Boca Raton Community Hospital recently announced that it has begun construction of the Christine E. Lynn Cardiovascular Institute, a comprehensive open heart program scheduled to open in fall 2006. Construction is underway on the following: a six-bed cardiovascular intensive care unit (CVICU), a minimally invasive surgery room, renovation of two existing surgical rooms, a new cardiac catheterization (CATH) lab, and a nine-bed CATH recovery area. These areas will be fitted into the existing hospital and will not add additional square footage to the campus.

City of Boca Raton Mayor Abrams, Christine Lynn, Gary Strack (Boca Raton Community Hospital CEO), and Dr. Jonathan Seckler (Boca Raton Community Hospital Chief of Cardiology)

Jonathan Seckler, M.D., is Chief of Cardiology. A nationwide search for a Chief of Cardiac Surgery is underway and is being led by a committee of cardiologists, anesthesiologists, and administration. In December 2004, Boca Raton Community Hospital won state approval to offer open-heart surgery, after 15 years of lobbying.

To bring this dream to fruition, Christine E. Lynn, Vice Chair of the hospital Board of Trustees and hospital benefactor generously pledged $20 million to the program. Ten million is being used to retrofit the existing facility and another $10 million is restricted to the new hospital slated for 2011.