Hospital celebrates cath lab opening
Officials note importance of facility
The significant improvement in health care in Porterville was duly noted Tuesday when officials with Sierra View Medical Center celebrated the opening of the hospital’s Cardiac Catheterization Lab.
“Today’s a special day for me, my colleagues and especially our patients,” Dr. Ashok Behl, a local cardiologist who served on the hospital’s board of directors and who had lobbied for the cath lab for more than 35 years.
The new, state of the art facility, is for the treatment of heart disease, although for at least the first year it will be used only to perform angiograms, which is diagnostics of the heart. The goal is to get approval to use the facility to do intervention as well, such as angioplasties and stents.
Dr. Behl came to Porterville in 1982 and has waited the longest of the hospital’s three cardiologists for the facility to open. He, along with Drs. Bindu Sagarreddy and Nallathamby Thayapran, were all beaming with pride on Tuesday as the community got a look at the facility during an open house and ribbon cutting.
“I’m so happy. It was like a tennis player without a home court. Now, I have a home court,” said Dr. Sagarreddy with a broad
smile. He said he was recruited to Porterville in 1992 with the promise a cath lab would be built.
All three doctors had to use facilities in Bakersfield and Visalia to do their diagnostic and intervention work. They, and their patients, no longer have to go out of town for the specialized care.
“We are changing cardiac care in Porterville and surrounding towns,” added Dr. Thayapran, who said, “This is our first step in making history.”
The lab was talked about for more than 15 years and a few times the board came close to agreeing to its construction, but then backed off. It was just two years ago the board, led by Dr. Behl, but supported by fellow board members Kent Sorrells, Richard Hatfield, Dr. Rakesh Jindal and Dr. Gaurang Pandya, finally approved construction, which took about a year.
“It was something that was needed and now we have it,” said Sorrells, who called the cath lab a “milestone” in the history of the hospital.
Sierra View CEO Donna Hefner said the lab is evidence of the dedication and perseverance of the board and staff.
“It is an exciting time for Sierra View Medical Center, but it is an even more compelling time for the patients we will serve,” she said. Hefner noted that having three cardiologists in the community without a cath lab, “was an aberration.”
She said to the community, “Know that your hearts are in good hands here at Sierra View Medical Center.”
The $8 million lab saw its first patient in April and Dr. Behl said 48 procedures had been conducted since then — all with good outcomes.