Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and UK HealthCare's Kentucky Children's Hospital in Lexington resumed their joint cardiothoracic care services program after a five year suspension, according to Smiley Pete Publishing.
The organizations suspended the program in 2012 for undisclosed reasons, the report states. However, they signed a letter of intent to restart the program in 2015, and finalized the agreement the following September.
The institutions will engage in a "one program, two sites" model, allowing patients in Kentucky the opportunity to undergo surgical procedures, diagnostics and therapeutic interventions in Lexington, as well as in the Cincinnati area.
UK HealthCare officials said their decision to re-engage in the program was based on several factors, including Cincinnati Children's prestigious reputation, the recruitment of world-class physicians and the ability for UK HealthCare staff to participate in onsite training at Cincinnati Children's, the report states.
James Quintessenza, MD, chief of the pediatric cardiothoracic surgery department at UK HealthCare, will lead the program.
"This program represents the culmination of three years of work between Cincinnati Children's and the University of Kentucky to reopen the pediatric cardiac surgical program in Lexington," said Andrew Redington, MD, executive co-director of the Heart Institute and chief of the pediatric cardiology division at Cincinnati Children's. "By establishing a 'one program-two site' collaboration, we ensure that children will get the right operation, in the right place at the right time. We are all delighted that the first cases have done well, and anticipate ongoing success in the years to come."