On Friday, November 5, 2021, CarolinaEast Medical Center performed its 6,000th open heart surgery. Dr. Piotr Dumicz, a Cardiac Surgeon at CarolinaEast, performed a quadruple bypass on Friday morning, which marked the remarkable milestone.
“I started at CarolinaEast 15 years ago and I think at that time we were around 1,400 open heart surgeries. I’m very happy we got to 6,000 and I think it is a credit to the institution,” said Dr. Dumicz. “We have seen a lot of hearts, but this one is definitely special.” In celebrating the 6,000th open heart surgery, CarolinaEast is recognizing all employees for their contributions.
“We started thinking about all of the hands throughout CarolinaEast that touch these surgeries. You have our Environment Services staff that clean the rooms. There are nurses, respiratory therapists, cardiopulmonary staff, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and more,” said Ashley Mares, Clinical Manager of CarolinaEast’s cardiovascular units. “When you start looking at all of the people that have played a role in these surgeries, it’s almost every department and they all deserve to be recognized.”
The cardiac achievements at CarolinaEast Medical Center extend beyond 6,000 open heart surgeries. CarolinaEast has been recognized by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) for outstanding achievement and outcomes in its comprehensive array of cardiac services. The American College of Cardiology (ACC) has recognized CarolinaEast Medical Center for its demonstrated commitment to comprehensive, high-quality culture and cardiovascular care. CarolinaEast was awarded the HeartCare Center National Distinction of Excellence based on meeting accreditation criteria, and through their ongoing performance registry reporting.
Hospitals and health systems that have earned an ACC HeartCARE Center designation have met a set of criteria, including participating in at least two ACC Accreditation Services programs, NCDR registries and targeted quality improvement campaigns. CarolinaEast was also awarded Cardiac Cath Lab Accreditation with PCI based on rigorous onsite evaluation of the staff’s ability to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients who come to the cardiac cath lab.
“CarolinaEast Medical Center has demonstrated its commitment to providing New Bern and Coastal North Carolina with excellent heart care,” said Deepak L. Bhatt, MD, MPH, FACC, chair of the ACC Accreditation Management Board. “ACC Accreditation Services is proud to award CarolinaEast with the HeartCARE Center designation and Cardiac Cath Lab Accreditation with PCI.”
Hospitals receiving the HeartCARE Center designation from the ACC have demonstrated their commitment to consistent, high-quality cardiovascular care through comprehensive process improvement, disease and procedure-specific accreditation, professional excellence, and community engagement. CarolinaEast has proven to be a forward-thinking institution with goals to advance the cause of sustainable quality improvement.
CarolinaEast Medical Center has also been recognized as a Certified Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehab Association, an Accredited Echocardiography Lab and an Accredited Vascular Lab by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission, and an Accredited Nuclear Cardiology Lab by the American College of Radiology. The American Heart Association has awarded CarolinaEast with the Chest Pain-MI Registry Platinum Performance Award, Mission Lifeline Silver Receiving Award, and Mission Lifeline EMS Gold Plus Award.
By Brandy Popp, Director, Public Relations