Bassett Medical Center announced Monday that it is expanding its digital medicine capabilities to include cardiovascular clinical services in an initiative with Columbia University’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons.
According to a Bassett press release, Bassett patients, through digital technology, will have direct connections to cardiovascular specialists in Manhattan. The collaboration “is built on the foundation of Columbia’s nine decades of affiliation with Bassett as a teaching hospital and medical school campus,” the statement said.
Columbia doctors who see Bassett patients from their offices downstate will be assisted by nurses in Bassett exam rooms, including physical exams with the use of live video and a electronic stethoscope allowing the doctor to listen to heart and lung sounds from a distance.
“Our digital health strategies are focused on seamlessly connecting our rural patients with world-class physicians here on the Bassett campus and through our partnership with Columbia,” said Dr. Tommy Ibrahim, President and Chief from the leadership of Bassett Healthcare Network. “Bassett is committed to continuing to expand our digital health capabilities into clinical cardiovascular services and beyond. »
“We are very proud to have long partnered with Bassett in providing the most advanced and compassionate care to the people of upstate New York,” said Dr. Katrina Armstrong, Dean of Columbia University Vagelos. College of Physicians and Surgeons. “Generations of our students have had access to a unique clinical experience that forever shapes their approach as physicians, and today’s announcement will expand that opportunity.”
“The long-standing academic bond between the two institutions is a huge advantage,” said Dr. Michael Holmes, chief of cardiology at Bassett Medical Center. “The unique relationship between Columbia’s nationally recognized cardiac programs and colleges and an exceptional rural hospital brings the full range of high-quality cardiac specialties to Bassett’s patient population in central New York and helps Bassett recruit physician leaders in clinical care, teaching and research.
The expanding program is guided by Ibrahim, Holmes, Dr. Nick Homma, associate chief of the division of cardiology and chief medical officer at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, and Cheryl Gelder-Kogan, interim administrative director of the Cardiovascular Service Line at Bassett Medical Center, the statement said.
“Working with visionaries creates exceptional results,” Homma said. “Dr. Ibrahim and the exceptional team at Bassett Medical Center are dedicated to providing their patients with world-class physicians through innovative digital healthcare strategies.
“Columbia and Bassett practitioners regularly engage in formal discussions to ensure quality engagement and oversight of our shared services,” Holmes said. “As we continue to strengthen the collaboration, key statistical reviews related to national benchmarks and quality indicators will propel Bassett and Columbia forward together as we work to optimize patient experiences and improve quality.”
The program, which is already underway, is expected to expand to five days a week, with physicians potentially alternating between clinical settings in Bassett in Cooperstown and Columbia, according to the release.
Bassett Medical Center offers a three-year cardiovascular training program for medical students. Columbia–Bassett Cardiac Fellows spend up to two months a year rotating at Columbia to supplement their experiences, particularly with advanced heart failure, left ventricular assist devices, and heart transplants. Fellows are primarily based at Bassett’s Cooperstown campus with the ability to rotate to Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, according to the release.
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