Newport Beach, Calif., July 29, 2008 – Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian announced today that the Robert S. and Georgia L. Roth Family Foundation has given $2.3 million to endow a new chair position within Hoag Heart and Vascular Institute. Dipti Itchhaporia, MD, FACC, has been named the first Robert S. and Georgia L. Roth Chair for Excellence in Cardiac Care at Hoag Heart and Vascular Institute. Dr. Itchhaporia, who will serve as both medical director of disease management and newly appointed chair, will also focus on advancing areas of multidisciplinary patient care, physician education and research.

“Excellence in cardiac care today requires that physicians and institutions possess outstanding qualities in the fields of research and education,” stated Richard Afable, MD, president and CEO of Hoag Hospital “This endowment recognizes excellence on behalf of both Dr. Itchhaporia and Hoag Heart and Vascular Institute, and allows Hoag to elevate its cardiac programs and standards of care. We are very grateful to the Roth Family Foundation,” said Dr. Afable.

In addition to her work at Hoag, Dr. Itchhaporia holds a number of leadership positions within highly regarded professional organizations. She is a present member of the Western Affiliates board of the American Heart Association (AHA) and past president of its Orange County Chapter. She is very active with the American College of Cardiology (ACC), having recently been elected as president of the California state chapter, and also serves as a member of the board of governors for the national ACC.

“The Roth’s made the decision to endow a Chair for Excellence because they believed in Hoag’s ability to positively influence the management and prevention of cardiovascular disease at a national level,” Dr. Itchhaporia explained. “Through this endowment, I will be able to  develop a body of work that supports the Roth’s vision, and at the same time infuse Hoag Heart and Vascular Institute with a greater degree of research, technology and training for program advancement now, as well as in the years to come.”

Dr. Itchhaporia joined the medical staff at Hoag Hospital in 1996, at which time she also established her private practice specializing in diagnostic and interventional cardiology. She became medical director of disease management in 2001.

About the Roth Family
Due to years of living with heart disease and undergoing a heart transplant in 2008, Bob and Georgia Roth established The Robert S. and Georgia L. Roth Family Foundation. The Foundation is designed to support heart research and treatment across the country. The Chair for Excellence in Cardiac Care at Hoag Heart and Vascular Institute was the first major gift awarded by the Foundation.

“Endowing Hoag Heart & Vascular Institute was important because we have experienced first-hand the high-level of patient care and treatment,” said Georgia Roth. “We selected Dr. Itchhaporia to serve as Chair because of her commitment in bringing awareness to cardiovascular disease at the state and local levels, and more simply, because of her commitment to making a difference in our lives.”

Mrs. Roth further explained that, “we believed that if she was able to focus more on cardiac research and emerging technologies, she would be able to make greater contributions that would one day impact heart patients everywhere.” 

About Hoag Heart and Vascular Institute
Hoag Heart and Vascular Institute is Orange County’s highest-volume, highest-rated cardiovascular program and one of the preeminent cardiovascular centers on the West Coast. With angioplasty and cardiac stent placement services available 24/7, and response times from the ER to the cardiac cath lab that are nearly 20 percent faster than the national average, Hoag is a proven leader in emergency heart care. Hoag Heart and Vascular Institute offers the latest in cardiovascular medicine with advanced and pioneering surgical techniques including minimally invasive heart surgery, intraoperative ablation for treatment of arrhythmia, beating heart surgery, and heart bypass with endoscopic vein harvesting. Additionally, Hoag's valve surgery program is internationally recognized for expertise in complex valve surgery and mitral valve repair.

About Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian
Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian (www.hoaghospital.org) is a 498-bed, not-for-profit, acute care hospital located in Newport Beach, Calif. Fully accredited by The Joint Commission and designated as a Magnet hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), Hoag offers a comprehensive mix of health care services, including Centers of Excellence in cancer, heart and vascular, neurosciences, orthopedics and women’s health. Recent studies released by HealthGrades place Hoag among the top 5 percent of hospitals in the nation for both Clinical Excellence and Patient Safety. National Research Corporation has endorsed Hoag as Orange County’s most preferred hospital for the past 12 consecutive years. And for an unprecedented 12 years, residents of Orange County have chosen Hoag as the county’s best hospital in a local newspaper survey.

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