In the News

We invite you to click on any of the attached news articles and press releases featuring the Fresno Heart & Surgical Hospital.

Wanda Holderman, CEO routinely updates her blog sharing her unique perspective on a variety of topics.

Finally, you may want to visit MedWatchToday.com, a Web site featuring the award winning show, MedWatch which provides up-to-date health care information.

Installing A Pacemaker
Dr. Khoi Le performs minimally invasive surgery at Fresno Heart & Surgical Hospital to give 64-year-old Benito Jimenez a pacemaker for his heart.Read More

New studies show bariatric surgery can cure diabetes
“Many people think that bariatric surgery is cosmetic, but that is not true,” said Dr. Boone. “Losing weight helps with general looks, but we perform bariatric surgery to ‘cure’ or improve medical problems that are caused or made worse by obesity. Diabetes is the number one reason for proceeding with bariatric surgery. In our patients who have diabetes and have the Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass, 85% leave the hospital right after surgery off of all of their diabetes medicines. The diabetes and obesity epidemics are so interconnected that we now have a new word called ‘diabesity.'" Read More.

More Video
	Revision Bariatic	Dr. Kelvin Higa wonders what he’ll find when he performs bariatric revision surgery on Michelle Ardire 10 years after her original weight-loss procedure was done by another surgeon.
	Possible Open Heart Surgery	Darlene Curtis is always on the go. She walks to work and loves to run and jog, but all of a sudden, Darlene started to suffer from fatigue and chest pains. After already having a stent a few years ago, Darlene worried she would need open heart surgery. Cardiac surgeon Rohit Sundrani performs an angiogram on Darlene to try to find some answers to what’s ailing her.
	Bariatric Surgery	Bariatric patient Angela Duran knew her family history meant she might have future health problems if she didn’t take action soon. Because other family members had developed major health problems, Angela decided to take the preventative measure of having bariatric surgery to help with her weight loss. Angela did her research and found Dr. Keith Boone at Fresno Heart & Surgical Hospital.
	More than routine Angiogram	A man who had his heart completely reconstructed must now undergo an angiogram. Dr. Kevin Boran worries whether he'll come through the procedure well in this episode of Healthcare Heroes, the new actuality show filmed entirely at Community Medical Centers hospitals.
	Beating Heart Off Pump Surgery	Performing heart surgery while a heart is still beating is not a new surgical technique. Find out why this technique is back in the forefront of cardiac surgery and learn more about its tremendous benefits to patients.
	Minimally Ivasive Exploratory Surgery	The minimally invasive surgical team performs exploratory surgery on a woman suffering from an unknown condition.
	Bariatric Revision Experts Teach Others	More than 40 surgeons from around the nation came to Fresno Heart & Surgical Hospital to learn the latest techniques in bariatric revision surgery from pioneers in weight-loss and metabolic surgery.
	"Puppy Love"	A patient at Fresno Heart & Surgical Hospital got a special visit from his female mini-Australian Shepherd, “Sketch.” It’s widely known that animals can change a human’s state-of-mind in a matter of minutes and Sketch did just that.
	"Suite" New Setup	Fresno Heart & Surgical Hospital is well known by patients for its luxury hotel-like experience and unsurpassed patient care. But find out how two new high-tech operating rooms called “the best in the world” by one doctor are helping to take patient safety and care to an unprecedented level.
	Removal of Stones Gets Rid of Pain	In this Healthcare Heroes episode, Dr. Kelvin Higa finds a unexpected cause for one woman's pain -- gall stones. Through minimally-invasive surgery he removes her gall bladder and removes the pain.
	Right Time, Right Place	Fresno Heart & Surgical Hospital cardiac monitor technician John Medina was just steps away from fellow medical professionals in the hospital’s cath lab when he suffered chest pain
	Keeping the Rhythm	One of Community's top executives found out the hard way why ignoring a misbehaving heart is a bad idea.
	Nurse TV	Kay Frye, R.N. of Fresno Heart & Surgical Hospital is featured on Nurse TV, a nationally syndicated television show that reaches some 50 million households on cable networks.
	Hearts on Fire	Watch how new technology allows clinical professionals, patients and families to watch open heart surgery live at Fresno Heart & Surgical Hospital.
	A lot of Heart	Your heart is an amazing muscle that works very hard – sometimes too hard if a patient has heart valve disease. Find two ways to fix valve problems.
	A Second Chance	The Valley's Dr. Kelvin Higa is gaining world-wide attention by educating others about revision bariatric surgery.
	Back in Rhythm	A 25-year heart ailment was cured through the use of a high frequency ultrasound by a doctor who was first to offer this life changing technology in the Valley.
	Beating Heart Surgery	Find out why performing heart surgery while a heart is still beating is back in the forefront of cardiac surgery and learn more about its tremendous benefits.
	Rooting Out the Problem	A young and physically fit Valley man had a hidden, but common genetic disorder, that caused his heart’s main valve to become leaky, but an aortic root replacement got him back on the go.

