Open heart surgery will now be offered locally for the first time by the end of 2002. The hospital has also begun performing angioplasty procedures, in which clogged arteries are opened, allowing proper blood flow to the heart and minimizing the potential for heart attacks. These changes will give us great opportunities to prevent heart problems from becoming worse, and the means to treat them if they do. Danville Regional Health System has also been a long-time leader in the fight against cancer in this area. The Center for Radiation Oncology has brought innovative treatments to the area, such as radioactive seed implants to fight prostate cancer.
Strokes are often the result of long-term problems such as unchecked high blood pressure.
Another fresh approach is that patients are often seen by a single team of caregivers, from acute care through an inpatient stay and on into rehabilitation. Chronic bronchitis and emphysema are debilitating conditions that are characterized by excessive coughing and shortness of breath. The Pulmonary Health Center helps patients cope with these diseases through our pulmonary rehab program. Trained professionals guide them through an educational and therapeutic regimen that improves their stamina and helps them deal with the effects of the disease. As much as Danville Regional Health System is doing to combat these conditions, a health lifestyle is our best hope for improving the length and quality of life.