LANCASTER – The renovation of the Fairfield Medical Center’s catheterization lab will allow the cardiovascular team to perform more complex limb and life-saving interventions for patients.
The project, which included expanding the existing space to accommodate the addition of new technology, was funded through a $1 million donation from the Fairfield Medical Center Foundation, according to a press release.
Dr. Jason André of FHP Vascular Surgery and Dr. John Lazarus of FHP Cardiology championed the renovation from the very beginning and helped cut the ribbon on the new cath lab during a ceremony on June 9.
“We now have an exciting new tool to build the cardiovascular program,” Dr. André said in the release. “I think the future here is bright, and today is an exciting day to be a member of this team.”
A cath lab is designed for interventional cardiovascular procedures, which are performed on patients with suspected heart or blood vessel problems. During a cardiac catheterization, a physician places a catheter into a blood vessel in the patient’s arm or groin and guides it to the heart to evaluate cardiac function. Similarly, vascular specialists may use the lab to remove blood clots or examine blood flow within the body’s veins and arteries. Using this technology, doctors are able to diagnose and treat several common conditions, including coronary artery blockages and heart attacks, the release states.
FMC Foundation board member Denise Bauer, who received life-saving care in the cath lab more than a decade ago following a heart attack, talked about what the project meant to her as a former patient.
“The type of heart attack I had is called a widow maker; my brother, who was eight years younger, died in his 40s from the same thing,” Denise said. “The moment I arrived at FMC, I was taken to the cath lab and was given nothing but exceptional quality care. They saved my life. That’s why this cath lab is so important to me, and why I will always be their biggest cheerleader.”
In 2023, the FMC Foundation designated cardiovascular services as the cause to support through its sponsorships and signature events. That same year, Drs. André and Lazarus approached the FMC Foundation Board about supporting the cath lab renovation.
“It was our second million dollar donation and it seemed like a staggering project to undertake, but now, a year and a half later, we’re standing here inside this realized dream,” said Tracy Kelly, president of the FMC Foundation. “It’s an exciting moment that really all comes down to the patients whose lives will be saved in this space.”
To learn more about the FMC Foundation’s healing mission and how you can be a part of helping to change lives in the community, visit fmchealth.org/foundation.
This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Fairfield Medical Center unveils
newly renovated catheterization lab
Reporting by Lancaster Eagle-Gazette / Lancaster Eagle-Gazette
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