The opening of Overlake Medical Center’s state-of-the-art David and Shelley Hovind Heart & Vascular Center brings the hospital’s cardiac and vascular services together in one location and features the most advanced cardiovascular equipment and technology available on the Eastside.

The new 19,200-square-foot facility, which has been in the works for several years, was opened in a July 17 ceremony at the hospital.

“For more than two decades we have offered the most comprehensive array of cardiac services on the Eastside and continue to be the only hospital that offers open heart surgery on the Eastside,” said Dr. Joseph Doucette, director of invasive cardiology at Overlake. “The opening of our new heart and vascular center is an important step forward and will help keep Overlake at the forefront of advanced cardiac care.”

The new facility, which will serve as home base for approximately 20 cardiologists, will allow more real-time collaboration between physicians, facilitate consultation between physicians, patients and their families, and will improve the Eastside community’s access to cardiac care.

“The demand for advanced cardiovascular care on the Eastside is growing rapidly,” said Dr. Derek Rodrigues, an Overlake cardiologist.

In the last three years the number of open-heart surgeries performed by Overlake physicians has increased by nearly 35 percent and the number of EP/AF ablation procedures conducted has increased by 50 percent. This year Overlake expects to perform 400 open-heart surgeries and 600 EP/AF ablation procedures.

Rodrigues said while the old spaces were adequate, they represented a prior state of the art and technology. The new facility is expected to take Overlake’s cardiac and vascular work to the next level.

“It’s a quantum leap in design and functionality,” Rodrigues said.

He added it will be a more comfortable experience for staff and patients alike.

The new facility includes five procedure rooms, a conference room and several cardiac catheterization laboratories. Doucette said the conference room is same size and set-up as the catheterization labs, which will allow for the center to grow in the future.

Doucette said a handful of physicians worked closely with hospital leadership, architects and technical people to ensure the new heart and vascular center would advance the hospital’s level of patient care. They also worked to bring all testing and therapeutic services together in the center.

The equipment in the new center also will offer patients services not many hospitals in the area have – specifically in regard to what the heart rhythm team can do. Already noted for its minimally invasive heart procedures, the hospital began incorporating a new, biodegradable stint for heart patients this month.

The new center is named the David and Shelley Hovind Heart & Vascular Center in recognition of the couple’s $1 million leadership gift. The Overlake Medical Center Foundation & Auxiliaries raised an additional $1.1 million for the new facility at the 2013 Bandage Ball, the foundation’s annual fundraising gala and auction.

“We’re all very excited about this,” Doucette said. “So many people labored away to make [the center] come together.”

The center will be fully operational by Aug. 5.