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Rep. Slaughter secures $400,000 for upgrades and research at The Heart Center of Niagara

 Rep. Louise M. Slaughter, D-Fairport, chairwoman of the House Rules Committee, visited Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center’s Heart Center of Niagara on Aug. 30 to announce $400,000 in funds for the facility.  The funds secured by Rep. Slaughter in the FY08 Labor – Health and Human Services – Education Appropriations bill will be used for technology upgrades and staffing for cardiac research at the Center for Coronary Disease Prevention and Reversal at The Heart Center of Niagara.

“This funding will go a long way in upgrading research equipment and staffing to bolster this growing, yet critical component at the Heart Center all while solidifying the Center’s reputation in cardiac research on the national stage,” said Rep. Slaughter. “Both of these initiatives represent a long-term investment in the reversal of Western New York’s dismal mortality rates from heart attacks.” 

“In a time when healthcare costs keep rising, new prevention innovations not only save lives, but also lower the financial cost of treating patients by stopping the disease before it becomes dangerous,” Rep. Slaughter continued.

“Rep. Slaughter was one of the earliest supporters of our vision for early detection using non-invasive diagnostic testing as a means of giving patients the opportunity to reverse coronary artery disease.  Her faith in us is already paying off in the form of improved patient outcomes," said Memorial Medical Center President & CEO Joseph A. Ruffolo.  "This grant will enable us to conduct groundbreaking research while providing progressively better and more cost-effective care to coronary disease patients."

The FY08 Labor – Health and Human Services – Education Appropriations bill passed in the House of Representatives by a vote of 246-140 on July 19.  This bill now awaits consideration in the Senate.