California Pacific Medical Center Opens Kanbar Cardiac Center; World-Class Facility Offers Latest Advanced Technology for Heart Health.

SAN FRANCISCO -- California Pacific Medical Center announces the opening of its Kanbar Cardiac Center, a new, state-of-the-art clinical care facility offering advanced technology to treat virtually all heart conditions, including the most complex and urgent cases.

The Center, centrally located in the heart of CPMC's Pacific Campus Hospital, integrates all aspects of non-invasive and invasive therapies. It affords patients the very latest diagnostic tests and procedures, as well as quicker scheduling and more rapid testing, with the goal of more accurate diagnosis and speedier treatment.

Our nationally-known physicians and surgeons are committed to providing excellent personalized care in contemporary surroundings. A truly unique facility outfitted in restful greens, blues and cream, the Kanbar Cardiac Center is a clinical space that looks nothing like a clinical space: beautiful recycled glass tiles line the floors, while thought-provoking art lines its walls. Since patients spend a good deal of their time lying on stretchers while at the Center, they are provided a ceiling light show and artwork for their enjoyment.

While heart disease remains the number one killer of both men and women in the United States, the American Heart Association cites declines in death rates from cardiovascular diseases as being largely responsible for recent major improvements in life expectancy.(1)

Richard J. Gray, M.D., Medical Director of Sutter Pacific Heart Centers gives a few examples of the Center's advanced technology: "Our diagnostic services feature flat panel imaging and screens to offer imaging quality second to none, while our Electrophysiology Lab allows for the most comprehensive mapping and treatment available for complex electrical conditions like irregular heartbeat."

The Center's Cardiac Catheterization Labs feature both single and biplane imaging, offering better and safer visualization, as well as a special recovery room for patients who've undergone procedures to open blocked vessels or arteries.

The Kanbar Cardiac Center represents a $22 million dollar investment in the San Francisco community by California Pacific Medical Center and Sutter Health.

Specific equipment in our all-new facility includes:

Non-Invasive Diagnostic Services

--ECG -- Mac(R) 5000 Electrocardiogram 

--Echocardiography

--Exercise and Pharmacological Stress Testing 

--3D cardiac ultrasound

--Intracardiac echocardiography (ICE)

--Holter and Event Monitors

--Tilt Table Testing

Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory

--Two labs, featuring Integris Allura Biplane System and Integris Allura Flat Detector Ceiling System

Electrophysiology Laboratory

--Featuring Phillips Integris CV 9 Radiology/Fluroscopy System

--GE-Prucka mapping of electrical activity of the heart

Pre and Post Catheterization Nursing Unit

--6 Fully Monitored Beds

--Picture Archiving and Retrieval. Allows for electronic storage and viewing of all cardiac images from multiple sites in the hospital and in doctors' offices.

--Special Workstations for Cardiology Fellowship Training and Education Conferencing.

The Kanbar Cardiac Center was made possible in large part by a generous gift from Mr. Maurice Kanbar, a San Francisco entrepreneur and inventor.

About California Pacific Medical Center

California Pacific Medical Center, a Sutter Health affiliate, is one of the largest private, not-for-profit teaching medical centers in Northern California. We are a tertiary referral center providing access to leading-edge medicine while delivering the best possible personalized care. CPMC provides a wide variety of services, including, acute, post-acute and outpatient hospital care; home care and hospice services; preventive and complementary care; and health education. Through our Medical Education Program and our Research Institute, physicians at California Pacific Medical Center are able to bring health care innovation to the bedside. Our Heart Transplantation and End Stage Heart Failure program has recently been designated as one of the select few programs to provide implantable heart support devices as destination therapy for individuals with severe heart failure who may not be candidates for heart transplantation.

(1) Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics -- 2004 Update