More Than 100 Hearts and Lives Saved Just One Year After the Opening of the Montefiore Einstein Cardiac Surgery Program at White Plains Hospital

November 2021 marked the first ever open-heart surgery performed at White Plains Hospital, a member of the Montefiore Einstein Academic Health System. Just one year later, Montefiore Einstein’s world-renowned surgeons, Robert E. Michler, MD, Surgeon-in-Chief, Montefiore Health System and Chairman, Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, together with William A. Jakobleff, Jr., MD, Attending Surgeon, Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, reached an extraordinary milestone in saving more than 100 hearts and lives with exceptional outcomes that far exceed national and NYC standards.

Dr. Michler launched the Montefiore Einstein Cardiac Surgery Program at White Plains Hospital to address the significant need for Westchester and Southern Connecticut cardiac patients who require open-heart surgery to have excellent care close to home. Prior to the program’s creation, nearly 80% of cardiac patients from Westchester County had to travel from their local neighborhood to Montefiore Einstein and other NYC hospitals to access advanced cardiac care.

Montefiore Einstein’s world-renowned clinical excellence combined with its academic medicine to further advance premier care are the foundation for the Cardiac Surgery Program at White Plains Hospital. Procedures performed in the last year include coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), mitral valve repair and replacement, aortic valve replacement, combined CABG/valve procedures, minimally invasive heart surgery, and aortic aneurysm surgery.

Drs. Michler and Jakobleff, who as surgical partners have performed together thousands of open-heart surgeries over the years, and take a personalized approach to patient care. They have multiple detailed conversations with each patient before their surgery to explain in detail what to expect and to answer any questions the patient or their family members may have. With a remarkable 30-day survival rate of 100%, far exceeding national quality and performance metrics, patients have been able to return home much sooner than the national average, thanks to the enhanced mobility and early ambulation program implemented by Dr. Michler.

Both surgeons also coordinate with patients’ primary care physicians and cardiologists before and after their care. They are supported in their lifesaving work by a multidisciplinary team of professionals who are at the top of their respective fields and share the team’s mission to provide the highest quality care.

To support the heart surgery program, White Plains Hospital opened a new, state-of-the-art Intensive Care Unit (ICU), expanding the hospital’s ICU capacity and introducing the progressive universal bed model for patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

The Montefiore Einstein Cardiac Surgery Program at White Plains Hospital is located at 122 Maple Avenue, White Plains, NY. To learn more about the program, visit wphospital.org/cardiacsurgery.