A major step in plans to offer open-heart surgery in Gainesville

GAINESVILLE - A major step in the Northeast Georgia Medical Center's plans to begin offering open-heart surgery this summer was announced Friday.

The hospital has hired its first surgeons for the Ronnie Green Heart Center.

Henry Rigdon, the medical center's executive vice president, says there were 30 applicants from across the country for the positions.

Dr. Alexander Justicz is a partner with Peachtree Cardiovascular Surgery & Thoracic Surgeons, P.A., in Atlanta. Dr. Justicz will serve as medical director fo cardiac surgical services and the lead cardiac surgeon for the Ronnie Green Heart Center.

Dr. Daniel Winston has served as cardiothoracic fellow for the division of cardiothoracic surgery at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. Dr. Winston will be joining Peachtree Cardiovascular as a second surgeon for its Gainesville office.

The Peachtree Cardiovascular Gainesville office will begin seeing patients in Hall County this month with the first surgeries scheduled this summer.

"I am very appreciative of the time and effort invested by the eleven physicians on the cardiac surgeon selection committee," said David Westfall, M.D., vice president of medical affairs for Northeast Georgia Medical Center and chair of the cardiac surgeon selection committee. "We had a large number of qualified surgeons applying for the positions from all over the country, so the selection process was extensive."

Dr. Westfall added "Many physicians and patients in Gainesville already have a positive relationship with (Peachtree Cardiovascular), and the ability to draw on their depth of expertise for advice and coverage provides a significant additional benefit."