STATE-OF-THE-ART ADVANCES IN MEDICAL CARE.

Reaffirming their commitment to state-of-the-art medical care, Aventura Hospital and Medical Center and the Miami Heart Institute and Medical Center are offering new services to cancer and cardiac patients. The hospitals will serve patients from Latin America and Europe who seek the professionalism of U.S. medicine and the 57comfortable multicultural environment of South Florida.

The $12 million Aventura Comprehensive Cancer Center is opening this year to providing the highest level of coordinated care available. Aventura's 31,500-square-foot cancer center houses radiation therapy, a comprehensive diagnostic breast center, a patient resource library and boutique, and other subspecialty offices where cancer specialists will provide state-of-the-art cancer care.

"Because this is a comprehensive center, we have several specialties all in the same building and the patient can have several appointments in one day," says Dr. Eduardo Fernandez, Chief of Radiation Oncology. "We can begin treatment very quickly."

Nearby Aventura Hospital will provide patients with surgical and other services. "Within one block, you can have every service you could possibly need," says Faith Barbera, Administrative Director of the center. All services required to meet the special needs of cancer patients and their caregivers can be found within the cancer center and hospital campus.

The cancer center has a $1.5 million linear accelerator with a multileaf colimator, which allows doctors to target radiation with pinpoint precision, sparing other organs. Aventura is the only local facility that uses helical CT simulation for treatment planning. The diagnostic breast center will have stereotactic biopsy capability and a dedicated mammographer.

Miami Heart Institute and Medical Center

At Miami Heart Institute, a new MRI is specially optimized for cardiovascular diagnostics, allowing doctors to treat patients with the greatest precision that is technologically possible. Dr. In K. Mun, director of research, says the MRI machine is a great leap forward in medical imaging.

"The problem with the heart is that it moves so fast that it is very difficult to image. Up to now we've been able to image a few slices per second," says Dr. Mun. "This MRI will let us image at least 10 slices per second -- with much better resolution and great consistency."

For patients, the new MRI will ensure better outcome. "Certainly, we can pinpoint cardiac problems better than any other modalities," he adds. "Furthermore, it's not invasive and there's no probe or radiation."

Miami Heart, one of six hospitals originally selected by GE Medical Systems to develop cardiovascular applications using MRI, has the only machine in Miami. That means the hospital is uniquely qualified to serve cardiac patients in Latin America as well as South Florida.

For more information about either program, contact Cecilia Franco, RN, MBA, Director of international Services, at [phone]. Fax: [phone]. E-mail: [e-mail].