Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
125 Paterson Street, Suite 4100 New Brunswick, NJ (732) 235-7231 |
Programs |
|
|
To Our Valued Colleagues, Patients, and Families,
Given the events New Jersey residents have all faced over the last 2 months, we at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) wanted to update you on the status of our cardiovascular services and highlight the measures that we have taken to ensure our patients’ safety during the remainder of COVID-19 pandemic.
Per NJ Governor Executive Order 145 on May 26, 2020, RWJUH has resumed full cardiovascular services including open heart, minimally invasive, robotic, and transcatheter valve procedures, as well as, our advanced heart failure, heart transplant, and mechanical circulatory support programs.
Further, to ensure the safest and highest quality cardiovascular care, RWJUH has implemented new preventative protocols and practices including:
Our consultation and evaluation, treatment and discharge process are focused on greater convenience, improved access and time to treatment, and minimizing the duration of time in the hospital. This includes:
The RWJUH Cardiac Surgery program is a recognized national leader in Rapid Recovery Protocols designed to decrease the amount of time each patient spends in the hospital; faster return home; and faster return to function. As a result, our patients’ hospital stay after cardiac surgery are notably less than national benchmarks. This is accomplished through an emphasis on
In addition, as New Jersey’s premier academic medical center and a leading clinical trials site nationally, RWJUH patients have access to cutting-edge therapies that are not offered elsewhere . These include therapies for:
Given our institution’s emphasis on preventive and safety measures, minimally invasive approaches and rapid recovery, and our affiliation with Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School an international leader in COVID-19 testing, we firmly believe that RWJUH is uniquely positioned to provide you with the safest and highest quality cardiovascular care in the Region.
For Elective Outpatient Care
Please contact the Division of Cardiac Surgery during regular business hours at 732-235-7231 to schedule outpatient or TeleHealth Consultation. We are committed to providing you with an appointment within 7 days of your request.
For Urgent Care, Inpatient Transfer, or During Off-Hours
Contact the RWJUH Transfer Center at 732-481-8011 or our physicians directly to facilitate urgent or emergent care.
Given the events New Jersey residents have all faced over the last 2 months, we at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) wanted to update you on the status of our cardiovascular services and highlight the measures that we have taken to ensure our patients’ safety during the remainder of COVID-19 pandemic.
Per NJ Governor Executive Order 145 on May 26, 2020, RWJUH has resumed full cardiovascular services including open heart, minimally invasive, robotic, and transcatheter valve procedures, as well as, our advanced heart failure, heart transplant, and mechanical circulatory support programs.
Further, to ensure the safest and highest quality cardiovascular care, RWJUH has implemented new preventative protocols and practices including:
- Ongoing COVID-19 screening and universal testing for all cardiac surgery patients and all RWJUH staff
- In-hospital temperature screening checkpoints with no-touch thermometers
- Appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) at all times including facial protection for patients and staff
- Limiting patient exposure to designated cardiac care areas and essential staff
- Rigorous sanitation procedures including Tru-D UV Light Disinfection
Our consultation and evaluation, treatment and discharge process are focused on greater convenience, improved access and time to treatment, and minimizing the duration of time in the hospital. This includes:
- Telehealth, including virtual medical consultations for both prior to and following procedures
- Streamlined "one-stop shop" for pre-admission testing
- Designated parking and separate entrance for patients visiting the hospital
- Regular status updates to families regarding their loved ones
- Video chat (eg Facetime, Skype) options to maximize patients’ connections with families while in the hospital
- Continuous, remote home cardiac monitoring of patients after discharge
The RWJUH Cardiac Surgery program is a recognized national leader in Rapid Recovery Protocols designed to decrease the amount of time each patient spends in the hospital; faster return home; and faster return to function. As a result, our patients’ hospital stay after cardiac surgery are notably less than national benchmarks. This is accomplished through an emphasis on
- Less-invasive approaches to open heart surgery, including minimally-invasive valve surgery and minimally-invasive and robotic bypass surgery
- Same-day discharge after catheter-based cardiac treatments, including TAVR, MitraClip, and Watchman
- Use of Enhanced Recovery After Cardiac Surgery (ERAS) post-operative protocols focused on minimizing pain, minimizing opioids, rapid mobilization, and maximizing nutrition
In addition, as New Jersey’s premier academic medical center and a leading clinical trials site nationally, RWJUH patients have access to cutting-edge therapies that are not offered elsewhere . These include therapies for:
- Mitral regurgitation - transcatheter mitral valve replacement (SUMMIT-Tendyne) and transcatheter mitral valve repair (Clasp/PASCAL)
- Aortic Stenosis - TAVR for patients with symptomatic (Accurate) and asymptomatic aortic stenosis (EARLY TAVR)
- Aortic Insufficiency - TAVR for aortic insufficiency (JenaValve-AR)
- Tricuspid regurgitation - transcatheter tricuspid valve repair (Clasp/PASCAL)
Given our institution’s emphasis on preventive and safety measures, minimally invasive approaches and rapid recovery, and our affiliation with Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School an international leader in COVID-19 testing, we firmly believe that RWJUH is uniquely positioned to provide you with the safest and highest quality cardiovascular care in the Region.
For Elective Outpatient Care
Please contact the Division of Cardiac Surgery during regular business hours at 732-235-7231 to schedule outpatient or TeleHealth Consultation. We are committed to providing you with an appointment within 7 days of your request.
For Urgent Care, Inpatient Transfer, or During Off-Hours
Contact the RWJUH Transfer Center at 732-481-8011 or our physicians directly to facilitate urgent or emergent care.
|
Our team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to discuss issues regarding heart and aortic disease as well as to coordinate urgent, emergent and elective transfers at the local, regional, national and international levels. Please call us at (732) 235-7231.
|
Dr. Russo in the News
|
