Scheduled for completion this June, the new Baptist Heart Center will provide comprehensive cardiac services to the region.

When Western Baptist Hospital opens its new heart center this June, a familiar face will be at the helm, with cardiologist Patrick Withrow, M.D., serving as the medical director.

Dr. Withrow was most recently a practicing partner with The Heart Group of Paducah.

Hospital president and CEO Larry Barton said Dr. Withrow brings a unique perspective to the position.

“For 25 years, Dr. Withrow has provided exceptional cardiac care to many patients in our region,” said Barton. “He knows firsthand the impact the new heart center will have in the community, and we are confident he is the leader we need to facilitate its growth and development.”

Dr. Withrow said his priorities are patient education, physician recruitment and service development.

“First, we want to educate the community about heart disease—its symptoms, risk factors and treatments,” said Dr. Withrow. “And we want people to know that when they need cardiac care, advanced technology is available right here at the new Baptist Heart Center without having to travel hours away to larger cities.”

In fact, Dr. Withrow said Baptist’s physicians have trained doctors as far away as Louisville, St. Louis and Nashville in cardiac procedures, including closure of the “holein- the-heart” condition.

Dr. Withrow said the center will recruit more heart specialists.

Medical Director Patrick Withrow, M.D.

“We will actively seek trained, qualified physicians to join the stellar team already in place here at Western Baptist,” he said. “Research shows that heart disease continues to be the nation’s number one killer among both men and women, so we need more specialists to bring leading technology home to our community.”

As new technologies and procedures emerge, Dr. Withrow said integrating them into the new heart center is important.

“We have the ability to stay on the leading edge of treating heart disease,” said Dr. Withrow, “by providing physicians and medical staff with a technologically advanced facility capable of expanding to meet the needs of evolving cardiac care.”