Danbury Hospital has received a $3 million donation from a Bridgewater resident to transform the cardiac operating room into a multi-functional cardiovascular surgical suite. The new clinical space is scheduled for completion next year and will be named after the donor, Yoriko McClure.
McClure underwent coronary bypass surgery at Danbury Hospital and said while making the multi-million dollar donation that she had been both impressed and grateful for the care she received during her stay.
Hospital officials say the new facility will combine the functionality of a traditional operating room with the advanced imaging capabilities of a catheterization laboratory. They say surgeons will be able to perform minimally invasive cardiac and endovascular procedures in a single surgical encounter.
Cardiovascular disease is the leading global cause of death, accounting for more than 17.3 million deaths each year, a number that is expected to grow over 23.6 million by 2030. In Connecticut, CVD accounts for more than 9,300 deaths each year, about one-third – with coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease (stroke) and heart failure accounting for 48 percent, 15 percent, and 8 percent of all CVD deaths respectively.
CVD remains the number one cause of death in Connecticut despite the overall decline in the prevalence of smoking and improved control of high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
