YuLin Zhen, Photography Editor

Yale New Haven Hospital has become one of the first 12 hospitals in the world to be designated as a Pulmonary Embolism Comprehensive Care Center of Excellence. This marks a significant achievement in the global fight against pulmonary embolism, or PE, a life-threatening cardiovascular condition where a blood clot gets stuck in an artery in the lung, blocking blood flow to part of the lung. 

The designation was awarded by the PERT Consortium, a leading authority in pulmonary embolism care, in early September this year. YNHH was one of only a dozen hospitals worldwide to receive this honor after undergoing an extensive application and review process. This recognition highlights the hospital’s commitment to providing multidisciplinary, patient-centered care and solidifies its leadership in managing PE. The hospital’s success was driven by its state-of-the-art technology and a team of dedicated specialists working collaboratively to improve patient outcomes.

“We can now say that our program has been validated, and the practices that we are currently doing align with a large body or standard of care for our patients,” Dr. Akhil Khosla, director of PERT and assistant professor of internal medicine, told the News. “It really allows us to differentiate what we can do here compared to other hospitals across the U.S.” 

The Pulmonary Embolism Response Team — PERT — at YNHH plays a central role in the hospital’s comprehensive approach to managing pulmonary embolism. The team is responsible for evaluating patients who have been diagnosed with PE, whether they are in the hospital, in the emergency department or in an outpatient setting.

PERT’s program is designed to manage all PE patients, ensuring that each case receives appropriate care based on the severity of the condition. This includes rapid assessments to determine if patients require admission for advanced treatments or if they can be treated in an outpatient setting. 

The program also follows patients long-term, monitoring those who do not fully recover from their PE to determine if further therapies or workups are needed. This comprehensive care model is unique, with only three programs — including YNHH’s — ever approved or accredited both in the United States and internationally.

The hospital’s success is rooted in its ability to democratize the care process: PE care integrates the expertise of various specialties, creating a robust, multidisciplinary care team. By uniting experts from interventional radiology, pulmonary medicine, cardiothoracic surgery and critical care, YNHH has created a seamless system for diagnosing and treating PE at all stages.

This collaboration allows the hospital to provide cutting-edge therapies for patients with even the most severe cases of PE. Furthermore, YNHH’s program includes follow-up care for patients who require ongoing monitoring after they are discharged, ensuring that they continue to receive the necessary treatments.

Moreover, a critical aspect of YNHH’s success in pulmonary embolism care is its ability to continually adopt and implement advanced treatment techniques. Among these innovations is the use of catheter-based thrombectomy, a procedure that allows for the safe and efficient removal of clots without the risks associated with traditional clot-dissolving medications. This technique, introduced by Dr. Jeffrey Pollak, co-director of PERT, has provided faster relief for patients with severe PE, reducing the risk of complications such as brain bleeding. 

This technology also allows doctors to physically remove blood clots from the lungs without the risk of excessive bleeding, which can occur with pharmacological treatments.

“We stand out because we have a group of people who are very interested in this and work hard to keep us at the forefront of this care … and we’ve been early converts to using those kinds of devices to help our patients,” Pollak said.

In addition to procedural advancements, YNHH’s ability to leverage technology has been a key factor in its designation as a Center of Excellence. The hospital was an early adopter of artificial intelligence to improve the detection and management of PE cases. This technology allows PERT to quickly identify high-risk patients and alert specialists to intervene before a patient’s condition deteriorates. AI has not only accelerated diagnosis but also enhanced the accuracy of treatment decisions, leading to better outcomes for patients across the hospital system.

YNHH’s pioneering use of artificial intelligence in PE care was highlighted by Dr. Hamid Mojibian, a vascular interventional radiologist.

“We were the first hospital in the world to use AI-driven alerts for PE care. It significantly enhanced our ability to identify and treat patients more efficiently,” Mojibian said.

The AI system was particularly helpful during the COVID-19 pandemic, as it streamlined communication between specialists and ensured rapid intervention for high-risk patients.

The hospital’s success in PE care is not limited to its main campus. YNHH has developed a network that ensures PE patients from affiliated hospitals across the region have access to the same high level of care. This system allows for the swift transfer of patients in need of advanced procedures, such as catheter-based thrombectomy, to YNHH’s main facility. The hospital has also implemented telemedicine and remote consultation tools to facilitate collaboration between specialists at different locations, ensuring that patients receive timely, expert care no matter where they are treated.

In the future, YNHH aims to expand its research initiatives and explore new technologies that could further improve PE care. Mojibian noted that predictive models driven by AI could help physicians determine which patients need advanced interventions, allowing for more precise and effective treatments. The hospital’s commitment to ongoing research and innovation positions it as a leader not only in PE care but also in the broader field of cardiovascular medicine.

The designation of YNHH as a Comprehensive Care Center of Excellence highlights its commitment to advancing pulmonary embolism care through a multidisciplinary team, modern technology and a focus on continuous improvement in treatment.

The PERT Consortium was formed in May 2015.