By Lineth Fernandez
DEERFIELD BEACH, FL – Broward Health North hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of a new 11,600-square-foot cardiac catheterization suite. This lab is a strategic expansion of the hospital’s cardiovascular service line that will strengthen community access to advanced electrophysiology (EP) care in northern Broward County.
“This development aligns with our long-term vision to build a cardiac service line of excellence and deliver leading-edge care throughout the communities we serve,” said Shane Strum, President and CEO, Broward Health. “It highlights the system’s investment in cardiac innovation, clinical capacity and population health. We continue to strengthen Broward Health’s infrastructure and expand access to high-quality specialty care across the region.”
Broward Health continues to be at the forefront of cardiac care through innovation and advanced technology that patients have access to closer to home. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease remains the leading cause of death in Florida while in Broward County heart disease is consistently identified as one of the top causes of mortality, according to official documents from the Florida Department of Health in Broward County.
“Our investment in cardiac services enables us to continue providing extraordinary cardiac care to meet the evolving needs of our growing community,” said Matt Garner, CEO of Broward Health North. “As the prevalence of cardiac rhythm disorders increases, so does the need for timely access to advanced electrophysiology care.”
The newly constructed suite includes two state-of-the-art catheterization labs, bringing the hospital’s total number of cath labs to three. The new labs are equipped with the latest-generation imaging and diagnostic systems, enabling high-resolution visualization, improved procedural accuracy and reduced radiation exposure for both patients and care teams. These upgrades support both safety and workflow efficiency across a range of cardiac procedures. With comfortable patient areas, the suite also provides an elevated patient experience.
“Electrophysiology is an essential part of comprehensive cardiac care,” said Jose Baez-Escudero, M.D., chief of cardiology and electrophysiology for the Broward Health Physician Group. “The ability to offer complex ablation procedures onsite at Broward Health North allows us to deliver a full spectrum of care without requiring patient transfers or delays.”
With the new cardiac catheterization suite, physicians at Broward Health North are now able to provide cardiac ablation procedures, used to treat heart rhythm. Heart rhythm disorders, or arrhythmias, are on the rise, particularly Afib, which is the most common heart rhythm disorder and one of the leading causes of stroke. The cath lab also enhances the capacity to diagnose and treat complex cardiac arrhythmias. For the first time, patients at Broward Health North will have access to specialized procedures such as left- and right-sided ablations to address arrhythmias.
The suite includes six areas for patients to be comfortable as they prepare for and recover from procedures. There is also a nursing station and space allocated for future programmatic growth, including an additional EP lab. The lab is directly adjacent to the Emergency Department, which improves response time for critical cardiac patients who require immediate intervention.
“The proximity to the ED enhances care coordination and allows for rapid triage and treatment of patients presenting with acute cardiac symptoms,” said Andre Landau, M.D., medical director of cardiology at Broward Health North. “This can have a direct impact on clinical outcomes, especially in time-sensitive cases.”
