News

STOCKTON, CA (August 1, 2018) – In order to better serve our patients, physicians and the community, The Stanford Cardiac Surgery Program at Dameron Hospital is now staffed by two experienced cardiothoracic surgeons.

Stanford Cardiothoracic Surgeon Maria Currie, MD, has established her full-time practice at Dameron Hospital effective July 1, 2018. She has been practicing at the Stanford University School of Medicine’s Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery since July 2017 and specializes in cardiothoracic transplants at Stanford. In addition to her experience with cardiothoracic transplants, Dr. Currie has also done extensive work in the area of augmented reality and visualization systems to enhance minimally invasive cardiac surgery procedures.

“I’m delighted that Dr. Currie will be joining our cardiac surgery program here at Dameron,” said Lorraine Auerbach, President and CEO. “Expanding our cardiac surgery team gives local residents excellent options when seeking cardiac care that includes Stanford’s leading edge patient care, research and care innovations. Residents no longer have to leave our local area to access the health care services provided by world-renowned medical institutions like Stanford Health. This exceptional level of expertise is now right here in our own community.”

The Stanford Cardiac Surgery Program at Dameron Hospital is comprised of surgeons who are full-time faculty members from the Stanford University School of Medicine’s Cardiothoracic Surgery Department and full-time members of Dameron’s Medical Staff. Their offices are in Stockton at Dameron Hospital.

Stanford’s Cardiothoracic Surgery Department is led by Department Chairman and world-renowned cardiothoracic surgeon, Joseph Woo, MD. According to Dr. Woo, Stanford Health Care is not an ordinary health system because it is a part of Stanford Medicine and the larger Stanford University family. As an academic medical center it combines clinical care, research programs, and teaching to advance the understanding and practice of medicine, which are all now locally available at Dameron.

“As an academic medical center, we don’t just deliver care, we develop it,” said Dr. Woo. “Dr. Currie has specialized in cardiothoracic transplantation, which is an area steeped in tradition at Stanford, going back to Dr. Norman Shumway, who performed the first adult heart transplant in the United States at Stanford University in 1968. Dr. Currie is an outstanding cardiothoracic surgeon and will complement Dr. Keyser’s expertise. We anticipate excellent results from the Dameron team and we are prepared to extend the support they need to make this program as successful as possible.”

Prior to joining Stanford’s Cardiothoracic Surgery Department in 2017, Dr. Currie was practicing for nine years in Ontario, Canada with Western University’s Cardiac Surgery Residency Program and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada’s Clinical Investigator Program. In addition, she earned a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Western University in London, Ontario, Canada.

“My goal as a surgeon is to provide my patients with the best possible outcomes using the most advanced medical techniques available and I believe that the cardiac surgery program at Dameron aligns perfectly with this objective,” said Dr. Currie. “I’m excited about joining the team and becoming a part of the local community.”

Dr. Currie’s personal interests include spending time with family, enjoying good food and reading. She is also interested in exploring more of California's beautiful national parks.

The Stanford Cardiac Surgery Program at Dameron Hospital is located at 530 West Acacia Street, Suite 23, Stockton, CA 95203. The phone number is 209-242-7098.