New Recovery Lounge is One of the First in New Jersey-New York Metro Area; First in a Top-Ranked New Jersey Teaching Hospital
August 6, 2020, Morristown, NJ – Atlantic Health System’s Morristown Medical Center, nationally recognized for heart care, today opened one of the region’s first radial lounges in its Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute. Morristown Medical Center has been named the top hospital in New Jersey, and its cardiology and cardiac surgery program ranked among the Top 50 nationally.
Radial lounges are specifically designed to meet the needs of cardiac catheterization patients who have had their procedure performed through a catheter inserted into their radial (wrist) artery, also known as transradial catheterization. This procedure, which has a shorter recovery period and less bleeding risk than traditional cardiac catheterizations done through the femoral (groin) artery, is now an option for many patients who are catheterized in order to conduct a diagnostic angiogram or have an angioplasty or stent procedure.
“Nearly half of all cardiac catheterizations are now done transradially, and there is plenty of data to show it is very safe and can be done as an outpatient procedure” said Jordan G. Safirstein, MD, FACC, FSCAI, Director of Transradial Catheterization for Atlantic Health System’s Morristown Medical Center and a nationally recognized thought leader on transradial catheterization and stenting. “We saw the need for a recovery area for these patients that was more comfortable. These patients don’t need a traditional recovery room. Our goal is to safely send patients home on the same day of their procedure but while they spend time with us, it should be time spent relaxing, reading, receiving education about their procedure and prevention of future events. If they need new medications, we can provide that to them before they leave.”
The newly designed radial lounge at Morristown Medical Center has six bays that will be more comfortable for patients and family members. In a traditional recovery room, transradial catheterization patients are confined to a stretcher and wall monitors. The radial lounge is a modernized recovery area, where the recovering patient can walk around while being monitored via wireless telemetry.
“Patients can help themselves to food and beverages, sit in a comfortable lounge chair, and even use the restroom independently,” said Dr. Safirstein. “This all leads to a more comfortable and humane recovery period for transradial cardiac catheterization patients.”
Although the post-procedure bleeding risk is virtually nonexistent with radial access, a pressure wristband, also known as a TR band, is placed following the transradial catheterization in order to stop the artery from bleeding. Transradial procedures use minimal sedation and patients typically walk back to their recovery bays, sometimes with a bathroom stop. Transradial patients are alert and oriented, and only remain in recovery long enough to remove the TR band, generally in 4-6 hours.
Dr. Safirstein specializes in cardiac and peripheral vascular Intervention as well as minimally invasive transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). He is one of the interventional cardiologists on the Valve Center team at Morristown Medical Center, which has performed more TAVR procedures than any other facility in the state of New Jersey.
About Heart Care at Atlantic Health System
Morristown Medical Center, the hub of heart care at Atlantic Health System, is one of the top 40 programs in the country (#38) for Cardiology & Cardiac Surgery (U.S. News & World Report) and one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Care (Healthgrades).
Its expert team presents research across the world and is comprised of interventional cardiologists, electrophysiologists, heart failure experts, advanced imagers, general non-invasive cardiologists and cardiac surgeons.
The program also offers expert-led specialty programs in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, sports cardiology, cardio-oncology, pediatric cardiology, and heart disease in women. The team works closely with community cardiologists who provide a medical home for patients with heart disease.
Atlantic Health System Heart Care is focused on offering minimally-invasive and non-invasive procedures that help patients return to their lives faster, including valve replacement options for the aortic, mitral, and tricuspid valve, and is helping pioneer the radial (wrist) approach for angioplasties.
Morristown Medical Center is home to the largest cardiac surgery and invasive cardiology programs in New Jersey and offers many of the most up-to-date cardiac imaging technologies available.
Patients from across Atlantic Health’s entire network of care settings are seamlessly connected to Morristown when advanced cardiovascular care is necessary thanks to an infrastructure that includes helipads and ambulance transport and an electronic health record system that allows physicians to share health records in real-time.
Because of its infrastructure to support research through the Atlantic Center for Research, volume, and earned credibility with the sponsors of trials—pharmaceutical, biotech, or medical device companies—Atlantic Health System Heart Care is able to offer cutting edge and novel clinical trials that offer patients access to the latest advancements in cardiac care.
About Atlantic Health System
Atlantic Health System has a long-standing tradition of providing exceptional patient outcomes and experiences. Home to seven award-winning hospitals including Morristown Medical Center, the number one hospital in NJ according to U.S. News & World Report and Newsweek’s World’s Best Hospitals, the system has been ranked first in New Jersey in consumer preference by Monigle and first among health systems in New Jersey as a “best workplace” by both Modern Healthcare and Fortune Magazine.
Many of the system’s programs have received national accolades and designations, including top rankings for Orthopedics, Gynecology and Cardiology & Heart Surgery, as well as Atlantic Health System’s Cancer Care program, the only New Jersey-based National Cancer Institute National Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP). Additionally, Atlantic Health System Neuroscience at Overlook Medical Center, working with Atlantic Mobile Health, was the first in the nation to deploy and use portable Telestroke technology in ambulances for routine pre-hospital assessment of stroke patients.
Powered by a passionate workforce of 17,000 team members and 4,800 affiliated physicians dedicated to building healthier communities, Atlantic Health System serves more than half of the state of New Jersey, including 11 counties and 4.9 million people. The system provides care for the full continuum of health needs across a wide array of settings, including Atlantic Medical Group, one of the largest multi-specialty practices in New Jersey with more than 1,000 physicians and providers, 12 urgent care centers, Atlantic Rehabilitation Institute, Atlantic Visiting Nurse and Atlantic Anywhere’s Virtual Visits. Facilitating connections between these services on both land and air is the transportation fleet of Atlantic Mobile Health.
With a clear sense of purpose and an unparalleled culture, Atlantic Health System attracts top leaders in the field of health care, from CEO Brian Gragnolati, who was Chairman of the American Hospital Association in 2019, to the numerous team members who serve as leaders across national clinical associations and research entities.