If you live in Yuma County and have had open heart surgery in the past 20 years, you probably had the surgery performed in Yuma by Dr. James Moon.
Before 2004, if you needed open heart surgery, you had to travel to Phoenix or San Diego. Dr. Moon was in Phoenix back then but doctors at what was then Yuma Regional Medical Center decided to offer the procedure here.
Moon said that decision spares patients the need to travel far from home.
"When I first came to Yuma. I could not have imagined the profound impact this community would have on me," he said.
Now, after nearly 20 years with YRMC/Onvida, hospital officials announced that Dr. Moon is retiring. He has endeared himself to patients over the years (including KAWC underwriting representative Steven Hennig) and mentored hospital staff members.
"Everyone here (at Onvida) has an extremely high commitment to the community," Dr. Moon told KAWC. "I feel like we are an island of health care in the desert and (hospital leadership) gives us what we need to provide quality care."
Onvida Health is an underwriter for KAWC.
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Stay tuned to KAWC to hear more from Dr. James Moon.
