St. Francis Hospital in Hartford has temporarily suspended all elective heart surgeries. The move comes at the request of the Department of Public Health, which says its investigating unspecified quality of care problems there.
In a statement, St. Francis Hospital said, "This voluntary delay has been recommended by the DPH to provide time for a thorough review of maintenance records of perfusion equipment in the operating room, and to ensure that further education of OR personnel on policies, procedures, and emergency measures has been accomplished."
Perfusion equipment is used to replace the function of the heart during open heart surgery. It acts as an artificial blood pump.
It's not clear what the specific problem has been, or how many patients have been affected. The hospital did not release that information. The Department of Public Health does not expect to release additional information until its investigation wraps up, said Diana Lejardi, a DPH spokesperson.
For now, Hartford Hospital is accepting some patients from St. Francis Hospital, and has done so since Thursday night, said Lee Monroe, a spokesperson for Hartford Hospital.
In its statement, St. Francis Hospital said, "We will work with the DPH to ensure that the highest level of quality care continues to be delivered to our patients."
