The cardiac cath lab is undergoing a $2.5 million expansion. Construction is now complete on the second cath lab and the approximately 1,400 square foot addition.

"We started off with one cath lab, but were getting more patients with acute coronary problems," said Dr. Parag Madhani, invasive cardiologist and medical director of the River to River Heart Group. "So we decided to add a second cath lab."

Debra Heaton, director of the cardiac catheterization lab and the ICU said, "With nine cardiologists on staff currently, we needed more room to provide the services they offer. Also, we have more than doubled our patient volume over the past 12 months and need the space."

The new cath lab will have a Philips hemodynamic monitoring system, which directly measures blood pressure from inside the veins, heart, and arteries. The system also measures blood flow and how much oxygen is in the blood. Samples of blood from deep inside the body can be analyzed.

In addition, the new cath lab will also have X-Ray equipment that will be dual purpose for use in both peripheral studies and angiographies. The old cath lab will also see an equipment upgrade.

"We will handle coronary and peripheral cases and also do electro physical cases, pacemaker and bi-ventricular pacemakers," Madhani said. "I am excited by the expansion because it means we are getting busier and dealing with more complex cases now.

Mike Mimoso, Chief Executive Officer, said, "We have welcomed new staff, including nurses and X-ray technologists for the second cath lab. With the expansion of the cath lab we're going from two to three teams. We are focused on continually improving the level of care we provide to our community."