For the last decade, Danville Regional Medical Center and Duke University Health System have collaborated to provide cardiovascular services to patients. In 1990, Danville Regional Medical Center opened its first cardiac catheterization lab, which enabled cardiologists to diagnose the condition of the heart and arteries. If patients needed open heart surgery, they were taken to Duke for treatment, usually returning to Danville for follow-up care and cardiac rehabilitation.

"Over the years, our cardiologists have developed a referral relationship with the surgeons at Duke University Health System," said Lee Higginbotham, Director of Cardiovascular Services for Danville Regional Medical Center.

"As a provider of healthcare services, we continually evaluate the services we provide. Given the high incidence of cardiovascular disease in our region, it made sense for us to begin providing open heart surgery." Duke University Health System quickly became the obvious choice for the cardiovascular affiliation.

"Duke is more than a medical center in Durham, North Carolina, that provides excellent healthcare services," said Dr. Thomas Ryan, Director of the Duke Heart Center. "We are a resource to local hospitals and medical staffs that wish to offer new clinical programs to better serve their medical communities. I am pleased that Danville Regional Medical Center and its medical staff have selected our organization to partner in the development of this important clinical program."

During the past year, officials from Danville Regional Medical Center and Duke University Health System have been in discussions regarding the cardiovascular affiliation. The agreement involves providing open-heart surgery, projected to be initiated by the end of 2002. Proposed plans for a new heart surgery center call for a $6 million, 8,000 square-foot addition to the medical center's main building on South Main Street.

"The alliance with Duke University Health System is an outstanding opportunity to meet this identified need in the best possible way," said Sexauer. "We are excited to have the opportunity to bring the caliber of cardiac surgical services to Danville." Although Danville Regional Medical Center will own and operate the new heart surgery center, the staff will have access to training, education and quality assurance programs that Duke University Health System has developed.

The proposed heart surgery center will greatly benefit the community in terms of patient care and convenience. "We'll be able to keep patients here who would otherwise have to travel for care. Our goal is to make their care more seamless by having all their needs taken care of at one facility-Danville Regional Medical Center," said Higginbotham. "We hope that this will also make it easier on patients' families by removing the burden of travel."

The proposed heart surgery center will also benefit the Danville-area economy. It is anticipated that about 35 well-paying new jobs will be created as a result of the affiliation. Because Danville Regional Medical Center is the third largest employer in Danville, and increase in the level of services provided would be a boost to the region's economy.

"The cardiovascular affiliation with Duke University Health System will take Danville Regional Medical Center to a new level," said Higginbotham. "It will have a positive impact on all the services we provide and will enhance our capabilities in the future."