Health care
Local hospitals are using the latest medical devices and advanced testing procedures to provide quality care to patients.
By Shameyka McCalman on June 6, 2024
New Jersey hospitals incorporate cutting-edge technologies into their daily treatments and diagnoses to offer the best care to the most vulnerable. Specialists in thoracic surgical care, oncology care, maternal-fetal health, cardiovascular health and others are stepping up to ensure patients receive the best health outcomes possible.
Breast and lung cancer care
Advanced imaging is the latest cutting-edge technology implemented at RWJBarnabas Health for the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer. Doctors are converting two-dimensional black-and-white CT scans into three-dimensional models, closely analyzing the relationship between the heart, arteries and lungs, creating a blueprint for lung cancer surgeries.
Dr. Richard Lazzaro, a thoracic surgery specialist at RWJBarnabas, finds this critical in his work, especially when using robotic ion bronchoscopes, which use imaging for patients who might have a nodule in their lungs. He believes that “(although he is) underutilized in our field, (he helps clinicians with) operational planning and intraoperative decision making – a very valuable tool.”
Hackensack Meridian Health (HMH) also aims to use the latest technologies in the treatment of breast cancer patients at its facilities. Dr. Michael Horton, vice president of radiology at HMH, credits two new technologies for interpreting breast cancer images more quickly and accurately.
“Technologically, we have modernized and upgraded each of our mammography machines to the most excellent technology: high resolution 3D and Genius AI. Before this, only a few sites had high-resolution images and none had Genius AI.”
Blood testing devices and vascular diseases
Dr. Kintur Sanghvi, an interventional cardiologist at Virtua Health, who performed the first renal denervation case in New Jersey, highlights a new device as one of the latest innovative procedures in his field: “It is a revolutionary procedure because in the last 35 to 40 years “Until now there has been no new medication or treatment for high blood pressure,” says Dr. Sanghvi. “This new treatment is a unique, minimally invasive procedure where we go into the groin artery, go to the kidney artery, and use one of two FDA-approved devices.”
Dr. Edwin Guzmán, medical director of perinatology at Saint Peter’s University Hospital, who works with high-risk pregnancies and fetal complications, notes that current blood collection technologies at his hospital are advancing the field.
“We can detect many conditions by taking blood, rather than an invasive genetic procedure. We have situations where a woman might have been sensitized to an antigen and the antibodies that are produced can cross the placenta and attack the baby’s blood. We can draw blood from the baby to see if there is a risk,” she continues. “It’s quite accurate and beneficial.”
Discovering New Technologies
In general, medical professionals encounter new technological advances in their field in similar ways; They stay abreast of the latest innovations by attending conferences, visiting supplier demonstrations, and reading magazine articles.
“(Tech companies) send representatives to inform hospitals and doctors about what they offer,” says Dr. Guzmán.
Most physicians agree to use financial analysis when reviewing new technologies, involving finance, accounting, and senior management administrators. Doctors must weigh in and assure them that the technology may be the most expensive, but it offers the best results.
Depending on the innovation, once a new technology is approved for use in a hospital, it can sometimes take five months to even five years before doctors can use it on patients. The time frame depends on what doctors and administrators are reviewing and learning.
Are new technologies worth it?
Should medical institutions buy the best technologies on the market to provide top-quality healthcare to their patients? Dr. Darius Sholevar, a cardiac electrophysiologist and colleague of Dr. Sanghvi at Virtua Health, thinks so.
“One of the things that’s unique in health care is the philosophy that if there’s something that’s going to improve patient care, even if it costs (a lot) of money, we’ll do it if it improves patient care.”
He continues: “We have to figure out how to pay for it. However, while everything we implement goes through a cost analysis, the focus must remain on the patient,” she says.
According to Dr. Lazzaro of RWJBarnabas, hospitals ultimately review and make decisions in favor of the patient, above all else. “It’s a no-brainer for our administrators to align with clinical leadership to say (some) technology is needed for our community.”
Make technologies accessible to everyone
As new technologies continue to be implemented across the state, hospitals are diligently removing any barriers that may make them unaffordable or unattainable.
One of Virtua Health’s most important and accessible innovations is a mobile mammogram van that travels through Camden and offers free mammograms to people who cannot travel to a nearby radiology center.
“A mobile mammography van costs over a million dollars,” says Dr. Sholevar of Virtua Health. “These mammograms are free, but the Virtua Foundation and much of the charitable work done because of our nonprofit status allows the hospital to do these things.”
Dr. Horton shares that Hackensack Meridian Health invested more than $10 million to upgrade its mammography machines across its healthcare network so that no two patients receive a different level of care.
Conclusion
While rapid technological advances can be costly and time-consuming, hospitals are constantly updating their devices, imaging, and AI systems to ensure a standard of care. These technologies make procedures and diagnoses faster, safer and more efficient for doctors and patients.
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