by Ken Quintanilla

Guam - The Heart Project team from Modesto, California is back on Guam this week to perform ten open heart surgeries. For the last several years, the group has volunteered their time and services to help residents with cardiac issues.

Dr. Noel Concepcion and his team have returned with a heart lung machine to help patients who would otherwise need to go off-island for treatment. Their list of accomplishments over the years are expansive consulting nearly 3,000 patients, performing 77 heart operations and performing 664 cardiac catherizations, just to name a few.

Former Heart Project patient and GMH employee Frances Brown expressed her gratitude for the team after successfully undergoing surgery, saying, "I'm taking care of myself, not smoking, I watch what I eat. I exercise. I'm going to be around for a pretty long time. In fact, I was supposed to retire at the end of September, but I decided not to. I'm very happy."

A former Guam resident Dr. Concepcion, who leads the team when they visit the island, says they will be performing ten heart surgeries beginning tomorrow through next tuesday. Concepcion says future visits to Guam are only possible with the support of the hospital administration and the generosity of those who