It's very rewarding for those of us at Danville Regional Health System to see how well the cardiac surgery program, a part of the Heart Center of the Piedmont, has been received by the community. This summer we passed the milestone of performing 50 coronary artery bypass and valve operations. The cardiac surgery team, let by Henry Tripp, MD, has performed its duties with great skill and compassion.

We've brought together those who are experienced in open-heart surgery but new to DRMC with folks who are experienced at our hospital but new to cardiac surgery. We planned extensively and thoroughly for this center, and it gives those of us in administration great satisfaction to see all things going according to those plans.

This is just one of the areas in which we bring advanced medicine to the Dan River Region. The lead story on these pages shows how you can now benefit from new procedures in neurosurgery, orthopedics, and oncology without having to leave town for a major medical center.

We're also pleased that our new gastroenterology suite is open and serving patients. Because many of these procedures are perforomed on an outpatient basis, we designed this area for the comfort and convenience of these patients and their families.

A significant theme of recent months is the addition of outstanding physicians to our staff in crucial areas. Among these are Gail Gerena, MD, an infectious diseases specialist, Gwynn Long, MD in oncology, and Alice Newell, MD in OB/GYN. We identified areas of health concern in our community - heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and others - and recruited physicians to ensure that the Dan River Region receives healthcare excellence close to home.
Sincerely,