Overlake Medical Center this week broke ground on the new $17.4 million David and Shelley Hovind Heart & Vascular center, which is scheduled to open in Fall 2013. The new state-of-the-art facility will enable Overlake to bring its testing and therapeutic services together in one central location, allowing an enhanced patient experience and a technologically advanced level of care.

“Advanced care is a hallmark of Overlake Medical Center, which is the first and only hospital to perform open-heart surgery on the Eastside,” said Dr. Joseph Doucette, Overlake’s director of invasive cardiology. “The new Heart and Vascular Center will enable us to remain at the forefront of cardiac care in the Puget Sound region and provide the Eastside community with unparalleled, world-class care.”

The new Heart and Vascular Center is Overlake’s response to a growing demand. Heart disease is most prevalent among men and women over the age of 65, and on the Eastside, this population is expected to grow 30 percent over the next five years.

The new facility will be 19,200 square feet. It will offer larger rooms for procedures both before and after surgery, and will have two electrophysiology suites, two cardiac catheterization labs, a hybrid catheterization lab/operating room, a vascular intervention radiology suite and a dedicated entrance with drive-through access.

The Heart and Vascular Center is named for David and Shelley Hovind, who donated $1 million to Overlake Hospital Foundation to help fund the new facility.

Without the support of donors like the Hovinds, the new Heart and Vascular Center may not have been possible,” said Molly Stearns, executive director of the Overlake Hospital Foundation. “We needed to raise $2.75 million in order to break ground on the Heart and Vascular Center,” said Stearns. “With David and Shelley’s generous support, we have already raised over $3.1M, which is a daily reminder of the amazing support we receive from the local community to fund this project and others just like it.”