More Headlines
Cardiac surgery staff brings heart lessons to students	Cardiac surgeon Peter Birnbaum hopes to spark an interest in medicine with hands on experience, letting students poke and prod a real heart. For the past few years he’s brought in his staff from Fresno Heart & Surgical Hospital and several fresh cow hearts to Clovis West High School in Fresno to give anatomy lessons.
Football great gives Fresno Heart & Surgical high marks	Daryle Lamonica, quarterback for the Oakland Raiders during the late 60s and early 70s, knows the value of a great team. And he’s grateful for the top-notch team at Fresno Heart & Surgical Hospital who took care of him when he had quadruple heart bypass surgery in mid-May.
Bariatric surgery top-rated two years in a row	Fresno Heart & Surgical Hospital has received top ratings again for bariatric surgery. HealthGrades, a national health care ratings organization, ranked the hospital third in the state for its patient outcomes and for the second year in a row gave it a 5-star rating, plus a Bariatric Surgery Excellence Award. Dr. Keith Boone, a bariatric surgeon at Fresno Heart & Surgical Hospital, says the hospital's 5-star rating shows its committment to patients.
Dr. Higa teaches weight loss surgery internationally	Increasingly, countries with government-run health care or a more socialized medical system are recognizing bariatric surgery is a cost-effective treatment that improves lives and longevity, said Dr. Kelvin Higa, director of Fresno Heart & Surgical Hospital’s bariatric program and a frequent lecturer internationally.
22-year nurse knows the Community health care system well	Shelley Costanzo was just 15 years old when the drive to become a nurse hit her. She was in high school and signed up for off-campus courses to get certified as a nurse’s aide. She says the most fun was competing against other students on skills such as bed making, giving bed baths and taking vital signs.
Chinese delegation researches Fresno Heart & Surgical Hospital's technology	Fresno Heart & Surgical showed off the latest in operating room technology on March 8 to a delegation from China being sponsored by the Lyles Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at California State University, Fresno.
Kendall L. Manock Life Celebration	A celebration of life for Kendall L. Manock, a former attorney and 24-year Community board member who was istrumental in the founding of the Fresno Heart & Surgcal Hospital, will be held from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm on Saturday, March 13 at the Baker Manock & Jensen law office.
Get to The Heart of the Matter	It’s been more than five years now since I found out I was born with a heart defect and needed open heart surgery to replace my aortic valve. I have to admit that I was terrified. I had one doctor tell me the valve may have had about a year-and-a-half left on it.
Cardiac Scare turns woman into heartfelt advocate	Rosalie Wyckoff, 54, thought her sedentary lifestyle was making her feel constantly tired and unable to get off the couch some days. Then one night she felt an unusual, yet painless squeeze in her chest. The squeeze sent her to Dr. Richard Gregory at Fresno Heart & Surgical Hospital to look for answers.
Another 5-star rating for Fresno Heart & Surgical on carotid surgery	For the second year in a row, Fresno Heart & Surgical Hospital has received a 5-star rating for the quality of its vascular care from HealthGrades^®, a national independent health care ratings organization. HealthGrades analyzed patient outcomes over a three-year period at 5,000 hospitals nationwide..
Understanding Clinton's Heart Touble	Former Pres. Bill Clinton underwent heart cath surgery, a process that Fresno Heart & Surgical Hospital specializes in.
Surgeons learn bariatric revisions from experts	More than 40 surgeons from around the nation and two from overseas came to Fresno Heart & Surgical Hospital to learn the latest techniques in bariatric revision surgery from pioneers in weight-loss and metabolic surgery.
PG&E rewards hospital for green retrofit	Pacific Gas and Electric Company awarded a $15,632 rebate to Fresno Heart & Surgical Hospital for a project that is expected to significantly reduce the 57-bed hospital’s energy usage and could save the hospital nearly $45,000 annually on its energy bills.
Another excellence award for bariatrics	In the three years since its inception, Fresno Heart & Surgical Hospital’s bariatric surgery program has received 5-star (or top) ratings from HealthGrades® and been designated as a center of surgery excellence by insurers Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Aetna and Health Net. But the biggest honor yet is the recent mark of approval from the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.
5-star bariatric rating and Surgery Excellence	HealthGrades, the nation’s leading independent health care ratings organization has given Fresno Heart & Surgical Hospital's new bariatric surgery program a 5-star rating and additionally honored it with a Bariatric Excellence Award™, to put it among the state’s top five hospitals.
Advances in carotid stenting research	Dr. Rohit Sundrani has become California's top enroller in the Sapphire stenting trials, a research study designed to show that carotid stenting is more effective than surgery in preventing strokes.
Top Patient Experience ratings again	For the second year in a row, Fresno Heart & Surgical Hospital has been named among the nation’s top 5% in patient experience by HealthGrades, the nation’s leading, independent health care ratings organization.
Nurses Week Q&A with CNO Cervantes	Cynthia Cervantes, chief nursing officer at Fresno Heart & Surgical Hospital, got her first nursing job during National Nurses Week in 1986. Nearing the anniversary of her nurse’s pinning, Cervantes sat down to talk about her profession and her passion.
New CPR machine saves critical patients	New technology at Fresno Heart & Surgical Hospital is helping revive critically ill patients and freeing nurses for more vital tasks during emergencies. The AutoPulse takes over the work of chest compression during cardio-pulmonary resuscitation.
Heart aflutter signals serious condition	While the love-struck write tender poems about fluttering hearts, there’s nothing romantic about the condition called atrial fibrillation, says Steve Walter, Community Medical Centers' chief financial officer.
California’s cleanest hospital	Fresno Heart & Surgical Hospital has been named California’s cleanest hospital and ranked among the top 7% cleanest hospitals in the nation.
Heart Smart	Fresno Heart & Surgical employee John Medina was in the right place when he started having chest pains. He was at work.
High-tech OR rooms	Two new, high-tech operating rooms were unveiled, providing ideal amenities and features for minimally-invasive surgeries.
Dr. Higa completes ASMBS term	Dr. Kelvin Higa said he has seen focus switch from bariatric surgery’s potential complications to its benefits during his tenure as president of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS).
Fifth anniversary celebration	Fresno Heart & Surgical Hospital celebrated its 5th anniversary with a salute to 115 out of 212 original employees who have been with the hospital since its beginning.
CEO adds FACHE to achievements	Congratulate Wanda Holderman, Fresno Heart & Surgical Hospital's CEO, for earning top professional honors.