Work begins on $3 million heart lab at NMC

Construction is under way on a new $3 million heart catheterization lab at Newton Medical Center.

The entity, which is to be known as Newton Cardiac Services, will be a for-profit joint venture with partners cardiologists Dr. Hoessein Amirani, Dr. Saad Farhat, Via Christi Health Systems and NMC.

Hoessein and Amirani already see patients in Newton.

The cath lab will offer diagnostic and intervention services to local patients.

Among the procedures that will be performed will be heart catheterization, angiography, stinting, and installation of pacemakers and defibrillators.

Patients still will have to go outside of Newton for open-heart surgery.

Via Christi officials are hoping some of those heart patients will come to their facility for treatment, said Randy Peterson, senior vice president for regional operations for Via Christi Health System.

“We’ve had a strong working relationship with regional health-care providers,” he said. “This fits well and allows us to expand services in our own market and expand care outside of Wichita.”

Mike Keller, NMC chief operating officer, said the cath lab project has been a long time coming.

“It has taken us about five years,” he said. “There were a lot of legal issues. We had to have the right partners and equipment and a design for the building. It has been more complex than some of our other projects.”

Farhat, who will be the medical director of the center, said the cath lab will allow patients to get services closer to home.

“I am very excited about the lab,” he said. “I am happy that the patients who have trusted me with their heart care will be able to find quality care close to home in a more family friendly environment.”

Amirani said having access to the emotional support of friends and family can help a patient in their recoveries.

Also, quick access to intervention techniques can prevent damage of the heart muscle.

“Sometimes in a heart emergency, a procedure needs to be done quickly,” Amirani said. “This cuts down on the travel, and patients don’t have to wait to be admitted to a different facility.”

Both doctors said they hoped the new lab would grow their practices in Newton. Farhat, who is seeing about 50 patients a week in Newton, said he may have to consider moving his practice to Newton if it continues to grow.

Depending on their particular health insurance plan, patients may contact a cardiologist directly or may need to get a referral from their primary care physician.

The technology in the lab will be the newest available — a system manufactured by Phillips.

NMC will use on-hand reserves towards its $1.5 million investment in the project, which will go toward construction of the building for the facility.

That addition will be located near the front entrance to NMC. The hospital is projecting the new lab could see as many as 1,000 patients per year, Keller said.

Hutton Construction Co. is the contractor on the project. Construction is expected to be completed by January 2009.

Keller said no services at the hospital should be disrupted by the construction.