Philanthropic gift honors Myra Igo Haley's legacy of lifesaving community care. 

^{WATCH: Physicians and leaders at Health First’s Viera Hospital on Tuesday officially opened the new state-of-the-art Igo Family Cardiac Catheterization and Electrophysiology Lab during a celebratory ribbon-cutting ceremony.}

First patient, Malcolm Brand of Merrit Island, receives special tour of facilities the day before his procedure.  

With advanced care for blood clots and vascular disease now available locally, Viera Hospital is reducing delays, improving access, and keeping families together during critical moments.

This investment reflects Health First’s commitment to strengthening heart care in our communities and is an important milestone in our pledge to expand access to high-quality cardiovascular care – right here at home.

This lab was made possible through the generosity of the estate of Myra Igo Haley and the Igo family, whose transformational gift was directed through the Health First Foundation to advance Heart & Vascular services and invest in leading-edge medical technology.

Myra’s legacy and her family’s enduring commitment will strengthen lifesaving cardiac care and serve our community for generations to come.

For interventional cardiology, diagnostic catheterization and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for NSTEMI (heart attack) patients will be performed, as well as balloon angioplasty, stenting angioplasty and atherectomy.

Non-invasive, general cardiac procedures include Cardioversion, and Transesophageal Echocardiography (TEE). And from an electrophysiology standpoint, Viera hospital will offer cardiac rhythm management (EP device implants) upon go-live—cardiac defibrillators, pacemakers, loop recorders.

While the brief ceremony was taking place this morning in the Health First Viera Hospital lobby, the lab’s first patient, Malcolm Brand of Merritt Island, was being prepped just one floor above for his 35-minute procedure to implant a dual-chamber pacemaker.

And although Brand missed the speeches and ceremonial cutting of the ribbon, he and his wife, Lauren, received a special tour of the new facility with his cardiologist, Dr. Kevin Campbell, MD, FACC, MBA, CPE, chair of medicine at Viera Hospital, on Monday afternoon.

“The wonderful thing about this is … here we are in Viera, which is one of the fastest growing communities in Brevard County and the state of Florida,” said Dr. Campbell.

“The addition of this lab reflects continued investment in our community’s health. From heart attacks and blocked arteries – to pacemakers, ICDs and heart rhythm care – patients in the Viera and central Brevard community can now receive immediate testing and life-saving treatment…close to home.

“We now have a state-of-the-art, fully functional cardiac catheterization lab that also serves as an electrophysiology lab, and we’ll be able to perform any procedure our patients need right here.  We have incredibly talented physicians, nurses, support teams, and leadership that afford us the opportunity to operate in a world-class facility that can support our unique skillsets – and that means so much to me and to our patients.

“It’s especially nice that my patients who live here in Viera, and I have a lot of patients in this area, don’t have to travel to Holmes Regional with me or go to Cape Canaveral – we can keep their care local here in Viera,” said Dr. Campbell.

“It’s great that Mr. Brand, as our first patient, has an opportunity to come in here today and see the new lab and ask questions,” said Dr. Campbell.

“At Health First, we’re so incredibly focused on safety and reliability – we strive to be a High Reliability Organization every single day. We have multiple layers of double checks – and triple checks – to make sure everything goes well. We encourage our patients .. talk to the doctor who’s doing your procedure. Make sure you understand their expectations for you, and make sure you understand everything the surgical team is going to do. If you have questions – ask.

“I think developing a relationship with your cardiologist is critical. Having a warm, friendly team as we have here, even though it’s cold in this room during the procedure, you will feel at home. These ladies and gentlemen on our team truly care about what they do and they’re the best of the best. When building a team, we are very selective because these are lives on the line when we’re in the catheterization lab. And we want to make sure that we have the very best people who are committed to excellence,” said Dr. Campbell.
 

^{Health First Interventional Cardiologists Dr. Thierry Momplaisir, Dr. Kevin Steinberg, and Dr. Kevin Campbell in the Cardiac Catheterization and Electrophysiology Lab.} 

MaryJo Allen, chief nursing officer for Health First’s Hospital Division and interim president of Viera Hospital, said the new services are about more than a new space or technology.

“It reflects what can happen when a community identifies a need, believes in local healthcare, and chooses to invest in the health of future generations. I want to extend a heartfelt thank-you to the Igo Family and honor the legacy of Myra Igo Haley. While Myra is no longer with us, her generosity, compassion, and belief in this community continue through the lives that will be touched in this space. This lab stands as a lasting reflection of her legacy and of a family’s decision to make a meaningful difference for generations to come.

“With this new electrophysiology-capable lab, we are expanding access to life-saving diagnostics and interventional cardiac procedures right here, close to home. For our patients, that means advanced care without the burden of traveling far from family, work, or support systems. It means timely treatment, better outcomes, and reassurance during some of life’s most critical moments. As our community continues to grow, our responsibility is to grow alongside it by expanding services, investing in technology, and ensuring that high-quality care remains accessible to everyone who calls this place home,” said Allen.

Health First Interventional Cardiologist Dr. Thierry Momplaisir said the opening of this cardiac catheterization and electrophysiology lab is essential to meeting that need and closing a gap in access for this community.

“In this lab, we will perform diagnostic cardiac catheterizations to identify blocked coronary arteries and assess heart function, allowing us to quickly determine the best course of treatment for each patient. In cardiac care, minutes matter. Having this capability here in Viera will mean faster evaluation, timely intervention when needed, and better outcomes for our patients,” said Dr. Momplaisir.

“Beyond the technology and procedures, what matters most is what this means for our patients and their families. It means receiving advanced, high-quality care without traveling far from home. It means staying connected to your support system during treatment and recovery. And it means confidence that the care you receive meets the highest standards.”

Viera Hospital in Aug. earned its third consecutive 5-Star Overall Hospital Quality Rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). It is the only 5-Star hospital in Brevard County and one of just 10 hospitals statewide to receive the distinction in 2025.

The completion and opening of the Igo Family Cardiac Catheterization and Electrophysiology Lab is part of a slate of ambitious growth and expansion plans for the Viera campus over the next two years.