Thanks to a new outpatient location, patients have easier access to vascular testing and treatment.
At Community Medical Center (CMC), patients benefit from a collaborative approach to vascular care. Now they will also benefit from a convenient outpatient location for testing and treatment.
“Patients don’t have to worry about parking at the hospital, registering at the front desk, or sitting in a hospital waiting room,” says Randy Shafritz, MD, RPVI, FACS, a board-certified vascular and endovascular surgeon and Regional Director of Vascular Services for Community Medical Center (CMC), Monmouth Medical Center and Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus. He is also a member of RWJBarnabas Health Medical Group.
That means patients will be able to receive high-quality care more quickly.
“The testing and waiting times will be much shorter,” says Samir Jain, MD, FACC, a cardiologist at CMC and a member of RWJBarnabas Health Medical Group.
The new vascular lab, which is housed in the Riverwood Building on the CMC campus, offers evaluation, imaging, and treatment services under one roof. The physician offices are located on the second floor, and procedures and imaging services are on the first.
Patients can undergo outpatient vascular procedures, such as vein ablation, in which varicose veins are closed; phlebectomies, in which varicose veins are removed; and removal of catheters. In addition, patients can have sophisticated tests, such as duplex ultrasound, which is used to evaluate how well blood moves through arteries and veins, and venous reflux testing, which determines whether blood flows backward when a person stands or sits.
The lab also offers screening for peripheral artery disease (PAD), in which blood flow to the extremities is reduced.
Other vascular tests include nuclear stress testing, in which a radioactive substance is injected into the bloodstream and a state-of-the-art camera takes pictures of the heart while a patient exercises.
With an echocardiogram, ultrasound is used to examine the heart. Staff members, including the lab’s technicians, have special training in vascular ultrasound. Lynne Einbinder, MD, a cardiologist at CMC and a member of RWJBarnabas Health Medical Group, holds a Registered Physician in Vascular Interpretation certification, which means she has advanced training and expertise in evaluating these scans. Since the physicians and technicians work in the same building, a technician can call one of the physicians into the exam room during an imaging test if he or she is concerned.
“We can provide real-time patient care,” says Dr. Einbinder.
Ensuring Continuity of Care
At the new vascular lab, cardiologists, a vascular surgeon, and an interventional radiologist collaborate to care for patients with a variety of vascular problems, such as peripheral artery disease, diabetic foot ulcers, venous insufficiency, abdominal aortic aneurysms, and carotid artery disease. After a patient has an imaging test, the physicians develop a treatment plan and coordinate his or her care.
“We confer with each other,” says Haris Usman, MD, an interventional cardiologist and a member of RWJBarnabas Health Medical Group. “This streamlines the process of testing and treatment.”
The physicians meet on a weekly basis to discuss challenging cases. If, for instance, Dr. Einbinder is concerned that a patient might be at risk for a heart attack, she can refer the patient to Dr. Usman. (See “The Power of Teamwork.”) The vascular team also refers patients with foot-related problems, such as diabetic foot ulcers, to CMC’s podiatrists.
“We ensure continuity of care and long-term follow-up,” says Dr. Einbinder. “We concentrate on improving patient outcomes.”
The Power of Teamwork
George Schermond, 75, of Ocean has always been active, even though he has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, also known as COPD.
Several years ago, he helped his daughter redo her kitchen. But after his wife passed away at the end of 2017, he noticed he didn’t have the energy he once had. He also noticed he had chest pain and swelling in his ankles.
In 2018, he saw his family physician, who referred him to Lynne Einbinder, MD, a cardiologist at Community Medical Center (CMC), for vascular testing, including an ultrasound of his heart. The results showed that he was at risk for a heart attack and needed cardiac stenting, in which a small, mesh tube is placed inside a narrowed or blocked artery to keep it open and improve blood flow to the heart.
Dr. Einbinder referred George to her colleague, Haris Usman, MD, an interventional cardiologist at CMC. Three days later, Dr. Usman placed two stents in George’s cardiac arteries.
George participated in cardiac rehabilitation and regained his energy, but about a year later he developed an aortic aneurysm, in which there’s a bulge in the aorta, the large artery that carries blood from the heart through the chest and abdomen. This required another stent.
“I feel good now,” he says. “I’m very pleased with my care. Dr. Einbinder and Dr. Usman saved my life.”
Your heart doesn’t beat just for you. Get it checked. To reach a Community Medical Center cardiovascular specialist, call (888) 724-7123 or visit www.rwjbh.org/heart