White Plains CitizeNetReporter - White Plains Hospital Plans Sidney P Zimmerman Nuclear Cardiology Center

Special to WPCNR:White Plains Hospital Center today announced plans to create a Nuclear Cardiology Center to be named in honor of Sidney P. Zimmerman, M.D., a cardiologist and internist in his 52nd year of practice at the Hospital. The announcement came at a special tribute held on November 28th at the Hospital for Dr. Zimmerman.

The Sidney P. Zimmerman, MD Nuclear Cardiology Center at White Plains Hospital Center (WPHC) will effectively double the size of the Hospital’s current Nuclear Cardiology Department and address the present and future need for a more comprehensive facility in which to diagnosis and treat heart disease.

The project will involve renovation and the reconfiguration of space to accommodate state-of-the-art technology, exercise equipment, examination rooms and a comfortable waiting area for patients and their families. Work is scheduled to begin immediately with an expected completion date of Spring 2003.

“The creation of the Sidney P. Zimmerman, MD Nuclear Cardiology Center is part of the Hospital’s goal to develop a comprehensive cardiology service,” said Jon B. Schandler, President and CEO of the Hospital. “We already have excellent facilities, but this will expand our services to meet the increasing demand for diagnostic testing and to include angioplasty and cardio-ballooning. Patients will no longer have to go to New York City for these studies and procedures.”

“What’s so exciting is that the funds were given to the Hospital by my patients and friends as a thank you for what I’ve done for the community,” said Dr. Zimmerman, who is 82 and a Rye resident. He formerly lived in White Plains for 40 years. To date, his patients’ contributions have raised three quarters of the $600,000 cost for the project.

“Sidney is truly a remarkable man,” said Jonathan Wynn, M. D., who practices with Dr. Zimmerman in White Plains at Zimmerman, Muehlbauer, Fink, Wynn and Chan. “He is one of those people who is just pleasant to be around—all the time. Most of us have good days and bad days. Sidney has basically good days.”

Peter Post, a member of the Board of Directors of WPHC and Dr. Zimmerman’s son-in-law, said, “White Plains Hospital is recognizing Sidney for his half-century-long commitment to help make the hospital the top-flight facility it is today.”

Colleagues, patients and admirers describe Dr. Zimmerman as someone who loves being a doctor, who has a huge, warm following among hundreds if not thousands of patients. “He’s an unusual mix of country doctor—warm and reassuring, but at the same time with a very modern, scientific approach to medicine,” Mr. Post said.

Dr. Zimmerman received his undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. He received his degree in medicine from Syracuse University magna cum laude and was a member of Alpha Omega Alpha. He trained at Mount Sinai Hospital and did research at Goldwater Memorial Hospital, the New York University Division. Some of the research conducted by Dr. Zimmerman while at Goldwater led to the wide use of the cardiac drug Digoxin—which is still the drug of choice in the treatment of arrhythmia and heart failure. At the same time, he did pioneering work in anticoagulant therapy. During World War II, he was involved in the development of Atabrine to treat malaria in the Far East. He was Chief of Medicine at two hospitals in the Panama Canal Zone while in the Army. During the early part of his practice, he taught cardiology at New York University and Mount Sinai Hospital. For 25 years, Dr. Zimmerman taught at Westchester Medical Center and was an Associate Professor of Medicine at New York Medical College.

Dr. Zimmerman said, “We’ll be one of the few community hospitals in this region to have a nuclear cardiology center.” Referring to the quick treatment and recovery of Vice President Dick Cheney after his recent heart attack, Dr. Zimmerman said, “The future of medicine is related to newer advances in cardiology—especially the diagnostic aspects of nuclear cardiology.” White Plains Hospital Center ranks as a leader in Westchester County in the scope and volume of noninvasive cardiac services it provides. During the last three years, this success has led to a 25 to 30 percent increase in demand for diagnostic testing using nuclear medicine.

Nuclear cardiology plays a pivotal role in the noninvasive diagnosis of coronary artery disease, the assessment of the pumping function of the heart and the prediction of outcomes in patients with heart disease.

In the WPHC Nuclear Cardiology Department, noninvasive techniques are used to detect the extent of heart disease. Radiologists administer small doses of a radioactive isotope, or imaging agent, to patients in order to study blockages of coronary arteries and scarring from heart attack.

Among the most widely used technique for these purposes is myocardial perfusion imaging. Superior to routine exercise stress testing, it provides the necessary information to help identify which patients are at increased risk for heart attack and may be candidates for invasive procedures such as coronary angiography, angioplasty and heart surgery. Radionuclide ventriculography is an additional noninvasive method, which utilizes an imaging agent. It provides information about the pumping function of the heart and can be used to monitor the effect of different drugs on the heart muscle.

For further information on the new Sidney P. Zimmerman, MD Nuclear Cardiology Center, please call Tricia Laine at (914) 681-2264.


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