Larkin Community Hospital Palm Springs Campus Opens New Cath Lab As It Expands Cardiovascular Services

MIAMI, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Larkin Community Hospital Palm Springs Campus (LCHPSC) announced the opening of a new cardiac catheterization lab that will provide rapid and comprehensive care to hundreds of heart patients every year for life-threatening emergencies and scheduled cardiac procedures. The cardiac catheterization lab, will transform treatment for patients in the growing community of Hialeah by vastly improving access to cardiac care in the surrounding area.

Dr. Brian Valle, has been named the Director of the LCHPSC Catheterization Lab and leads a team of twenty specialists including interventional cardiologists, nurses, and technicians. The hospital's interventional cardiologist are some of the most experienced in Miami Dade County.

"Our team is thrilled that LCHPSC will now be a destination for world class cardiac care, by offering the advanced cardiac services of elective and emergency coronary intervention 24 hours a day, 7 days a week," explains Dr. Brian Valle.

A catheterization lab or "cath lab" is critical for treating heart attack patients whose artery suddenly becomes blocked, leading to loss of blood flow in the heart muscle. They require an urgent, minimally invasive stenting procedure called percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) that is performed in the cath lab. The stent serves as a scaffold to open the blocked artery and restores blood flow to preserve heart muscle function; otherwise, the heart may be permanently damaged. The life-saving and usually painless stenting procedure offers a quick recovery and return home, and improves a patient's quality of life.

The LCHPSC Catheterization Laboratory also provides a variety of elective procedures for hundreds of additional heart patients. These include stenting for severely blocked coronary arteries that cause chest pain or shortness of breath; catheterizations to measure function in heart failure patients to better manage their symptoms; and implanting pacemakers and defibrillators in patients with abnormal heart rhythms.

The experienced cardiac team at LCHPSC can also take care of STEMI patients. STEMI which stands for ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction, is a serious heart attack caused by lack of blood flow to large areas of the heart. Our STEMI team is composed of Techs, Nurses, and Doctors all with extensive years of treating these complicated STEMI patients. Patients experiencing these critical types of heart attacks can get potentially lifesaving care by re-opening blocked arteries in less than 90 minutes, which is the national standard.

"Larkin Community Hospital Palm Springs Campus has made significant strides in enhancing its cardiac care services. By expanding its Cardiology Division to include a full-service catheterization laboratory and taking care of STEMI patients, the hospital is equipped with advanced technology and highly trained staff to promptly diagnose and treat heart attack patients," says Yoely Hernandez, CEO at Larkin Community Hospital Palm Springs Campus. "This accomplishment not only demonstrates the institution's commitment to providing quality healthcare but also showcases its resilience in bouncing back from the challenges posed by the pandemic, especially in a city like Hialeah, which was hit particularly hard. It's indeed a remarkable achievement that reflects the dedication and efforts of everyone involved in our Hospital."

SOURCE Larkin Community Hospital Palm Springs