Doctors Medical Center (DMC) recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of the first open-heart surgery performed at the hospital and in the Central Valley. Since 1976, DMC surgeons have performed more than 24,000 open-heart procedures, including coronary artery bypass grafts (CABG), heart valve repairs and valve replacements, helping establish the hospital as a regional leader in cardiovascular care.

During a special event at the Gallo Center for the Arts, former and current surgeons, nurses, staff members, administrators and patients whose lives have been touched by the program over the past five decades marked the anniversary.

The milestone also reflects the dedication of generations of surgeons, nurses, technicians and support staff who helped build one of the Central Valley's most respected cardiovascular surgery programs. Special recognition was given to Susie Kang, RNFA, who has supported cardiac surgeons and thousands of patients for nearly five decades.

Now retired, Carol Martella was one of four nurses who assisted cardiothoracic surgeon William Bollengier, MD, in the DMC operating room 50 years ago. She had just earned her nursing degree from the University of California, San Francisco, but already had experience with open-heart surgery through her work as an on-call nurse at UCSF Medical Center.

"I applied for a position at DMC because I heard they were going to start an open-heart surgery program," Martella recalled. "It sounded so exciting to me, and I really wanted to be a part of it. We felt like pioneers because there was no other hospital in the Valley doing open-heart surgery. The first procedure went off beautifully, without a hitch, and we went on to create a first-class program."

James MacMillan, MD, the second cardiothoracic surgeon to join the DMC program in 1978, agreed. Before retiring in 2020, Dr. MacMillan performed approximately 6,000 open-heart surgeries and assisted in another 6,000 procedures at the hospital.

"Doing open-heart surgery at a hospital of this size was revolutionary at that time," he said. "We developed a very good reputation, serving as a tertiary referral center for the Central Valley. There were very few adult cardiovascular cases that we couldn't take care of. We rarely sent cases out of the area because of the degree of difficulty or risk."

Today, the award-winning DMC cardiovascular surgery program[i] continues its five-decade commitment to innovation and exceptional patient care. Since 2023, the hospital has introduced new minimally invasive, robotic-assisted cardiovascular procedures and acquired advanced technology that circulates blood and oxygen throughout the body during surgery.

In 2024, Dr. deGraft-Johnson performed what may have been the region's first successful robotic-assisted, minimally invasive multi-vessel CABG surgery using the hospital's da Vinci surgical system.[ii] Unlike traditional open-heart surgery, the procedure is performed through small incisions between the ribs, reducing trauma to the body and often helping patients recover more quickly.

Robert Hawks, a 61-year-old Oakdale resident, underwent the procedure at DMC in November 2025 to treat multiple blocked coronary arteries that had been causing shortness of breath, chest pain and tightness.

"I feel like a new man," Hawks said. "I'm better than I was before. I can exercise vigorously for the first time in years." He added, "I didn't realize how new this operation is. I feel lucky to have it done right here in Modesto. Like many people, I used to think you had to travel to the Bay Area for this kind of care, but that's no longer the case."

The history of DMC's cardiovascular program mirrors the evolution of heart surgery itself, from groundbreaking open-heart procedures performed in the 1970s to today's advanced robotic-assisted techniques. As DMC celebrates this milestone, the hospital remains committed to bringing innovative cardiovascular care close to home for patients throughout the Central Valley.

DMC is nationally recognized for cardiovascular care and offers advanced treatments for a wide range of heart and vascular conditions.[iii] To learn more about cardiac services offered through Central Valley Doctors Health System or to find a physician, visit Central Valley Doctors Health System Heart Services.

About Doctors Medical Center

Doctors Medical Center is the largest full-service hospital between Stockton and Fresno, and from the Sierra foothills to the San Francisco Bay Area, with 394 licensed acute-care beds and 67 inpatient psychiatric beds. The hospital provides comprehensive inpatient, outpatient and emergency services, including cardiology, neurosurgery, orthopedics, surgical weight loss, trauma and emergency care, minimally invasive and robotic surgery, women's and children's services, oncology, behavioral health and critical care.

[i] https://www.cvdoctorshealthsystem.com/services/cardiovascular
[ii] https://www.tenethealth.com/our-stories/our-stories/2024/09/24/doctors-medical-center-transforming-heart-surgery-in-california
[iii] https://www.cvdoctorshealthsystem.com/news/newsroom/doctors-medical-center-again-earns-prestigious-verification-as-level-ii-trauma-center