NEW: State OKs Consolidation of Open Heart Surgery at Local Hospitals

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Tuesday, March 08, 2011

GoLocalProv Health Team

The state Health Department has approved the consolidation of open heart surgery services at Miriam and Rhode Island hospitals, which are both part of the Lifespan network.

Those services will now be done at one site—Rhode Island Hospital.

The approval comes with a series of conditions, including the following, according to a news release:

■Lifespan hospitals must offer to enroll patients in Current Care.
■Lifespan must report to HEALTH, within six months, the current race, ethnicity, and gender distribution of all open heart surgery patients.
■Rhode Island Hospital must report to HEALTH, annually, utilization data of its cardiology clinic.

“The number of open heart surgeries performed in the last decade has significantly declined,” said Interim Director of Health Michael Fine, MD. “I believe this is a result of a successful, long-term collaboration of public health and primary care. At the same time, we also want to ensure that all Rhode Islanders, including those who are low income or uninsured, continue to have access to this life-saving service.”

For the full report and list of conditions, click here.
 

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