MISSION HILLS : Expanded Heart Center Is Dedicated
A newly expanded heart center at Holy Cross Medical Center was dedicated Wednesday, and the unit hopes to serve San Fernando Valley patients who previously would have been referred to downtown hospitals.
The 5,500-square-foot Holy Cross Heart Center, whose planned Valentine’s Day dedication was delayed by the Northridge earthquake, will offer a complete range of specialized and general cardiac services, Chief Administrator Peter Spiers said.
“We have everything for the heart here.”
There are two cardiac surgical suites and two other specialized labs in place, as well as a specialized team of physicians and support staff.
The surgical team, which has been operating since September, has already performed 108 surgeries, spokeswoman Jane Cessar said. The team will be able to perform about 300 surgeries a year and more than a thousand other heart-related procedures in the new wing.
According to Spiers, the new unit had been planned for about 10 years, since hospital officials learned that as many as 50% of the area’s heart patients had to go to Downtown Los Angeles because there wasn’t enough specialized care in the Valley.
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