Doctors, nurses and top hospital brass rang in the 10th anniversary of New York Methodist Hospital’s cardiac surgery program on July 16 in Park Slope.
Healthcare providers quaffed wine and enjoyed a buffet dinner while singing the praises of the program, which they said was created in response to a lack of such services in the surrounding community. The hospital’s cafeteria hosted the celebration, officiated by Methodist president and top executive Mark Mundy.
“We’re extremely excited to have reached this 10-year milestone,” he told the crowd of cardiac experts, recalling the program’s beginning as just a glimmer of an idea. “We started with nothing.”
Methodist earned the go-ahead from the state Department of Health to create the heart surgery program after beating out other Brooklyn hospitals, including Long Island College Hospital and Brookdale Hospital, which also angled to open similar programs.
“There was a dire need in Brooklyn,” Terrence Sacchi, chief of cardiology, said, adding that the growth of the program has proved its worth. “It’s been dramatic. It’s been an extraordinary 10 years, and we’ve achieved our mission to serve people.”
Anthony Tortolani, chairman of cardiothoracic surgery, said one of the program’s goals is accessibility to Brooklyn residents of all backgrounds. Two-thirds of the patients receiving heart surgery at Methodist are racial minorities, he said.
