Submitted by Providence Swedish
Thurston and Lewis County residents now have more access to high-quality cardiovascular care close to home. Building on Providence St. Peter Hospital’s long-standing heart program, new enhancements are allowing the hospital to improve access to timely, coordinated and high-quality heart care.
Recent upgrades include the renovation of two cardiac cath labs used for procedures such as angiograms, angioplasties and valve repairs. The cath labs are among the busiest in Washington state and consistently rank at the top for quality outcomes treating Acute Coronary Syndrome (e.g., heart attacks). The hospital currently offers ECHO capabilities, and later this summer we’ll expand this service with a cath/ECHO hybrid room to advance our capabilities.
“At St. Peter Hospital, we are proud to be home to one of the region’s busiest and most trusted cardiac cath labs. By investing in new technology and expanding our capacity, we’re ensuring we can continue to meet the evolving needs of our community,” said Darin Goss, chief executive of Providence Swedish South Puget Sound.
Providence St. Peter now offers broader access to care through a growing team of 12 board-certified cardiologists and nine advanced practice providers, improving appointment availability and strengthening collaborative, multidisciplinary treatment. The program is part of the Providence Swedish Heart & Vascular Institute, a regional network focused on advanced cardiac care.
John Waggoner, M.D., cardiologist and medical director at Providence Cardiology Associates, said, “The partnership between the cardiologist and the advanced practitioner is a true dyad – working together, we deliver comprehensive and collaborative care that helps our clinic patients achieve the best outcomes.”
The hospital continues to expand specialty services, including interventional cardiology, electrophysiology, structural heart care, cardiothoracic surgery and vascular surgery. Its Structural Heart Program offers minimally invasive procedures such as transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and the Watchman device to reduce stroke risk.
The hospital’s cardiothoracic surgery team, led by Dr. Luis Santamarina, will soon grow with the addition of a second surgeon. Meanwhile, a team of four vascular surgeons is providing a wide range of procedures, from emergency aneurysm repairs to preventative treatments. A new interventional radiology suite is planned, with construction expected to begin this year.
Providence St. Peter also maintains close partnerships with local first responders, helping ensure rapid assessment and transport of patients experiencing cardiac emergencies.
As part of the larger Providence Swedish Heart & Vascular Institute, the hospital continues to collaborate across the Puget Sound region to advance care, share expertise and improve patient outcomes close to home.
About Providence Swedish
Providence Swedish in South Puget Sound touches more lives in the 540,000 five-county service area of Thurston, Mason, Lewis, Grays Harbor and Pacific counties than any other health care provider.
It is made up of:
• Providence St. Peter Hospital, a 394-bed facility founded in 1887.
• Providence Centralia Hospital, a 128-bed facility founded in 1926.
• Providence Medical Group in Southwest Washington, including more than 40 clinics with more than 350 primary, specialty care and hospital-based providers.
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