MMMC hires 1st cardiac surgeon
Move another step toward Heart, Brain and Vascular TowerBy CLAUDINE SAN NICOLAS, Staff Writer
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Already, a $150 million revenue bond has been authorized by the state Legislature for the facility, and last week the hospital announced its hiring of its first cardiac surgeon.
Dr. Richard “Pat” Cochran, the medical director of cardiothoracic surgery at the Central Maine Heart and Vascular Institute in Lewiston, Maine, will join the Maui Memorial staff on Aug. 1.
“Dr. Cochran will be one of the cornerstones of our cardiovascular program, and his appointment will allow us to perform both open-heart surgeries, as well as angioplasty at Maui Memorial in the near future,” said Wesley Lo, chief executive officer at Maui Memorial.
Cochran, 56, has worked as a cardiac surgeon for 20 years, according to an announcement from the hospital. He has performed between 4,000 and 5,000 major cardiovascular and thoracic surgical procedures.
A resident of Auburn, Maine, Cochran also serves on the graduate faculty staff of the University of Maine in mechanical engineering.
He has taught medicine and surgery at three schools — the University of Washington, the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas and the University of Wisconsin, where he was the chairman of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery.
Additionally, Cochran has been chief of cardiothoracic surgery at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Seattle and medical director of the Cardiovascular and Thoracic Intensive Unit at Parkland Hospital in Dallas.
“We are fortunate to have someone of his caliber and wealth of experience assist us in taking this project to the next level, which began nearly four years ago with preliminary planning,” Lo said.
In a statement sent via e-mail, Cochran said he and his wife, Karyn, a biomedical engineer and medical research consultant, have been visiting Maui for years, “and really love the people and the environment.” The couple have two children, Joe, age 4, and Katie, 14 months.
The Cochrans are actively involved in whale research. They are the founding members and serve on the board of directors for Whale Trust, a nonprofit on Maui.
Dr. Cochran said he expects Maui Memorial to “supply the essential building blocks and support necessary to develop an outstanding program of cardiovascular and thoracic care.”
Maui Memorial Medical Center received final approval in July 2007 for a certificate of need to develop a cardiovascular program, paving the way for open-heart and angioplasty procedures to be done on Maui. Now, patients in need of major heart procedures need to fly to Oahu or elsewhere for treatment.
• Claudine San Nicolas can be reached at claudine @mauinews.com.
