Press Release
Leading Washington Adventist Hospital Cardiologist Featured on Today Show with Matt Lauer
Dr. Mark Turco, Interventional Cardiologist and Medical Director of the Center for Cardiac and Vascular Research at Washington Adventist Hospital, is the featured expert on the Today Show’s special series, Saving Your Life: Modern Medical Miracles. The series features breakthroughs in medical technology that can mean the difference between life and death. Dr. Turco shares his clinical and research expertise in a segment entitled "Simulators to Teach Medicine" and teaches Today Show co-host Matt Lauer to perform a simulated cardiac catheterization.
Cardiac Catheterization is performed to diagnose and treat various types of heart conditions. The procedure involves passing a thin, flexible catheter into the heart. With advances in Cardiology, some patients who might otherwise require open heart surgery can now be treated through Cardiac Catheterization--without facing general anesthesia, a large incision site and lengthy recovery associated with open heart surgery. Patients treated with Cardiac Catheterization can be up and about the same day, and can often be discharged from the hospital the day after the procedure. The simulator Dr. Turco demonstrates will enable more physicians to be trained in performing the complex procedure.
Washington Adventist Hospital is a 318-bed, state-of-the-art acute care facility located in Takoma Park, Maryland. Washington Adventist Hospital is Montgomery County's only complete cardiac center, performing 650 open heart surgeries and more than 7,000 heart catheterizations each year. The Center for Cardiac and Vascular Research (CCVR) and the CardioVascular Institute (CVI) at Washington Adventist Hospital provide the Washington Metropolitan Area with leading edge, state-of-the art care. The hospital was the first in D.C. area to perform numerous cardiac procedures.
Washington Adventist Hospital is part of Adventist HealthCare, an integrated health care delivery organization based in Rockville, Maryland, that is one of the largest employers in the state of Maryland. Adventist Healthcare includes Washington Adventist Hospital, Shady Grove Adventist Hospital, Potomac Ridge Behavioral Health System, Adventist Rehabilitation Hospital of Maryland, Adventist Senior Living, Adventist Health Careers Training Center, Hackettstown Regional Medical Center, and Adventist Home Health.