Mount Kisco, NY – New York State Senator Pete Harckham announced today that $250,000 in state grant funding has been awarded to Northern Westchester Hospital (NWH) for its new specialized cardiac ultrasound system, just recently installed, which will assist medical staff members with cardiac procedures. 

Harckham visited the hospital today with NWH President Derek Anderson and other hospital officials to see the new ultrasound system and also to tour the expansion of the hospital’s Emergency Department, a project that was jumpstarted with a $500,000 state grant the state senator secured for NWH in 2024.

“As the healthcare landscape becomes more challenging, our community hospitals are more vital than ever. NWH has been providing high quality, patient-centered care for decades in northern Westchester. Investments in medical technology allow them to provide cutting-edge care right in the community. I am proud to have secured this grant to enable them to continue to provide state-of-the-art care in my district.”

Cardiac ultrasound systems—“echocardiograms”—have become an essential tool in the assessment and management of all cardiac issues. They allow medical professionals to view in real-time moving images of the heart’s structures, valves and pumping vitality. The test utilizes high-frequency sound waves and Doppler technology instead of x-rays, making its use, and repeated use if necessary, harmless to patients, regardless of age. 

Cardiac ultrasound is needed especially for pregnant women and infants. Additionally, instead of needles, incisions and surgical recovery, there is only an application of gel and a transducer placed over the heart. Because heart failure continues to grow in prevalence in an aging population, having equipment available that can decrease assessment times and increase diagnostic accuracy is truly beneficial.

NWH President Derek Anderson said, “These investments reflect our ongoing commitment to strengthening the care we provide to patients throughout northern Westchester and the surrounding communities. “From improving the efficiency of our emergency department to expanding our advanced cardiac imaging capabilities, both projects address important and evolving health care needs. By investing in our facilities and technology, we’re helping ensure that patients can continue to access high-quality, specialized care close to home.”

Umar Rashid, MD, NWH’s Director of the Cardiac Cath Lab, Interventional Cardiology, said, “This new ultrasound system will allow us to perform more sophisticated cardiac imaging, including 3D reconstruction capabilities, and provide the detailed assessments needed for patients with complex heart conditions, including those preparing for procedures such as transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and mitral valve surgery. Combined with our cardiac CT and cardiac catheterization lab, patients now have access to all the diagnostic imaging they need prior to their procedures right here at Northern Westchester Hospital. Being able to complete important diagnostic imaging closer to home means fewer trips, greater convenience and better continuity of care and is an important step in expanding the cardiac services we can offer our community.” 

NWH’s Emergency Department expansion project includes construction of a fast track area dedicated to care for patients with non-critical injuries or conditions. The project will include three exam rooms and a dedicated nursing station, as well as six results waiting bays and one patient discharge bay.

In the past several years, NWH has seen a substantial increase in the volume of patients being cared for in the Emergency Department. In 2022, NWH had 33,269 visits to its Emergency Department, compared to 30,492 in 2021 and 23,543 in 2020. In June 2023, when NWH submitted its funding request to Harckham, the volume of visits was already 16% higher than the 2022 total.

According to Northern Westchester Hospital, its patients arrive with a wide spectrum of maladies, from acute respiratory infections and influenza to heart attacks and injuries from accidents. NWH’s new fast track area will facilitate emergency care for patients with non-critical issues. The new care facility within its Emergency Department will result in more appropriate care, reduced waiting time and more efficient responses from medical professionals.

The entire project is set to cost around $3 million, with $400,000 in costs to be covered by a private donation from the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust. 

Evan Cohen, MD, Chair of Emergency Medicine at NWH, said, “This new seven-room fast track unit marks a pivotal enhancement for our Emergency Department, directly addressing our need for private, comfortable space to efficiently care for low-acuity patients and perform essential procedures. We are deeply grateful to Sen. Harckham and his team for their invaluable partnership in supporting this project, which is vital for providing safe and effective care to our growing community.”

Harckham added, “Northern Westchester Hospital has served two generations of my family. It’s important for us to invest so they can provide world-class care to future generations of families.”

The funding Harckham secured for NWH’s Emergency Room expansion comes from the Local Community Assistance Program (LoCAP), while the cardiac ultrasound grant was awarded through the Community Resiliency, Economic Sustainability, and Technology (CREST) program, both administered by the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) to support community and economic development initiatives. Harckham has delivered more than $40 million of state funding to municipalities, first responder and nonprofits in the 40th Senate District since taking office in 2019.