30 Years of Healing Hearts

For the past three decades, Mercy Medical Center-Sioux City has served as Siouxland’s leading hospital for the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

Thanks to Mercy, Siouxland was never been left behind as modern heart care quickly evolved by leaps and bounds.  In February 1977, Sioux City’s first cardiac catheterization (cath) lab was established at the St. Joseph’s Unit of Marian Health Center, now Mercy Medical Center. Just over a year later – in May 1978 – the first open-heart surgery was performed in Sioux City at Marian Health Center.

Since the advent of cardiology in Sioux City on that auspicious day in 1977, Mercy’s catheterization labs have been the site for more than 55,000 procedures.  More than 28,000 diagnostic catheterizations have been performed at the hospital, along with more than 9,400 interventional procedures.  Surgeons have performed more than 7,000 open-heart procedures at Mercy since 1978.

Today, Mercy continues to hold its place as Siouxland’s leading provider of cardiac care. Each year, more patients receive cardiac care at Mercy Heart Center than any other Siouxland hospital.  Approximately 250 cardiac surgeries are performed annually at Mercy, which offers the only open-heart surgery program in Sioux City.  Mercy’s cardiac catheterization labs are the sites each year for more than 500 cardiac interventions and 1,500 diagnostic catheterizations.  About one-third of the flights made by Mercy Air Care (MAC), the hospital’s air ambulance service, are for cardiac emergencies.

Cardiology Services Time Line

February 1977: Sioux City’s first cardiac catheterization laboratory is established at the St. Joseph Unit of Marian Health Center. The lab is located in the former St. Joseph Mercy Hospital at 2101 Court Street.

May 1978: Dr. Ted Roman performs Sioux City’s first open-heart surgery at the St. Joseph Unit.

July 1982: First use of clot-busting drugs in Sioux City takes place at Marian Health Center.

August 1982: Cardiology Services moves from the St. Joseph Unit to a new location in Marian’s St. Vincent Unit at 624 Jones Street.

July 1983: First balloon angioplasty performed in Sioux City at Marian Health Center.

(Marian Health Center changes its name to Mercy Medical Center-Sioux City in July 1999.)

October 2003: Mercy Heart Center opens in a new, state-of-the-art facility on Mercy’s downtown Sioux City campus.