February is Heart Month, and it should come as no surprise that this is a big deal at St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center in Syracuse, NY. St. Joseph’s is recognized as the best in cardiac care, holding a dozen different accreditations, certifications, and recognitions for cardiovascular care.
The hospital performed the first open heart surgery in 1958, and was the third center in the United States to perform angioplasty. St. Joseph’s has continued to lead the way in the prevention, detection and treatment of heart disease; most recently, successfully performing the first MitraClip procedures in CNY.
St. Joseph’s will be hosting or participating in several events this month, including its feature “Be a Lifesaver” event on Saturday, February 13-14 at Destiny USA.
The reach of St. Joseph’s cardiac care extends far beyond CNY, though. Last April, an 18-year-old boy from Haiti was selected to travel to Syracuse, specifically St. Joseph’s, to have live-saving heart surgery. In September of 2015, three doctors and three other members of the St. Joseph’s cardiac team traveled all the way to Romania to perform heart surgeries. And then in November, the Romanian team visited St. Joseph’s to observe best practices and surgeries in the cardiac department.
Cardiac care goes beyond doctors and technology, though. The cardiac patients at St. Joseph’s are also receiving more than 300 visits per month from volunteers at Mended Hearts of Greater Syracuse – part of the largest heart patient support network in the world, made up of volunteers who have survived heart disease and offer support to other heart patients, their families, friends and caregivers.
In addition to these many accolades, and the events being held throughout the month, several of St. Joseph’s buildings will also be lit up in red for heart health awareness starting today and throughout the month of February.
Read more about St. Joseph’s Heart Month events, and see the list of all 12 Cardiovascular accreditations and certifications, on the St. Joseph’s website.