Media Release

For Immediate Release
Date: December 15, 2006

HEALTH Grants South County Hospital Permission to Establish Diagnostic Cardiac Catheterization Service

Conditions of Approval Aimed at Balancing Technology and Primary Care

Based on the Health Services Council's recommendation, David R. Gifford, M.D., M.P.H., Director of the Rhode Island Department of Health, granted a Certificate of Need (CON) to South County Hospital to establish a diagnostic cardiac catheterization service. Diagnostic cardiac catheterization involves passing a catheter (a thin flexible tube) into the heart to obtain diagnostic information about the heart or its blood vessels.

The approval will allow South County Hospital to establish a diagnostic cardiac catheterization service that will be developed and operated in close association with the established cardiac program at Rhode Island Hospital. This will bring the latest technology for diagnostic cardiac services to the South County area. In addition, the approval will require the hospital to 1) work with primary care physicians to provide comprehensive cardiovascular health programs focused on prevention and wellness, 2) develop and implement a plan to promote the use of electronic medical records by primary care physicians in the hospital's service area, 3) provide for the sharing of the diagnostic cardiac catheterization studies with other hospitals in Rhode Island that may perform subsequent therapeutic interventions such as angioplasty or open heart surgery, 4) maintain a registry of cardiac catheterization procedures, and 5) comply with all relevant rules and regulations as may be promulgated with respect to cardiac catheterization.

In granting the CON to South County Hospital, Dr. Gifford noted "As we continue to invest in the latest and best technology, it is appropriate to balance such investments with more prevention and primary care services as well as the use of electronic medical records and appropriate sharing of this information with other providers. We are pleased to make these services available to people in the South County area, as we believe that this will be of great benefit to them," he added.