Lifesaving cardiac care will soon be readily accessible in Niagara County following an historic agreement between four health care systems.
Building a new cardiac catheterization lab would be too costly for one provider. So Catholic Health, Niagara Falls Memorial Hospital, Kaleida Health and Erie County Medical Center are teaming up.
Catholic Health President and CEO Joe McDonald says people in Niagara County needing the procedure currently are transported to Buffalo. While there's a need, there's not enough patients or cardiac specialists for each provider to open an independent "cath lab."
"A less expensive approach for the community. We're not duplicating expensive technology," McDonald said.
"It made sense for us to sort of check our egos a little bit and come at with a collaborative strategy."
Under the plan approved by the state health department, the new facility will be up and running 24/7 on the campus of Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center by February.