Mercy General and its parent have been working for several years on a site plan that would meet the growing demand for Mercy's cardiac services. The proposed $70 million Alex G. Spanos Heart Center will be the centerpiece of the Mercy General campus, serving California and the rest of the nation.

Mercy and CHW will contribute $30 million of construction and equipment costs. The Heart Center construction could be completed and ready to serve the community in 2007, if design and regulatory review processes progress according to schedule.

In August of 2000, Spanos had coronary artery bypass surgery at Mercy General. "During my stay at Mercy, I received the best care from both physicians and staff," says Spanos. "And when I heard about the hospital's plans to further enhance their services and enlarge existing facilities so that superior cardiac care is available to many more area residents, I felt compelled to support the project."