New Jersey Health System Launches Affiliation With The Country's No. 1 Heart Hospital, Cleveland Clinic

RIDGEWOOD, N.J., April 2, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Valley Health System today announced an affiliation with Cleveland Clinic's Sydell and Arnold Miller Family Heart & Vascular Institute. This affiliation combines the academic, clinical, and research components of the Cleveland Clinic Heart and Vascular Institute with one of the New York/New Jersey area's leading regional cardiac care providers.  Under the agreement, the systems will share best practices, coordinate care and develop programs to improve quality and patient safety.

The Ohio-based Cleveland Clinic has been ranked No. 1 in heart care by U.S. News & World Report for 20 consecutive years.

"We could not be more proud that Cleveland Clinic has selected Valley Health System to be a regional cardiovascular affiliate," said Audrey Meyers, President and CEO of The Valley Hospital and Valley Health System. "This affiliation with Cleveland Clinic's Heart & Vascular Institute will further enhance Valley's cardiac care program, which is already recognized as one of the best in the area."

"Treating patients with cardiovascular disease is complex, and as new techniques and technologies come to the forefront it's important to deliver these new innovations quickly to patients," said Joseph Cacchione, M.D., Cardiologist and Chairman of Operations and Strategy at Cleveland Clinic's Heart & Vascular Institute. "Valley Health System's cardiac program has a nationally recognized reputation and we are proud to affiliate with Valley to help further advance cardiac care in this region." 

"Valley already has a team of excellent surgeons, cardiologists, nurses and other clinical staff.  They have developed one of the region's leading cardiac programs," said cardiologist Gerald Sotsky, M.D., Chair of Cardiac Services for Valley Medical Group. "Affiliating with Cleveland Clinic's world-renowned program and clinical specialists will allow us to advance our program to a level traditionally found at only a handful of facilities in the country."

Through this affiliation, Valley Health System becomes a member of the Cleveland Clinic Cardiovascular Specialty Network. The Network is designed to accept patients from Cleveland Clinic's Cardiovascular Program for Advanced Medical Care, which gives employers a means to provide high-quality care to employees by facilitating access to Cleveland Clinic for specific services.  The Cardiovascular Specialty Network allows employers to offer their employees Cleveland Clinic-caliber heart care close to home.

"I am honored to be included in the Cleveland Clinic Heart & Vascular Institute's extended family," said Alex Zapolanski, M.D., Director of Cardiac Surgery at Valley. "I believe this affiliation offers an opportunity to further advance our programs, and to continue learning from the world-class care provided by the Cleveland Clinic."

Valley's heart care has received the following recognitions:

• Listed among the top 15 hospitals in the nation for heart surgery in the August 2014 issue of Consumer Reports magazine;
• Named one America's 100 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Surgery(tm) for 3 Years in a Row (2012-2014) by Healthgrades
• Received Healthgrades Cardiac Surgery Excellence Award(tm) for 5 Years in a Row (2010-2014); 
• Earned Joint Commission Disease-Specific Care Certification for acute myocardial infarction and heart failure and
• Consistently earned three-star ratings -- The Society of Thoracic Surgeons' highest designation of quality and clinical excellence -- for cardiac bypass surgery, aortic valve replacement surgery, and the combination of the two procedures.

About Valley Health System
Valley Health System is a regional healthcare system that serves residents in northern New Jersey and southern New York.  It includes The Valley Hospital, a 451-bed, not-for-profit, acute-care hospital; Valley Home Care, which offers a full spectrum of services to meet a variety of healthcare needs; and Valley Medical Group, a multispecialty group practice of doctors and advanced practice professionals. For more information visit www.ValleyHealth.com.

About Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. U.S.News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation's best hospitals in its annual "America's Best Hospitals" survey. More than 3,000 full-time salaried physicians and researchers and 11,000 nurses represent 120 medical specialties and subspecialties. The Cleveland Clinic health system includes a main campus near downtown Cleveland, eight community hospitals, more than 75 Northern Ohio outpatient locations, including 16 full-service Family Health Centers, Cleveland Clinic Florida, the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas, Cleveland Clinic Canada, and, scheduled to begin seeing patients in 2015, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. In 2013, there were 5.5 million outpatient visits throughout the Cleveland Clinic health system and 157,000 hospital admissions. Patients came for treatment from every state and from more than 130 countries. Visit us at www.clevelandclinic.org. Follow us at www.twitter.com/ClevelandClinic.

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SOURCE Valley Health System