Valley Presbyterian Hospital Starts Construction of New Cath Lab.

VAN NUYS, Calif. -- Valley Presbyterian Hospital (VPH) began construction of a state-of-the-art Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory on April 2.

VPH President and Chief Executive Officer Albert L. Greene officially commenced the project on Monday by symbolically breaking through the wall where the laboratory will be built. The nearly $4 million laboratory with state-of-the-art equipment will support critical care cardiology and cardiac services that Valley residents depend upon.

VPH Chief Operating Officer Phyllis Bushart said the construction of the new Cardiac Cath Lab is in line with the VPH pledge to upgrade technology. "We are committed to providing the community access to the most advanced medical technology tools and quality critical care services," Bushart said.

The Emergency Medical Services Agency of Los Angeles County this past January designated Valley Presbyterian Hospital as a first-choice center for treating heart attack patients. Known as a STEMI (ST-elevation Myocardial Infarction) Receiving Center, Valley Presbyterian Hospital is one of county's select facilities for treating heart attack patients.

The new Cardiac Cath Lab is being constructed on 2,786 square feet of space on the first floor of the hospital, near the Operating Rooms and the Emergency Department. Roxanne Baden, director of Surgical Services at VPH, said the design of the Cath Lab has taken into account all patient needs: "If there's a STEMI situation or a code white (heart attack patient), it's a straight line to Cath Lab and, if necessary, to Surgery. It's a very streamlined design."

The lab will have the latest catheterization imaging and monitoring equipment, including a Phillips Xcelera, a cardiovascular information management system that allows cardiologists to see images more clearly and review all information on a single workspace, including blood work, charting, documentation, and patient information from other exams.

Another important piece of equipment will include a Phillips Witt hemodynamic monitor, which measures and monitors a patient's ECG (electrocardiogram), blood pressure and other vital signs associated with a Cath Lab procedure. It will work seamlessly with the new radiology imaging system that also will be implemented by VPH, known as the picture archiving and communications system (PACS).

The Cath Lab project is funded in part by a $1 million grant from the Fritz B. Burns Foundation and an ongoing community donor campaign.

The new Cath Lab is scheduled to open in September 2007. Meanwhile, cardiologists will continue to take care of patients in the current VPH Cath Lab. Cardiologist Jack Patterson, M.D. said, "This will be the best lab in the Valley."

About Valley Presbyterian Hospital

Founded in 1958, Valley Presbyterian Hospital is one of the largest acute care hospitals in the San Fernando Valley. The 350-bed facility offers leading-edge technology and medical expertise in maternal and child health, cardiac care, orthopedics, and critical care services. VPH has more than 500 physicians representing virtually every specialty and most sub-specialties. For more information, visit our website at: www.valleypres.org