BY THOMAS GRILLO
Salem’s North Shore Medical Center is considering closing its cardiac surgery unit.
In a memo to staff obtained by the Item, Robert Norton, the center’s president, said given improvements in angioplasty, cardiac care and prevention, demand for heart surgery in New England and nationwide has dropped by 40 percent in recent years.
Richard Copp, the center’s spokesman, confirmed the memo was distributed to 3,500 employees earlier this week. He said the change, if approved, would impact 150 patients annually.
“Given this reality, and after considerable analysis, we are discussing the possibility of consolidating cardiac surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston,” There is no discussion of moving the center’s PCI/angioplasty or general cardiology programs from the North Shore, Norton stated in the memo.
Norton wrote. “Please be assured this discussion is focused on cardiac surgery only.”
PCI, or Percutaneous Coronary Intervention, is a non-surgical procedure that uses a thin flexible tube to place a stent to open up blood vessels in the heart that have been narrowed by plaque buildup.
Norton in the memo said the hospital will evaluate the option to close the surgical unit over the next few months.
North Shore Medical Center calls itself the region’s largest healthcare provider. They are a member of Partners HealthCare, founded by Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital.
Thomas Grillo can be reached at [email protected].