St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center

02/27/2026

Expertise Shared with the World: In May, The Optimizing Peripheral and Cardiac Interventions (OPCI) New York Conference, hosted by St. Francis Cardiologists, was held in Manhattan. It was a transformative two-day event encompassing Coronary, Structural, and Electrosurgery sessions. As the cornerstone of OPCI's initiatives, the conference serves as a nexus for key opinion leaders, industry influencers, investors, and venture capitalists worldwide. At OPCI, event organizers share a commitment to reshaping interventional cardiology education, delivering comprehensive and cutting-edge learning experiences. Their goal is to empower healthcare professionals to provide exceptional, patient-centered care and push the boundaries of knowledge and collaboration in the ever-evolving field of interventional cardiology. Congratulations to all of the event directors on a successful conference! Directors, OPCI Coronary: Ziad Ali, MD, DPhil; Allen Jeremias, MD, MSc; Evan Shlofmitz, DO; Richard Shlofmitz, MD., FACC; Directors, OPCI Structural: Jaffar Khan, MD; George Petrossian, MD; Newell Robinson, MD; Omar Khalique, MD.

02/26/2026

02/26/2026

Can warm water impact your GI tract? Dr. Isaiah Schuster recently discussed this topic with the Huffington Post.

Those drinking hot water for specific health goals may be disappointed.

02/26/2026

Dr. Kathleen Stergiopoulos, a cardiologist with Catholic Health’s St. Francis Heart Center, recently spoke with Forbes about heart health. “One low cost, easy thing that everyone can do at home is checking your waist circumference. Weight that's in the middle of your body, like in the belly part, is bad for the heart. Women who have a waist circumference greater than 35 inches should be checked by a primary care doctor.” Read more:

The American Heart Association’s Go Red. Shop With Heart campaign is using retail, influencers and community to transform women’s heart health awareness.

02/26/2026

In June, interventional cardiologists at St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center were the first in the world to use the Shockwave Javelin Coronary Intravascular Lithotripsy Catheter, a new device developed by Shockwave Medical, Inc., part of Johnson & Johnson MedTech, to treat patients with severe blockages in coronary vessels. Learn more:

Interventional cardiologists at St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center were first in the world to use the Shockwave Javelin Coronary Intravascular Lithotripsy Catheter, a new device developed by Shockwave Medical, Inc., part of Johnson & Johnson MedTech, to treat patients with severe blockages in coron...

02/25/2026

Cardiac CT Department at the DeMatteis Center: This service provides cutting-edge diagnostic care to our patients, with a highly advanced CT scanner. This state-of-the-art technology offers rapid imaging with high-resolution images at minimal radiation dose.

02/25/2026

New PETCT Scanner: The St. Francis Diagnostic Unit is proud to announce the use of the first PETCT Scanner of its kind in the Tristate Region! Located at 2200 Northern Boulevard, this scanner takes much less time to complete the imaging on a patient. This is an impressive reduction in time for our patients. The new PETCT Scanner, the GE Omni Legend, is an all-digital platform that delivers higher resolution and increased sensitivity, allowing for faster scans times and the ability to see smaller lesions.

02/25/2026

The DeMatteis Family Ambulatory Cardiac Imaging Center at 2200 Northern Boulevard: This new state-of-the-art location, in Suite 114, complements the new SFHC location in Suite 102. This practice offers patients the convenience of scheduling their physician and imaging appointments in one building.

02/24/2026

Our St. Francis Infusion Center team - caring for our patients on this cold February day! ❄️

02/24/2026

In 2025, Catholic Health opened its newly expanded St. Francis Heart Center. The new off-campus site creates an extensive ambulatory care suite for cardiovascular patients, integrating numerous cardiology practices with a dedicated cardiac imaging suite. The location and design makes it easy for patients to access the nationally recognized cardiovascular services of St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center outside the hospital setting. Learn more: https://www.catholichealthli.org/news/st-francis-hospital-heart-center-pioneers-worlds-first-use-breakthrough-cardiac-technology

02/23/2026

In April, The Nuclear Cardiology team within the Division of Cardiovascular Imaging at St. Francis Hospital was the first in the country to use a new tool in diagnosing Coronary Artery Disease. The use of this new isotope allows cardiologists to combine a patient’s exercise stress test with an advanced cardiac PET scan for the first time ever.

02/22/2026

Another St. Francis First! The interventional cardiology team at St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center enrolled their first patient in the Acolyte CTO-PCI Study in December. St. Francis is the third hospital in the world to utilize this technology. The Acolyte OCT guided re-entry catheter system uses advanced intravascular imaging, to treat patients with completely closed vessels inside the heart (CTO’s). These patients experience persistent symptoms, even after medical therapy. These blockages deprive the heart of oxygen, causing symptoms including chest pain, shortness of breath, and fatigue. Dr. Ziad Ali, Principal Investigator for the study at St. Francis, explains, “The device provides real-time visualization of a consistent blockage in the heart, allowing for guidewire placement in the blocked vessel. This precision leads to enhanced safety in an otherwise higher risk revascularization, aimed at restoring the blood flow within the artery.”