Cutting the Ribbon on MMC’s New Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit
This past month, Maimonides Medical Center cut the ribbon on its new Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit (CTICU), marking a major new addition to its renowned cardiac services. The new unit features modernized, advanced equipment, and will help serve the more than 1,000 patients per year who undergo cardiac procedures at our Heart & Vascular Institute.
The upgrades strengthen Maimonides as a nationally recognized destination for cardiac care, in the top 1% of U.S. hospitals for heart attack survival and the top 3% for heart failure survival, as well as one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Surgery. The new CTICU emphasizes not only clinical excellence, but also improves patient experience, comfort, and privacy, and adds amenities so that families and visitors are able to comfortably be present for loved ones in the CTICU.
Patient procedures supported by the CTICU include heart surgery; cardiac bypass surgery; valve replacement/repair; aortic aneurysm repair; minimally invasive heart surgery; transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR); left ventricular assist device implantation (LVAD); convergent atrial fibrillation ablation (a-fib); and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).
The ribbon-cutting ceremony featured a short speaking program including Maimonides Health CEO Ken Gibbs, Director of Cardiothoracic Surgery Dr. Greg Ribakove, and VP of Philanthropy Rabbi Heshy Augenbaum. The Karfunkel family, which dedicated the unit’s main entrance in memory of Michael Karfunkel, a former Maimonides Board member, cut the ribbon to officially mark the unit as complete and operating. Other major philanthropic leaders dedicated the unit’s fourteen patient rooms, and a new family and visitors lounge was dedicated through the generosity of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation.
The $15 million project was made possibly partly with funding from community donors. Its last renovation was completed in the early 1990s.
“Maimonides is already a top destination for cardiac care, and these new and improved facilities will help us continue providing our patients top-notch care,” said Maimonides Health CEO Ken Gibbs. “New technologies and monitors mean better patient care, and improved spaces mean families can support their loved ones during recovery. I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to our generous community donors that made this possible on behalf of the entire Maimonides family and our patients.”
