The rapidly growing New York City Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health announced $1 million in funding from State Assemblymember William Colton Wednesday, which will be used to replace six echocardiogram machines in the Coney Island hospital.
The replaced echocardiogram machines will support the hospital’s endeavors to expand its cardiac health services, which officials said is more crucial than ever as the facility is now a New York State-certified Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) Center.
“At South Brooklyn Health, providing state-of-the-art cardiology services that meet the needs of our patients and community is an important component of the hospital’s clinical growth strategy,” said NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health CEO Svetlana Lipyanskaya during an announcement at the hospital on Dec. 14. “We serve a patient population that is older, and has several chronic health conditions, such as high blood pressure, and diabetes – all of which are precursors to poor cardiac health. With the acquisition of this equipment, South Brooklyn Health will be able to optimally manage our patients’ health and get them on the road to recovery.”
Heart disease is the second leading cause of premature death in Kings County, according to a recent community health needs assessment, and having state-of-the-art equipment to assist with cardiac care means that Brooklynites can access life-saving treatment close to home.
“The acquisition of these additional echocardiogram units means we will have enhanced capabilities to diagnose and manage heart disease,” said NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health Chief of Cardiology Sudhanva Hegde. “Heart disease is a leading cause of death in Brooklyn; however, with this significant funding from Assemblyman Colton, South Brooklyn Health will be able to provide patients with the care they need to prevent and manage cardiovascular disease.”
Colton, who has represented a swath of southern Brooklyn in the Assembly since 1997, expressed excitement about the grant, saying it would help to ensure his constituents have access to quality care.
“I am happy to provide this $1 million grant to South Brooklyn Health as it continues its long tradition of meeting the critical health needs of the Southern Brooklyn community,” the assemblymember said. “The replacing of these lifesaving units will not only save lives of patients needing cardiac care but also will diagnose and manage the large segment of our community with cardiovascular disease issues and help South Brooklyn Health expand its high quality of care to our community’s health needs.”
