St. Joseph's Hospital Names Dr. Robert Emery Head of Cardiovascular Surgery

ST. PAUL, MN--(Marketwire - February 26, 2008) - St. Joseph's Hospital, Minnesota's first hospital and a nationally recognized pioneer in cardiovascular care, announced today that Dr. Robert W. Emery has joined its organization as Medical Director of Cardiovascular Surgery.

Dr. Emery has enjoyed a distinguished cardiothoracic surgical career spanning more than 30 years, both in the Twin Cities and across the country. His academic and professional appointments include Brigham and Women's Hospital and Children's Hospital Medical Center in Boston, the Tucson Veterans Administration Hospital in Arizona, the Minneapolis Heart Institute, and the John Nasseff Heart Hospital in St. Paul. Most recently, he served as the Head of the Division of Cardiovascular Surgery at Regions Hospital in St. Paul.

Among his more current accomplishments, Dr. Emery was the first heart surgeon in the Twin Cities to use the mini-circuit bypass machine on criteria-specific patients, improving their operative and post-operative experiences. He also led a study of the effectiveness of using ultra filtration (a procedure regularly used in general surgery patients) in coronary artery bypass patients. The results were published last year in the INNOVATIONS Journal. Working with St. Joseph's Hospital (a member of HealthEast Care System), Dr. Emery and the heart surgery team introduced minimally invasive saphenous vein harvest for coronary artery bypass surgery. It is now the standard of care in the Twin Cities metro area.

Colleen Nadeau, Group Director of HealthEast Heart Care, says, "Dr. Emery's spirit of innovation and collaboration will be a great asset to our existing cardiovascular team. His vision includes continued growth of our program through increased educational programming, professional conferences and physician recruitment."

Dr. Emery was also recently named editor-in-chief of the Journal of Heart Valve Disease, the third largest cardiovascular surgical journal in the world. The hospital indicates that his access to this cutting-edge research and the latest advances in technology will help them continue their commitment to improving the patient experience and to enhancing community contributions. The editorial office will be moved from London, England to St. Paul.

Dr. Emery notes that the decision to join St. Joseph's Hospital came readily. "St. Joseph's runs the premier cardiovascular program in the metro area. They were the first to offer a coronary care unit, a community based women's heart program and 24/7 primary angioplasty. Today, their high caliber team of professionals continues to offer compassionate care that helps patients live longer, more quality-based lives. I'm proud to be a part of an organization that has a vision and knows how to make things happen."

Dr. Emery has devoted much time to laboratory research projects, teaching and clinical investigations surrounding a variety of cardiothoracic issues. He has shared his findings with the medical community through five authored books, 200 published articles, and more than 360 conference and lecture presentations. He holds a bachelor of science degree from Pennsylvania State University and a doctor of medicine from Tufts University School of Medicine.

HealthEast Care System is a community-focused, non-profit health care organization that provides innovative technology, compassionate care and a full spectrum of family health services. HealthEast includes Bethesda Hospital, St. John's Hospital, St. Joseph's Hospital and Woodwinds Health Campus as well as outpatient services, clinics, home care, pharmacies and medical transportation services. Practicing financial responsibility, HealthEast is the largest, locally-owned health care organization in the Twin Cities' East Metro with 7,000 employees and 1,400 physicians on staff.

St. Joseph's Hospital is HealthEast's largest hospital, offering a comprehensive range of programs, including medical, surgical, maternity, diagnostic, rehabilitation, mental health and chemical dependency treatment. St. Joseph's is Minnesota's first hospital and was founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in 1853. Located in downtown St. Paul, St. Joseph's has 401 licensed beds.

Contact Information: Contact: Lynn Sadoff Senior Public Relations Specialist 651-326-3590 (office) 651-864-1023 (pager) 612-723-8991 (cellular)