Cardiologists from University Hospitals Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute at UH Cleveland Medical Center will now serve the health system's Parma (Ohio) Medical Center as part of the hospital's $27.5 million surgery department upgrades, Cleveland.com reported July 7.
"We have always wanted to elevate cardiac surgery services at Parma Medical Center but putting the right team together takes time," said Mehdi Shishehbor, DO, PhD, president at UH Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute who led the expansion at Parma Medical Center.
"We've been very fortunate over the last two years to recruit a number of very talented and world-renowned cardiac surgeons to come to UH. Because of those recruitments, we're now able to provide high-level services to Parma and our community hospitals," he told the news outlet.
Access to cardiologists from the UH heart institute enables patients who need specialized cardiac care or advanced procedures to stay at UH Parma Medical Center instead of traveling to the health system's Cleveland Medical Center — the main hospital.
Four surgeons from UH Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute will now serve the community hospital: Gregory Rushing, MD; Pablo Ruda Vega, MD; Marc Pelletier, MD; and Yasir Abu-Omar, MD. The physicians will lead advanced coronary bypass graft surgery, aortic and mitral valve surgery, and minimally invasive surgery.
"Our vision is, if you walk into any of our hospitals and you need cardiovascular care under the Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute that you will get the best care available that is consistent and equal to anyplace that you would go in to our system," Dr. Shishehbor said.
UH Parma's cardiac catheterization labs have also been upgraded as part of the renovation, with additional plans to upgrade a suite for electrophysiology procedures.