Advocate South Suburban Hospital, in Hazel Crest, Ill., recently broke ground for the construction of its new cardiac catheterization laboratory, which will extend the hospital's ability to serve area patients in need. 

The hospital currently has a single cardiac catheterization laboratory that has experienced extreme volume increases, up to 150 patients per month.  The multi-million dollar project provides for the construction of another catheterization laboratory suite, three holding bays and a common nursing station for both laboratories.  The current cardiac catheterization laboratory will also be renovated with new, state-of-the-art equipment.

"With this second cardiac cath lab, we will be able to increase staff numbers, as well as improve the use of support staff," explained cardiologist and Advocate South Suburban Hospital medical staff president David Looyenga, M.D.  "Additionally, our interventional cardiologists and interventional radiologists have expressed interest in performing lengthier procedures that we couldn't accommodate in the past."

Pictured during the groundbreaking ceremony are (left to right): project architect Pablo Torresarpi of Baltimore-based RTKL Associates, Inc., hospital governing council chairman Mike Wojcik, hospital cardiologist Abdul Ghani, M.D., Advocate South Suburban Hospital's interim president Robert Green, hospital cardiologist and medical staff president David Looyenga, M.D., cardiologist and medical staff past president Ajay Parikh, M.D., and executive vice president Mark Michuda of Michuda Construction, Inc., of Chicago.  

Advocate South Suburban Hospital is a 289-bed, acute care facility that serves Chicago's south suburbs.  In addition to offering a wide array of hospital services, the not-for-profit facility provides free screenings and a variety of other outreach services throughout the community.  Advocate South Suburban Hospital is part of Advocate Health Care, one of the leading, integrated health care systems in the nation.  More information about the hospital and its physicians can be found at www.advocatehealth.com/southsub or by calling 1-800-3-ADVOCATE (1-800-323-8622).