PAWTUCKET – The people of the Blackstone Valley now have a choice for cardiac care, one that is model for how to deliver efficient care, according to Dr. David O. Williams, the director of Cardiovascular Medicine and the Cardiovascular Catheterization Laboratory at Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island. “What should be done locally can now stay locally,” Williams said, talking about the center’s non-invasive testing resources.
Williams was one of the ribbon-cutters at the official reopening of the Cardiovascular Center facility on July 7, which features cutting-edge equipment and state-of-the art technology. The center represents the opportunity created through a new clinical affiliation with Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
Williams touted the high standards of quality care that have been established at Memorial Hospital, including its revamped emergency room, which he says has met the goal of having emergency patients seen by a physician in 20 minutes.
The center has been open for patients since June 7, with an ever-increasing flow of new patients. If surgery is required, patients can be admitted directly to Brigham and Women’s hospital in short order, Williams said.
“The Memorial Hospital Cardiovascular Center provides a patient-centered approach to cardiovascular care, including prevention, diagnosis and treatment,” said Dr. Andrew Artenstein, physician-in-chief of medicine at Memorial Hospital
In the larger context of Rhode Island’s hospital sector, the partnership between Brigham & Women’s and Memorial Hospital in creating the Cardiovascular Center represents an economic move to compete within the current landscape. With Steward Health Care’s purchase of Landmark Medical Center and its establishment of a preferred health network for employees, coupled with Lifespan’s decision to consolidate all of its invasive heart surgery procedures at Rhode Island Hospital, the new Cardiovascular Center provides an health care option for Blackstone Valley and southern Massachusetts residents.
