News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 16, 2013
MEDIA CONTACT: Stephanie Poyant
Public Information Officer
Southcoast Health System
Office: 508-973-5280
Cell: 774-634-1460
poyants@southcoast.org
www.southcoast.org/news/releases/
Southcoast Health System launches Structural Heart Program
New program to be led by renowned cardiologist Adam J. Saltzman, MD
NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — Southcoast® Health System announced today that it has launched a
new Structural Heart Program led by renowned cardiologist Adam J. Saltzman, MD. The Southcoast
Structural Heart Program is the only program of its kind in the region and one of only a handful of
dedicated structural heart programs in all of New England.
“Our Structural Heart Program offers minimally invasive therapies rather than open surgical
interventions,” said Adam J. Saltzman, MD, cardiologist and Medical Director of the Structural Heart
Program at Southcoast. “Our team will be able to evaluate patients collectively and decide the best option
for each individual. The new program brings together specialists with different expertise to help in the
assessment of patients. We will discuss each patient in depth to develop the best care plan available.”
Structural heart disease encompasses patients with valvular disease, congenital heart disease,
connective tissue disease, and complex coronary disease, among other conditions. It is the management of
heart disease that may not involve coronary arteries or the electrical system of the heart. These patients
who in the past have needed to travel outside the region, will now be able to be evaluated and treated at
Charlton Memorial Hospital by a multidisciplinary cardiac team that includes cardiologists, cardiac
surgeons and support staff who work together with referring physicians to develop a specialized treatment
plan for each patient.
Adam J. Saltzman, MD
A graduate of the Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, Dr. Saltzman completed his
residency in internal medicine at Columbia University in New York City where he was recognized as a
chief resident. He then completed a fellowship in cardiovascular medicine at Columbia University before
returning to Boston to complete fellowships in interventional cardiology and structural heart disease at
Massachusetts General Hospital.
Dr. Saltzman is a specialist in catheter based complex coronary interventions and valve
procedures, as well as transcatheter therapies for congenital heart disease. He is board certified in internal
medicine, cardiovascular medicine, and interventional cardiology.
For more information or to make an appointment, call 855-200-8284.
About Southcoast Cardiovascular Services
Southcoast is the leader for cardiac services in the region. The Southcoast Cardiovascular
Service program provides a broad spectrum of cardiovascular services locally, including open heart
procedures, cardiac catheterizations, coronary angioplasty and cardiac implantable devices. Southcoast
performs more cardiac catheterizations than any other community hospital system in Massachusetts, with
approximately 60 percent of patients needing advanced treatment such as coronary artery bypass or
angioplasty. Southcoast’s state-of-the-art Electrophysiology Laboratories at Charlton Memorial Hospital
provides diagnostic testing for cardiac arrhythmias as well as invasive electrophysiology procedures such
as arrhythmia ablations.
Southcoast’s heart program continues to grow with an astounding 30 area cardiologists.
“Our number one priority is to provide well-coordinated, high-quality care to all of our patients,"
said Margaret Ferrell, MD, Physician-in-Chief for Cardiac Services. “The success of the Southcoast heart
program is credited to the highly skilled team of cardiologists, surgeons and health care professionals at
our three hospital sites. It is their 24 hours, 7 days a week dedication and the commitment by Southcoast
to invest in the latest technology, equipment and state-of-the-art facilities that enables us to rank among
the best in the country.”
Southcoast performed the first open heart surgery in Southeastern Massachusetts in April 2002,
bringing the lifesaving procedure to a region with the state’s highest incidence of heart disease.
Southcoast was the first of three community hospitals approved by the Massachusetts Department of
Public Health to offer open heart surgery and elective coronary angioplasty at its Charlton Memorial
Hospital site in Fall River.
Southcoast’s cardiac surgery program has brought unprecedented access to advanced cardiac
services to the region and has received exemplary reviews and outstanding patient satisfaction since its
inception including ranking as one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for heart care by Healthgrades®, the
nation’s leading, independent source of physician information and hospital quality ratings. Healthgrades
awarded Southcoast its Specialty Excellence Award for Overall Cardiac Services, Cardiac Surgery and
Coronary Interventional Procedures.
“The Healthgrades rankings are an exceptional accomplishment for our cardiac program and a
testament to our physicians, surgeons, nurses and health care providers who are saving lives every day,”
said Laurie Mulgrew, Vice President of Clinical Services for Cardiovascular Care & Imaging. “Patients
who receive their cardiac care at a Southcoast hospital can rest assured they are receiving their care at one
of the top heart hospitals in the U.S.”
The 14th Annual Healthgrades Hospital Quality in America Study analyzes tens of millions of
patients’ outcomes — specifically, mortality and complication rates — at the nation’s 5,000 hospitals.
Healthgrades’ 2012 clinical achievements for Southcoast Hospitals included being a recipient of the
Healthgrades Cardiac Care Excellence Award™ for six years in a row and a recipient of the Healthgrades
Cardiac Surgery Excellence Award™.
For more information about Southcoast Cardiovascular Services, visit www.southcoast.org/heart/.
About Southcoast Health System & Southcoast Hospitals Group
Southcoast Health System is a community based health delivery system with multiple access
points, offering an integrated continuum of health services throughout Southeastern Massachusetts and
East Bay, Rhode Island. It includes the three hospitals that make up Southcoast Hospitals Group —
Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River, St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford and Tobey Hospital in
Wareham.
Southcoast provides advanced clinical services, such as open heart surgery, angioplasty and heart
rhythm services, comprehensive cancer care, neurosurgery, weight loss surgery, orthopedic surgery,
advanced imaging services and is the only provider of maternity services in the region.
Southcoast is a not-for-profit charitable organization that depends on the support of the
community to provide services. More information is available online at www.southcoast.org. Connect to
Southcoast through social media at www.southcoast.org/connect/.
Southcoast® is a registered trademark of Southcoast Health System Inc.
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