Mercy Health System Expands Affiliation with Penn Medicine to Provide Advanced Cardiovascular Services

Expansion includes addition of Penn physicians to interventional cardiology program and Penn Heart Rescue

CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa., Oct. 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Penn Medicine and Mercy Health System (MHS) announced today an expanded affiliation that enhances the comprehensive cardiovascular services provided at MHS's four acute care hospitals: Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital in Darby, Mercy Suburban Hospital in East Norriton, Nazareth Hospital in Northeast Philadelphia and Mercy Philadelphia Hospital in West Philadelphia. The affiliation supplements MHS's high quality, nationally-recognized cardiac care with greater access to academic-level cardiovascular services.  The affiliation includes Penn interventional cardiology services and participation in the Penn Heart Rescue^® Program for quick access to critical heart care.

"Mercy Health System has a long history of providing community access to quality health services. The Penn affiliation confirms our commitment to excellence through this partnership with the region's leading provider of cardiovascular services to deliver world-class care to our patients," said Jeffry Komins, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Mercy Health System.  "We are proud to join the Penn Cardiac Care network and continue our legacy of providing high quality compassionate cardiovascular care in the communities we serve."

MHS's clinical team, in affiliation with Penn Cardiac Care, has the expertise to perform a full, comprehensive array of procedures, from diagnostics to minimally invasive interventions to advanced cardiovascular surgery.  The Mercy Heart and Vascular Program is comprised of a full line of cardiovascular services that includes medical cardiology, interventional cardiology, cardiac rhythm management therapy, vascular surgery and endovascular intervention, the latest in heart surgery techniques, and nationally certified outpatient cardiac rehabilitation.  

Steven Weiss, MD, a board-certified, Penn cardiovascular surgeon with 17 years of experience, including 3,000 open heart surgeries, leads the cardiothoracic surgical team at Mercy.  He is joined by the team of interventional cardiologists from Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, including Alan S. Moak, MD, Gene Chang, MD, Craig A. Frankil, DO, Christine M. Gasperetti, MD, William C. Groh, MD, Robert H. Li, MD and William H. Matthai, Jr., MD, who provide cardiac and peripheral vascular diagnostic and interventional services.

"We are proud to strengthen our partnership with Mercy Health System for cardiovascular services," said Michael A. Acker, MD, chief, division of Cardiovascular Surgery and William Maul Measey Professor of Surgery at Penn Medicine. "Our group has been impressed with the dedicated team of cardiac services providers at Mercy and their longstanding commitment to patient care in the community. We have great experience working with community hospitals and look forward to partnering to provide the best quality care possible and growing the cardiovascular services program."

The Penn Heart Rescue Program at Penn Presbyterian also helps improve outcomes for patients by providing access to the highest quality cardiac care through Mercy physicians and the Penn Cardiac Care network.  Rapidly diagnosed, patients are quickly transported and treated with the most advanced technologies in cardiac care, where appropriate.  

The goal of Penn Heart Rescue is to shorten treatment time for patients in need of emergency angioplasty, ideally within the 90-minute guideline established by the American College of Cardiology's D2B Alliance, further increasing the chances of survival.  This far surpasses the national average of approximately 150 minutes, according to Thomson's Medstat Core Measure Quality Report.

Penn Presbyterian Medical Center is recognized as one of the nation's "100 Top Hospitals" for cardiovascular care by Thomson Reuters and as a Blue Distinction Center for Cardiac Care^® by Independence Blue Cross.

A diverse, integrated system providing comprehensive health care services, Mercy Health System is comprised of four acute care hospitals, a home healthcare organization, several wellness centers, physician practices, a federal PACE program, and co-owner of managed care plans, Keystone Mercy Health Plan and Gateway Health Plan. With 120 primary care and specialty physicians, Mercy Health System is a teaching community health system affiliated with Drexel University School and Medicine and the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM). The largest Catholic healthcare system serving the Delaware Valley, Mercy Health System is sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy and Hope Ministries; and is a member of Catholic Health East, a multi-institutional, Catholic health system co-sponsored by 13 religious congregations. The vision of Mercy Health System is to be a leading provider of compassionate care and community access to quality health services that improve the health of individuals and communities. To learn more about Mercy Health System, visit www.mercyhealth.org.

SOURCE Mercy Health System