County supports cardiac care

April 22--Niagara County legislators shared their support for the certification of need applications by Kaleida Health and Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center for the operation of a cardiac catheterization laboratory Tuesday.

Dr. Gerald Gorman, director of the emergency department at NFMMC, spoke about the importance of the service, stating approximately one in three people in Niagara County die from cardiovascular disease.

He said heart disease is the No. 1 killer in Niagara County. It also has the second highest mortality rate amount the eight counties in Western New York.

"Despite that, we still do not have a cardiac catheterization lab in Niagara County," Gorman said. "We're very excited about this venture. It benefits absolutely everyone in Niagara County."

As a collaboration effort, Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center is working with Kaleida Health and Erie County Medical Center Corporation to bring the service to Niagara County. Under this partnership, ECMCC will relinquish its license to operate one of its three existing cardiac care laboratories.

That license will be transferred to Kaleida Health, who are seeking approval to utilize it to establish a Cardiac Catheterization-Percutaneous Coronary Care laboratory extension clinic on the second floor of the NFMMC's Heart Center.

Linda Curtis, manager of cardiovascular service at NFMMC and heart center coordinator, said the lab will be located in the NFMMC facility and will be staffed by Kaleida Health physicians from Gates Vascular Institute. She said it's "really a collaboration."

Gorman said the lab will help not only Niagara Falls residents, but those throughout the county, especially those having a heart attack, who need treatment quickly. He cited a study that showed people who receive this type of treatment within 72 minutes have a 2.5 percent death rate, whereas people who receive a delayed treatment within 160 minutes have three times as high of a death rate.

With the option for people in Lockport, North Tonawanda and other locations in the county to now be transferred to Niagara Falls, instead of going to Buffalo, he said that will "shave a huge amount of time" off before being treated.

Both Kaleida Health and NFMMC have submitted a certification of need application to the state Department of Health for operating the lab, which the legislature unanimously supported Tuesday.

In other county news:

--A new labor contract was unanimously ratified Tuesday for the county's Local 182, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

The contract, for a period of time of Jan. 1, 2012 to Dec. 21, 2018, offers members a pay increase but will have them pay a share of health insurance premiums.

"This, I think, brings some right sizing to what we're trying to do through these negotiations," County Manager Jeff Glatz said. "The contributions of health care is a major factor in what we're trying to do to get contributions that are fair and appropriate."

AFSCME approved the agreement on March 19.

"I believe this is more than a fair agreement for both parties," Glatz said.

--After the recent purchase of 111 Main St. in Lockport and 20-40 East Ave., the county deemed it necessary to hire additional staff for the janitorial maintenance of the buildings. As a result, the legislature approved the creation and hiring of one buildings attendant and three cleaner positions.

The building attendant will make an annual salary of $29,623 and the cleaners will make an annual salary of $21,765.

Contact reporter Rikki Cason at 439-9222, ext. 6252.

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