Guilds Willson Heart Center Endowment

With the help of the Guilds' $2 million endowment, Willson Heart Center patients continue to receive access to advanced tools, procedures and specialized training.

From 2014 to 2019, Guild members participated in a comprehensive, inside look at how Valley Children’s dedicated and highly specialized heart team interacts with and cares for some of the most fragile patients and families in need of life-saving heart care. As we shadowed the Willson Heart Center, members witnessed first-hand surgeries in our Cath Lab which uses fully digital and completely computerized equipment that has made our Center one of the most technologically advanced laboratories in the United States.

Today, the support of the Guilds has fostered expansion of the fetal-echo program, making early heart monitoring and detection available to expecting mothers in Bakersfield, Merced, Modesto and the Central Coast. The Willson Heart Center has also been able to provide extended care to families in need through the creation of a nurse navigator role to help with specific populations of heart disease, a dedicated cardiologist as program director for the echocardiography lab, and soon, a cardiologist focused on advanced cross-sectional imaging.

As it has from the very beginning, Guilds funding support continues to make the latest technology and interventions available right here in the Central Valley. Such advances include the implementation of a cardiogenetic clinic for patients with underlying chromosome abnormalities to account for structural and rhythm related heart disease, an electrophysiology program for patients with heart rhythm disorders, and home monitoring for patients on blood thinners through the CoagSense Stel program.

The Willson Heart Center cardiothoracic surgeons, interventional cardiologists and sonographers have also been an integral part to our ECMO/ECLS team that helped Valley Children’s reach the ELSO Platinum designation of excellence. Our incredible work has led to expanding our reach, making even more care accessible throughout our region by the creation of partnerships from the Central Coast to Northern and Southern California serving 13 counties.

We are able to be our best because of the work that you do.