T.R. Councilman: Allow Open Heart Surgeries at Community

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February is National Heart Month.  According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the American Heart Association (AHA) every year almost 750,000 Americans suffer a, myocardial infarction (MI) or heart attack.  Approximately 600,000 Americans die from heart disease each year accounting for 1 out of every 4 deaths in the United States.  Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S.  It is also a preventable and controllable disease.  The treatment of heart disease costs about $315 billion per year.

     The five warning signs of a heart attack are:

·      Pain or discomfort in the jaw, neck or back

·      Feeling weak, light headed or faint

·      Chest pain

·      Pain in the arms or shoulder

·      Shortness of breath

If you or someone you know experience any of these symptoms call 9-1-1.

While you cannot change or control your family history, the American Heart Association recommends a number of preventive measures and life style changes you can do to prevent heart disease. 

·      Eat a healthy diet with at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables.  Eat foods low in saturated fats, high in fiber, control portion size and decrease your use of salt.

·      Maintain a healthy weight.  Your doctor can help measure body mass index (BMI) to determine your appropriate weight based on body type and height.

·      Exercise on a regular basis. 30 minutes per day of moderate aerobic exercise will help maintain cardiac health and proper weight.

·      Monitor your blood pressure.  This can be easily done at home using today’s battery operated blood pressure cuffs.  You should check your blood pressure record the results and let your doctor know them.

·      Don’t smoke and limit the use of alcohol.  2 drinks per day for men and 1 drink per day for women.

·      Check your cholesterol levels and take appropriate statin medications if indicated.

·      If you are diabetic “know your numbers”.  Know your blood sugar numbers and control them with diet and medications if necessary.

·      Finally if you are taking medications to control blood pressure or heart disease follow the instructions

Ocean County has a population of over 560,000.  22% of them are over the age of 65 and the County has one of the highest concentrations of people who are over 85.  More residents in Ocean County die from heart disease, are treated for heart attacks and undergo more cardiac surgeries than residents of any other county in New Jersey.

There are 18 cardiac surgery centers in New Jersey with 14 of them located in North Jersey.  Presently there are NO cardiac surgery centers in Ocean County.  Residents of Ocean County must travel 30 miles to the closest cardiac surgery center.

Community Medical Center (CMC) treats more cardiac patients than any other hospital in the State with an array of services including emergent and elective angioplasties, diagnostic cardiac catheterizations, invasive and non-invasive cardiac testing and rehabilitation.

Community Medical Center is ranked among the top 10% of hospitals in New Jersey for exceptional care of acute myocardial infarctions and heart failure.  However, CMC is limited in the types of cardiac services that can be provided since it does not have a Certificate of Need for an open heart surgery program.  For example, implementation of defibrillation cannot be performed at CMC. 

Now is the time for the New Jersey Department of Health to certify Community Medical Center for licensure for open heart surgery.  This will allow CMC to provide increased cardiac services such as open heart surgery, complex and non-complex electrophysiology, implementation of defibrillators and minimally invasive valve surgery.  This will also allow our residents to receive treatment closer to their homes and be more convenient for family members and patients.

The Mayor and Council have passed numerous proclamations supporting the efforts of Community Medical Center in their pursuit of an open heart surgery program.  With the continued growth in Ocean County, we are hopeful that the State Department of Health will grant Community Medical Center the license and Certificate of Need that is required so our residents will be able to benefit from these much needed services.