Atlantic Health System’s Chilton Medical Center receives approval to perform elective coronary angioplasties

Pompton Plains, NJ – April 4, 2024 – Atlantic Health’s Chilton Medical Center today announced the launch of its percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) program in its newly enhanced cardiac catheterization lab. The addition of this new service will allow Chilton to provide more advanced cardiovascular care to better serve the community.   

For more than 15 years, the Chilton cardiac catheterization team has performed this life-saving procedure on the most critically ill emergency patients, those suffering a heart attack. Now, with the addition of this new service, Chilton Medical Center will take their skill and expertise and apply it to elective, and non-emergent patients with coronary disease. When more advanced care is needed, Chilton is seamlessly connected to Atlantic Health’s Morristown Medical Center which is nationally recognized by U.S. News & World Report for cardiology and heart surgery. 

“This approval allows Chilton to provide greater access and more comprehensive cardiovascular care to our patients close to home,” said Maureen Schneider, PhD, RN, FACHE, President, Chilton Medical Center. “The addition of elective PCI is another step forward to providing a continuity of care from a health team our patients know and trust.”

PCI is a minimally invasive procedure used to clear a blockage in the arteries that supply the heart muscle with blood. A small balloon is inserted in the artery and frequently a metal stent is left in place to stabilize the vessel. This procedure is frequently performed on patients having heart attacks, or other symptoms of coronary disease such as difficulty breathing or chest pain with activity.

“Being able to offer elective PCI to our patients without need for transport to another facility is a significant medical advancement for the communities we serve,” said Lawrence Blitz, MD, interventional cardiologist and Medical Director of the Chilton Medical Center Catheterization Lab. “Our team at Chilton is highly-skilled in providing superior outcomes to our cardiac patients, and this capability expands the services we offer, which will ultimately provide a better patient experience for those in need of cardiovascular care.”

Know your risk for heart disease
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for more than 695,000 deaths each year. Don’t wait to get help if you experience any of these heart attack warning signs. Some heart attacks are sudden and intense. But most start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. Pay attention to your body and call 911 if you experience:

• Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes – or it may go away and then return. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
• Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
• Shortness of breath. This can occur with or without chest discomfort.
• Other signs. Other possible signs include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.

About Atlantic Health

Atlantic Health is at the forefront of medicine, setting standards for quality health care in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the New York metropolitan area. Powered by a workforce of 20,000 team members and 5,440 affiliated physicians dedicated to building healthier communities, Atlantic Health serves more than half of the state of New Jersey including 14 counties and 7.5 million people. The not-for-profit system offers more than 550 sites of care, including its seven hospitals: Morristown Medical Center in Morristown, NJ, Overlook Medical Center in Summit, NJ, Newton Medical Center in Newton, NJ, Chilton Medical Center in Pompton Plains, NJ, Hackettstown Medical Center in Hackettstown, NJ, Goryeb Children’s Hospital in Morristown, NJ, Atlantic Rehabilitation Institute in Madison, NJ and through its partnership with CentraState Healthcare System in Freehold, NJ.

The system includes Atlantic Medical Group, part of a physician enterprise that makes up one of the largest multispecialty practices in New Jersey with more than 1,600 physicians and advance practice providers. Joined with Atlantic Accountable Care Organization and Optimus Healthcare Partners they form part of Atlantic Alliance, a Clinically Integrated Network of more than 2,500 health care providers throughout northern and central NJ.

Atlantic Health provides care for the full continuum of health care needs through 24 urgent care centers, Atlantic Visiting Nurse and Atlantic Anywhere Virtual Visits. Facilitating the connection between these services on both land and air is the transportation fleet of Atlantic Mobile Health.Atlantic Health leads the Healthcare Transformation Consortium, a partnership of six regional hospitals and health systems dedicated to improving access and affordability and is a founding member of the PIER Consortium – Partners in Innovation, Education, and Research – a streamlined clinical trial system that will expand access to groundbreaking research across five health systems in the region.

Atlantic Health has a medical school affiliation with Thomas Jefferson University and is home to the regional campus of the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Morristown and Overlook Medical Centers and is the official health care partner of the New York Jets.