Patty Edwards wanted to honor her late husband Bob in a way to help others and knew exactly where to turn.
As one of the Overlake Medical Center Foundation board of trustee members, Patty said she knows the importance of the facility. Earlier this month Overlake Medical Center dedicated its Arrhythmia Center to Bob by renaming the facility the Bob and Patty Arrhythmia Center.
Bob died in 2001 after suffering a heart attack and a stroke, something Patty said she hopes other families won’t have to go through. So, she made a combined $1 million gift to Overlake Medical Center in order to help other families avoid the loss of a loved one due to heart disease.
“We have come so far since then,” Patty said. “Knowing that we have all this new technology available for patients and knowing we can save more lives. I’m just proud to do this.”
“With the support of donors like Patty Edwards we are able to invest in the latest technology and procedures and make an amazing difference in the lives of our patients,” said Dr. Derek Rodrigues, one of the three Overlake cardiologists who diagnose and treat the electrical activities of the heart. “The Arrhythmia Center concept is unique in the region and gives us the opportunity to take the care of patients with heart rhythm disorders to an even higher level.”
Rodrigues added that the electrophysiology suite allows the facility’s specialists to detect, evaluate and treat electrical problems in the heart by providing cardiac surgery and minimally invasive cardiac procedures such as the ability to replace heart valves without open heart surgery.