The opening of a new cardiac catheterization laboratory (cath lab) at Reading Hospital will help meet the region's growing demand for heart procedures and enable more patients to be treated and diagnosed each day.
The Reading Hospital Foundation recently hosted a celebratory ribbon cutting with donors, employees, and community leaders to formally dedicate the new cath lab after raising the necessary funding to support the project.
At the cath lab, interventional cardiologists can perform minimally invasive tests and procedures to diagnose and treat cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks. In recent years, Reading Hospital, which received the Great Heart Program Award from Becker’s Hospital Review in August, has seen the number of heart and vascular patients increase. Currently, clinicians perform approximately 2,500 cardiac procedures annually.
“This is a state-of-the-art space where lives will be saved, and hearts will be healed,” said Earl Hope, MD, Chief, Division of Cardiology at Reading Hospital. “And that is a reason to celebrate.”
The new lab space also allows clinicians to work more efficiently, reduce procedure times, and treat more patients every day. High-quality imaging in the newly advanced space guides team members in performing delicate procedures such as mitral clips and device implantations, helping them meet the increased technical demands of these procedures.
“When our patients need care, we strive to give them the very best; and this new Cardiac Cath Lab will allow us to do just that,” said Charles F. Barbera, MD, Reading Hospital President and CEO. “We are so blessed to have some of the most compassionate and talented healthcare experts here at Reading Hospital.”
“I want to acknowledge the generosity of our donors,” said Katherine Thornton, President of Reading Hospital Foundation. “It is thanks to their kindness and support that the Reading Hospital Foundation was able to raise $2.1 million for this impressive facility that will help many people in our community.”