Olean, Ny – The interventional cardiac catheterization laboratory, typically referred to as the “cath lab”, at Olean General Hospital (OGH) will be undergoing some updates that will start next week.
The cath lab is a procedural room where physicians use a catheter to conduct diagnostic tests and treatments on the heart. Through the use of the cath lab, the cardiology team performs angiographies and interventional cardiac catheterizations. Since the inception of the cardiac cath lab at OGH in 2013, the team has performed thousands of procedures resulting in countless lives saved over the last decade.
Though the lab will be out of commission starting Monday, October 3 at 7 a.m., the cardiology team at OGH have the resources to continue to provide all the community’s cardiac care needs. The project is tentatively scheduled to last only five weeks. Once re-opened the room will be updated with a brand-new state-of-the-art Siemens Artis Icono Lab which will give the hospital the ability to save lives due to heart complications for years to come.
“This is a great investment for the hospital and necessary for us to continue to provide these essential services to our region,” said Jill Owens, MD, president, UAHS. “When dealing with heart attacks and strokes, time is muscle, and every minute counts. We live in a region where accessibility is a problem. If we didn’t offer this service, the closest facility is over an hour away,” Owens continued.
“This is a vital service for our community and surrounding area. We’re excited to have the means to upgrade to this new state-of-the-art equipment which wouldn’t be possible without the help of the Olean General Hospital Foundation and community. Thank you to them for allowing us to continue to save lives,” said Owens.
The lab is operated in partnership between Olean General Hospital and Kaleida Health’s Gates Vascular Institute in Buffalo, the largest provider of cardiac services in Upstate New York. Olean General Hospital is the only hospital in Southwestern New York to offer advanced cardiac care, including interventional cardiac catheterization and electrophysiology, in partnership with Buffalo General Medical Center/Gates Vascular Institute. OGH is a designated heart attack receiving center and an accredited stroke center.