• Its transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) program has been awarded the highest honors by both STS and the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and is certified by the ACC. St. Francis has the highest TAVR volumes in New York State, as well as the best outcomes.

• Its minimally invasive cardiac procedures provide significantly better patient outcomes than other programs across New York State. Its cardiac catheterization lab is among the highest volume of angioplasty centers in the state and is the only one on Long Island to receive cath lab accreditation from the ACC.

• St. Francis is one of only two hospitals on Long Island to have ACC accreditation as a chest pain center with resuscitation.

• The St. Francis ventricular assist device (VAD) program is certified by The Joint Commission and boasts the best outcomes and longevity, with results that far outperform VAD programs nationally. The program’s Surgical Director Edward F. Lundy, MD, PhD, has just performed St. Francis Hospital’s 75th VAD implant.

• St. Francis has blazed the trail in electrophysiology, providing exceptional outcomes in the treatment of arrhythmia. Under the leadership of Joseph Levine, MD, St. Francis has pioneered groundbreaking research and a number of first-in-region trials for advanced, stroke-reducing devices for patients diagnosed with atrial fibrillation.