NBC NEWS   » » Beat goes on for region's expanding cardiac units By Annemarie Franczyk Business First of Buffalo Three Buffalo hospitals have turned up the heat on the competition for cardiac patients by adding services for people with heart-rhythm problems. Buffalo General Hospital and the Veteran's Administration Medical Center recently established electrophysiology labs, and Mercy Hospital is waiting for an OK from the state to do the same. Electrophysiology, the study of the heart's electrical system, has expanded care options for heart patients in recent years to include the use of pacemakers and other implantable devices that regulate heartbeat. Buffalo General added a $1.6 million electrophysiology suite to its array of cardiac services in May. The VA recently announced completion of a $2.5 million upgrade to its cardiac catheteriz

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