ZEPHYRHILLS - East Pasco Medical Center will break ground at 2 p.m. today on its $23-million open heart surgery center.
The Cardiovascular Center, which is targeted to open in 2005, will feature two open heart suites, two heart catheterization labs and seven cardiovascular intensive care beds.
The project means Pasco residents who live east of U.S. 41 will no longer face a 40-minute drive when they need these surgeries.
In the past, patients had to travel to University Community Hospital or Tampa General. The alternative was an hourlong drive to Regional Medical Center at Bayonet Point in Hudson.
According to the hospital, more than 3,300 patients in its service area need cardiac care each year. Of that number, nearly 1,000 of them have to leave the area for the care.
Today's groundbreaking is open to the public and will last about an hour. Refreshments will be served.
Adventist Health System in Winter Park owns East Pasco Medical Center. The $2.5-billion nonprofit organization runs 37 hospitals with 42,000 employees for the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
