Reston Hospital Center is expanding its services to include a new advanced heart surgery program.
Expected to open by the end of 2025, the program led by surgeon and Army veteran Dr. William A. Cooper will be the first new cardiac surgery program to launch in Northern Virginia in nearly four decades, according to HCA Virginia Health System, which runs the hospital.
To support the needs of the new program, Reston Hospital is undertaking some renovations, communications director Jess Norman told FFXnow.
“We recently added operating rooms and established a [cardiovascular intensive care unit] suite dedicated to heart surgery patients,” Norman said. “Our interventional radiology suite has been fully modernized to accommodate advanced vascular capabilities.”
The hospital has also started construction on a dedicated elevator to help transfer heart surgery patients throughout the facility, and “significant upgrades” are planned for its heart imaging capabilities.
Named Reston Hospital’s medical director of cardiovascular surgery, Cooper previously established a cardiovascular surgery program for Wellstar Health System’s regional medical center in Marietta near Atlanta, Georgia, according to HCA.
“Reston Hospital Center is entering a new era of heart care,” Reston Hospital CEO Nathan Vooys said in a press release. “With Dr. Cooper’s unmatched expertise and leadership, we are building a program that will set a new standard for excellence, access, and innovation in cardiovascular surgery.”
Cooper said his priorities for the program in Reston will be “high-quality outcomes, patient access, physician collaboration and community impact.”
More on Cooper’s background from the press release:
Having served with distinction for over 35 years, including four combat deployments, Dr. Cooper is a retired colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve. His military experience, combined with his clinical leadership, has forged a reputation for discipline, integrity and excellence in cardiovascular surgery.
In recent years, Dr. Cooper has become a trusted interim leader and turnaround specialist, stabilizing cardiac surgery programs facing transition, surgeon shortages or leadership gaps. His steady hand and high standards have enabled hospitals to maintain performance, rebuild culture and protect surgical outcomes during vulnerable periods.
In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Cooper is the founder of Prime Health Services Group LLC, a physician-led organization providing cardiovascular staffing and specialty care solutions nationwide. He is also the author of Heart Attack: Truth, Tragedy, Triumph, a powerful memoir chronicling his journey through medicine, service, and resilience.
Located at 1850 Town Center Parkway, Reston Hospital has 243 beds at its main facility, which offers emergency and surgical care, pregnancy services, a neonatal ICU, and an inpatient rehabilitation center. It also opened a freestanding emergency room in Tysons in June 2022.
HCA Virginia recently expanded its services for cancer patients in Reston, and it has been looking at potentially opening an outpatient surgical hospital in the Franklin Farm area (13350 Franklin Farm Road, Suite 100) south of Herndon.
