Lexington Medical Center Receives Approval for Emergency Angioplasty
May 5, 2009
WEST COLUMBIA, SC – Amy 5, 2009 – The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) has approved Lexington Medical Center’s Certificate of Need (CON) application to perform emergency angioplasty and to add a second catheterization lab at its main hospital campus.
Lexington Medical Center filed the CON application for emergency angioplasty last November. The goal of angioplasty is to open blood vessels and increase blood flow to the heart. Lexington Medical Center estimates it will perform emergency angioplasty on approximately 120 patients per year who come to our Emergency Department having a heart attack.
Lexington Medical Center continues to grow rapidly and needs to expand its capability to care for heart attack patients. In 2008, Lexington Medical Center cared for more than 87,000 patients in the hospital’s Emergency Department and more than 146,000 Urgent Care patients in our community medical centers around Lexington County. Lexington Medical Center transferred more than 100 patients having heart attacks to other area hospitals.
In addition, the approved CON application grants Lexington Medical Center approval to add a second catheterization lab for its busy catheterization program at the hospital. The project will also relocate the existing catheterization lab to another area of the hospital.
Lexington Medical Center believes the gold standard of heart care is open heart surgery. “We are as committed now as we always have been to having a full cardiac care center. Until we reach that goal, our staff and cardiologists believe emergency angioplasty is the best way for now to take care of emergency heart patients in our care,” said Tod Augsburger, Chief Operating Officer of Lexington Medical Center.
In February, Lexington Medical Center took a significant step toward reaching its goal of open heart surgery. After months of discussions, Lexington Medical Center and Providence Hospitals announced an agreement where Providence Hospitals will support Lexington Medical Center in seeking regulatory approval for open heart surgery through a joint CON application. In that application, Lexington Medical Center will request approval for one open heart surgery suite and the authority to perform open heart surgery and therapeutic cardiac catheterizations. If approved by DHEC, Providence Hospitals will de-license one of its open heart surgery suites, allowing Lexington Medical Center to add a suite, in keeping with the 2008-2009 State Health Plan.
Lexington Medical Center plans to file the CON for open heart surgery soon. The mission of Lexington Medical Center is to provide quality health care that meets the needs of our community. We believe the citizens of Lexington County need access to full cardiac care in their county.
About Lexington Medical Center
Lexington Medical Center, in West Columbia, S.C., anchors a county-wide health care network that includes six community medical centers throughout Lexington County and employs a staff of 5,100 health care professionals. The network also includes the largest extended care facility in the state, an occupational health center and physician practices. At its heart is the 384-bed state-of-the-art Lexington Medical Center, with a reputation for the highest quality care. Lexington Medical Center was voted one of the “Best Places to Work” by the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, “Best Hospital” by readers of The State for nine years in a row, “Best Hospital” by readers of the Free Times and “Best Place to Have a Baby” by readers of Palmetto Parent. Visit www.lexmed.com or www.lexmed.tv.
