NJ to allow elective angioplasties

New Jersey will allow hospitals without cardiac surgery units to perform elective angioplasties. Over the protests of local cardiologist groups, New Jersey Health Commissioner Dr. Fred Jacobs said the state will join five others participating in a national pilot program that will evaluate the idea. Critics argue that allowing the procedure at clinics without cardiac surgery units on hand for backup represents a risk if anything should go seriously wrong. Backers counter that the debate is really about market share. More than 27,000 people had elective angioplasties in New Jersey last year.

Dr. Fred Aversano of Johns Hopkins, the leader of the team that released the study behind the pilot, downplayed the criticism. "Any institution must be concerned about its bottom line," Dr. Aversano said. "Any institution that is not concerned about that is not going to be with us very long, and that applies equally to proponents and opponents of this project."

- see this article from The New York Times

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