New York: The Cardiac Catheterization Lab of the Richmond University Medical Center was dedicated in honor of Dr. Samala Swamy, who has been a leading cardiologist on Staten Island for more than 35 years. The Indian American physician emigrated from India to the United States to assume a residency position at St. Vincent’s Medical Center and became the hospital’s first cardiology fellow in 1974, has pledged $250,000 to support the capital campaign for a new Emergency Department.
Since August of 2014, Richmond University Medical Center took a giant step in improving the borough’s cardiac care, announcing at last its ability to provide “door-to-balloon” care in the critical 90 minutes after a person has a heart attack. The balloon is part of a treatment called angioplasty or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), and with the approval from the state Department of Health to upgrade its catheterization lab to perform PCIs, the hospital is equipped to follow through on both emergency and elective procedures.
Dr. Swamy, who has been a leading cardiologist on Staten Island, has not only witnessed profound advancements in his field — but in many ways he has also helped shape them. Dr. Swamy was also one of the first cardiologists on Staten Island to use cardiac catheterization for the diagnosis of coronary heart disease for the benefit of his patients.
In recognition of his contribution to the betterment of cardiac care in our borough, Dr. Swamy was awarded the “Humanitarian Award” by the former St. Vincent’s Medical Center, and the “Excellence in Medicine” award by the Staten Island Chapter of the American Heart Association.
Dr. Swamy is boarded in medicine, cardiology, nuclear medicine and interventional cardiology. Over the years, he has trained many cardiology fellows, who are very successful doctors today. Dr. Swamy is married to Veeramani. They are the parents of three children, sons Sudheer and Sumanth and daughter, Sumana.