Catholic Health launches St. Francis Heart Center at St. Catherine of Siena Hospital

Catholic Health is expanding with its newly opened,  award-winning St. Francis Heart Center (SFHC) at St. Catherine of Siena Hospital (SCSH) in Smithtown. Here, St. Francis cardiologists will provide prompt, expert assessments and treatment of acute chest pain.

“In bringing St. Francis Heart Center to St. Catherine, we’re giving residents of Suffolk County’s north shore access to lifesaving treatment for patients with acute chest pain,” said SCSH President James O’Connor. “Residents can have confidence in knowing that they have access to St. Francis’ cardiovascular care close to home.”

Led by a team of nationally-renowned cardiologists, the St. Francis Heart Center at St. Catherine is specifically for those who present with acute chest pain. Patients will be seen quickly by a physician and receive an EKG within minutes. The individual’s condition will be evaluated using the H.E.A.R.T. scoring method: History, Electrocardiogram (ECG), Age, Risk factors and levels of Troponin, ensuring customized, efficient and effective treatment.

Based on the patient’s score, St. Francis physicians will determine the level of criticality and treatment options. In some cases, a cardiac CT scan will be performed to better assess a patient’s heart and locate heart disease. The images will be read by St. Francis Heart Center’s dedicated cardiac imaging team. If a patient requires a catheterization, precision angioplasty will be performed onsite with the level of excellence that has made St. Francis Heart Center a recognized national leader in cardiology. Upon the patient’s discharge, the team will schedule follow-up appointments within 24 hours with a St. Francis-affiliated cardiologist, or the patient’s own cardiologist.

“Timely diagnosis and treatment of patients with acute chest pain is vital to successful outcomes,” said Catholic Health and St. Francis Hospital Chairman of Cardiology Richard Shlofmitz, MD. “When a person has a heart problem, it has to be taken care of right away. You don’t want to walk into an urgent care center and then have to drive to a hospital emergency room and wait hours before receiving therapy. Time is valuable, and we want to save you time by bringing St. Francis closer to you. With the opening of the St. Francis Heart Center at St. Catherine, patients will receive the same quality of care and expertise St. Francis is known for worldwide.”

The St. Francis Heart Center has already expanded its nationally recognized cardiovascular expertise to Good Samaritan Hospital in West Islip and Mercy Hospital in Rockville Centre.

For more information on the cardiology services offered at Catholic Health, click here or call (866) MY-LI-DOC. To view a video about the new St. Francis Heart Center at St. Catherine, click here.