A major upgrade is coming to the facilities at San Antonio's Southwest General Hosptial, with a goal of providing more focused service to the hospital's core south side residents, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
Cardiologist Dr. Jorge Magallon says facilities like a new Cardiac Catheterization Lab, increased capability for the existing Cardiac Cath Lab, and a renovated and enlarged Nuclear Medicine Facility are all geared to provide immediate patient care for the largely Latino residents who live in the area, many of whom now have to travel to the Medical Center to receive this level of live saving care.
"Down here there's a significant amount of coronary disease that pertains to the patient population here, because there is a significant level of diabetes," Dr. Magallon said.
Many types of treatment being offered as part of the $3 million upgrade are being offered for on the South Side for the first time, including Electrophysiology, which is a specialized branch of cardiology that looks at the electrical system of the heart, allowing for the diagnosis and treatment of heart rhythm disordered such as Atrial Fibrillation, which makes a patient seven times more likely to suffer a stroke.
Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in the USA, accounting for nearly 28% of the deaths in San Antonio each year.
Dr. Magallon says the $3 million will save many lives. He points out that many of his patients are unable to get to the Medical Center to receive specialized treatment, due to a lack of transportation, or an inability to physically make what can be a taxing trip for a person who suffers form serious heart issues.
"Now patients don't have to go farther," he said. "Now many patents can't even get this level of care, due to how far away those services are."Southwest General CEO Craig Diamond says that is the focus of the expansion, which should be ready for patient care by April.
"This expansion specifically addresses our patient population's need for enhanced access to state of the art cardiac care close to home," he said. "It means that if you have a heart attack or any other kid of cardiac event on San Antonio's South Side, Southwest General Hospital has all the tools and the very best team in place to care for you."