OHVI - 35 Years of Caring for Heart and Vascular Patients

1966:

Cardiac Intensive Care unit opens at Sacred Heart Medical Center.

1968:

Progressive Cardiac Unit opens at SHMC.

1969:

Cardiac Catheterization Lab opens.

Wesley Jacobs, MD,
Eugene’s first physician
trained in invasive cardiology

1971:

Sacred Heart Medical Center becomes the first hospital between Portland and San Francisco to offer open heart surgery.

Robert Hodam, MD,
Eugene’s first cardiac surgeon

1981:

First simple balloon angioplasty procedure performed.

Cardiologist Foster Keene, MD,
who performed first
balloon angioplasty
at Oregon Heart Center.

1984:

Oregon Heart Center established to integrate all aspects of cardiac care at SHMC, including medical care, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and education.

Cardiologist Leonard Christie, M.D.,
founder of the Oregon Heart Center
and medical director until 1996

1984:

Vascular Laboratory opens.

1986:

Cardiac Rehabilitation program established.

1991:

Two new cardiac procedures become available: atherectomy and cold-tip laser cardiac catheterization.

1992:

First cardiac defibrillator implanted.

1992:

First ablation procedure performed.

1992:

Sacred Heart’s Vascular Laboratory becomes the first in Oregon and one of the first in North American granted full accreditation in all areas of vascular technology.

1994:

First rotoblation performed.

1994:

First stent procedure performed.

1996:

First off-pump coronary bypass surgery performed.

1997:

Bi-plane electrophysiology (EP) lab opens—the first in Oregon.

1997:

First radial artery graft used in coronary artery bypass surgery.

1998:

Sacred Heart completes a $3.5 million expansion of its cardiac/vascular treatment areas.

1999:

For the first time, Sacred Heart is named to the nationwide list of Top 100 Hospitals for Cardiovascular Care.

Top 100 Hospitals for Cardiac Care

2000:

First endovascular aortic stent graft performed.

2000:

Echocardiography Laboratory becomes the first in Oregon to be granted full accreditation in all areas of echocardiography.

2001:

First biventricular device implanted.

2001:

First transmyocardial revascularization with CO₂ heart laser performed.

2002:

Sacred Heart again named to the nationwide list of Top 100 Hospitals for Cardiovascular Care.

2003:

First operative maze procedure performed for atrial fibrillation.

2003:

First drug-eluting stent procedure performed.

2003:

First brachytherapy procedure performed.

2004:

First PFO closure (CardioSEAL) procedure performed.

2004:

Oregon Heart & Vascular Institute founded.

First minimally invasive surgical RF ablation of Atrial fibrillation

2005:

First Cryoablation procedure performed to treat arrhythmia; First Endograft repair of thoracic aortic aneurysm

2007:

Scheduled opening of the new Oregon Heart & Vascular Institute at the RiverBend medical campus, adjacent to Sacred Heart Medical Center.