Montefiore Einstein Cardiac Surgery Brings Complex Care to White Plains Hospital Heart Program

White Plains Hospital, a member hospital of Montefiore Einstein, now has internationally renowned surgeons from Montefiore Einstein performing complex cardiac procedures—including aortic valve surgery, coronary artery bypass surgery and mitral valve repair and replacement—in Westchester. Led by Robert E. Michler, MD, Surgeon-in-Chief, Montefiore Health System, and Chairman, Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, the preeminence of Montefiore Einstein’s cardiac care is well known: For the past decade, Montefiore Einstein’s heart program has earned three Stars, the highest ranking possible from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Bringing that world-class pedigree to Westchester means White Plains Hospital is now providing cardiac surgery at an exceptionally high level.

Until the program launched, nearly 80% of Westchester County patients who needed open-heart surgery had to leave Westchester for care. Patients in need of advanced cardiac procedures had no choice but to travel to large medical centers in New York or other big cities that offered a full suite of cardiac treatments. Changing that dynamic has been an important goal for White Plains Hospital—and with the launch of the Montefiore Einstein Division of Cardiac Surgery at White Plains Hospital open-heart surgery program last fall, the evolution is complete. Hudson Valley residents now have access to a full suite of world-class comprehensive cardiac care in Westchester County.

To support the cardiac surgery program, White Plains Hospital has continued to transform its operating rooms, ICUs and inpatient rooms, including the creation of a hybrid operating room that will allow surgeons to perform the latest cardiac procedures. Being able to offer state-of-the-art operating rooms and recovery suites specifically for cardiac patients is another aspect that sets the program apart, according to Dr. Michler. “These are investments in the provision of excellence,” he explains.

In addition, the hospital’s cardiac care teams work closely with a network of cardiologists and specialists throughout Westchester County and the Hudson Valley to provide seamless access to consistent, high-quality cardiac care for patients. When a patient is discharged after a surgery, for example, White Plains Hospital arranges for a transition to outpatient care (including Burke Rehabilitation Hospital, another member of Montefiore Einstein, for its specialized cardiac program) and will arrange for all necessary follow-up care and appointments with the patient’s own cardiologist or primary care team.

“This is a very demanding specialty, which requires excellence at every step of the patient experience—from cardiac surgery to cardiac anesthesia care to ICU care to nursing to the outpatient experience,” Dr. Michler explains. “Every step needs to be aligned with the superb surgical experience that a patient will receive.”

The hospital’s first cardiac catheterization lab, the Joan and Alan Herfort, MD, Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory, opened in 2008 and began performing emergency cardiac catheterizations in 2010. In late 2015, the hospital opened a second catheterization lab, the Marie Promuto Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory. These cath labs, recently awarded the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline EMS Gold Achievement Award for quality in the treatment of heart attacks, are overseen by Director of Interventional Cardiology, Dimitrios Bliagos, MD. The labs use minimally invasive procedures to diagnose and treat blockages in the coronary arteries and other heart-related conditions.

In 2018, Daniel Wang, MD, was named Director of Cardiac Electrophysiology at White Plains Hospital and began to build a more comprehensive cardiac electrophysiology program (EP). Cardiac EP is the subspecialty of cardiology that deals with arrhythmias—electrical problems with the heart that can cause heart rates that are too slow, too fast, or otherwise irregular, and can weaken the heart and lead to congestive heart failure.

With a roster of expert general cardiologists and two catheterization labs to perform interventional cardiology treatments, White Plains Hospital was two-thirds of the way to being a full-service cardiac center, Dr. Wang says. “We were able to provide all the advanced cardiac services available that can be done without open-heart surgery,” he says. “The open-heart surgery program, in essence, completes the story. It is the final piece to achieving our goal of not only having full cardiac services but also excelling at them.”