Kettering Medical Center's decision to build the Benjamin and Marian Schuster Heart Hospital on the Southern Boulevard campus adds an exciting chapter to the Heart to Heart event's story and to the growth of the medical center's outstanding cardiac program.

Named in honor of cardiologist Benjamin Schuster and his late wife Marian, the hospital is expected to be operational in early 2010. Currently, a task force is working on the facility's programming, planning and architectural design.

When completed, the new hospital will mark a notable milestone in Kettering Medical Center's (KMC) progress as the premier heart care institution in the Greater Dayton area. In 1997, after nearly 30 years of providing a pioneer comprehensive cardiac program of excellence to the community, KMC took another forward step by establishing the Kettering Cardiovascular Institute as the formal entity that encompasses all of its cardiovascular services.

The Benjamin and Marian Schuster Heart Hospital will allow the Institute's physicians and staff to continue to provide annually more than 450 open heart procedures, 5000 cardiac catherizations, 35,000 cardiac rehab visits and more than 40,000 non-invasive cardiac diagnostics tests for patients. The total number of heart surgeries now approaches 24,000.

Aspiring to adequately complement KMC's superior cardiac physicians and services, KMC Foundation planners wanted an annual community event like no other in the area. They would feature a well-known national performer or group in concert and would form a committee of volunteers from the community to act as advisors to the Foundation staff.

Appropriately named "Heart-to-Heart", the benefit's first event in 1989 brought to Dayton the popular television personality Steve Allen as the star attraction for a dinner program at the Mandalay Banquet Center. Heart-to-Heart was off to a very successful run.

In 1990, the event became a gala reception and dinner at the Kettering Tower lobby followed by a short walk up Main Street to the beautifully restored Victoria Theatre for the performance. In 2003, celebrating the 15th anniversary of Heart-to-Heart, the legendary Tony Bennett made a return visit to Dayton to perform at the benefit's first concert at the magnificent Benjamin and Marian Schuster Center. In 2008 we celebrated the 20th anniversary of Heart-to-Heart with Carole King as our performer.

Over the years Heart-to-Heart has presented a variety of top-notch artists to entertain supporters.

Matching the excitement of the concerts is the significant array of cardiac care items made possible from Heart-to-Heart proceeds. A partial list includes contributions to the electrophysiology program, cardiac database, digital echo machines, intracarcdiac echo, open heart TMR laser and interoperative echo equipment for open heart surgery. In addition, funds have been used to support cardiac care patient educators and for educational programs for physicians and staff.

While the KMC Foundation is grateful to the concert audiences, it is important to note that Heart-to-Heart proceeds gleaned each year do not come solely from ticket sales. Major sponsors and underwriters from the corporate, business and medical communities have generously contributed to the cause since the beginning year.

Total net funds have steadily grown since the first Heart-to-Heart. To date the benefit has raised over $3 million for Kettering Medical Center's advance cardiac program.

Recognition of KMC's cardiac services goes beyond this region's borders. Independent healthcare evaluations have consistently rated KMC best overall hospital quality for heart/cardiac treatment in this area, have awarded it Center of Excellence status and KMC has been awarded Premier, Inc's Q award for quality in chronic heart failure treatment.

Kettering Medical Center takes pride in achieving the very best with every healthcare program offered to the community.