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PBMC receives final approval for new cardiac care center

PBMC interior cath lab.

Peconic Bay Medical Center cleared its final hurdle for state approval of a new cardiac care center.

New York State Health Commissioner Howard Zucker signed off on the plan to establish two cardiac catheterization laboratories, electrophysiology suites and a rooftop helipad at the Riverhead hospital, which is part of Northwell Health, according to a press release from the hospital on Tuesday.

The cardiac care center will be known as the Kanas Regional Heart Center and will be housed in PBMC’s $60 million Critical Care Tower, for which construction is set to begin this spring.

“It is fitting that we get this long-awaited green light following National Heart Health Month,” PBMC president and CEO Andrew Mitchell said in the release. “East End residents have had to travel farther for advanced cardiac services than anyone else in the tri-state area, and considering that heart ailments require quick diagnosis and treatment, this facility will make a real difference. It will save lives.”

The hospital will have the first cath labs of its kind of the East End, which Dr. Stanley Katz, chair of cardiology and chief of interventional cardiology at PBMC has been instrumental in planning and designing, according to the news release.

Cath labs are used to place stents in patient’s hearts to open blockages in addition to other procedures, while electrophysiology labs are for diagnosing and treating heart arrhythmias.  

PBMC chair Sherry Patterson said the community has long needed those services, which Dr. Katz, who is also the senior vice president, executive director and chair of Northwell Health cardiology services, will focus on expanding on the East End.

“We are grateful for the support of so many generous members of the community in helping us fund this project,” Ms. Patterson said. “Their dreams and ours are about to become a reality.”

Photo caption: A rendering of the cath lab. (Credit: PBMC)

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