Dr. Mitchell Weinberg, chair of cardiology at Staten Island University Hospital, gives a tour of the new 19-bed Cardiovascular Care Unit, which is set to see its first patients in October. Priya Shahi

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A new $17.5 million advanced cardiovascular unit is set to open at Staten Island University Hospital/Northwell Health in October, ready to provide new amenities and features that not only are curated to help patients feel more comfortable, but also assist them to heal at a faster rate, according to cardiologists.

“The truth is there is science of cardiology, and then there is the emotional stress that can be present when you’re a patient,” said Dr. Mitchell Weinberg, chair of cardiology at SIUH. “It’s well-known that stress impairs healing. This kind of unit and the effort behind it neutralize all of that.”

Weinberg said the goal is for the hospital to shorten a patient’s stay at the Cardiovascular Care Unit and discharge him or her at a faster rate.

The new Cardiovascular Care Unit consists of spacious single-bed rooms. Each one includes a bathroom with a shower. Priya Shahi

Located in the Heart Tower at SIUH North, the new 19-bed Cardiovascular Care Unit is opening to complement the rapid expansion in advanced cardiac-care services offered by the hospital. The new single-bed suite will round out all cardiac services under one roof for patient needs, including: atrial fibrillation; cardiac catheterization; cardiac rehabilitation; catheter ablation; CT angiography; electrophysiology; non-invasive diagnostics; peripheral artery disease; peripheral vascular disease; and transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

“Coming on as a chair of the department during the first wave of the [coronavirus] pandemic presented a fortunate opportunity to change our process. We put everything under a microscope to see how we did things in the past and how we can pivot to improve for the future,” Weinberg recalled.

Just in one room, nurses can have access to a patients’s electrophysiological study, CT scan and other characterizations on a high-end monitor, which, according to Weinberg, is rare in medicine. There is also a multidisciplinary conference system in each room with various media capabilities.

“The whole concept here is that there’s nothing that we can’t treat, and we’re constantly working to bring more therapies here,” said Dr. Brahim Ardolic, executive director of the hospital. “You look at 19 beds, and you’re like, only 19 beds? But this is not a place you stay a week; the doctors send you home so quickly that this place is going to attract tons of people.”

A room in the Cardiovascular Care Unit features a ceiling-mounted lift to help maneuver a patient when needed.Priya Shahi

The staff members serving patients in the unit include one full-time cardiologist, two full-time advanced-care practitioners for every 12-hour shift and 10 nurses practitioners in rotation.

The majority of the funding for the new cardiac care unit, which cost nearly $1 million dollars a bed, was provided by Northwell Health. A number of philanthropic donations also went toward the facility.

“I don’t believe that the best setup for any patient experience is without privacy,” Weinberg said. “Privacy and the ability to feel vulnerable while you’re not well, that’s very important. We’ve got to protect people in that environment. I think this is the future.”

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