Local Cardiovascular Surgeon to Co-Host New
ABC Television Network Series

HOUSTON (March 2, 2006)   Cardiovascular Surgeon Billy Cohn, M.D., Director of Minimally Invasive Surgical Technology at the Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital, has been selected to co-host “Miracle Workers,” ABC Television Network’s new medical reality series. The series, from DreamWorks Television and Renegade 83 Entertainment, is slated to debut Monday, March 6, at 9:00 p.m.

Billy Cohn, MD

Six episodes have been taped for “Miracle Workers,” a new series about people overcoming incredible health challenges with the help of an elite team of medical professionals. Each week the series will feature two stories of everyday people who normally would not have the access or resources to benefit from life-altering procedures. A renowned team of medical specialists guide the patient and family through the maze of cutting-edge medical technology to heal those who need it most.

“It’s really amazing to be part of this team, helping patients and their families who are dealing with a wide spectrum of medical issues. As physicians, we never get the opportunity to be so intimately involved with our patients as they make the journey from overwhelming medical odds to restored health,” said Dr. Cohn, who is also the co-director of the Cullen Cardiovascular Research Laboratories at the Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke’s, an associate professor of Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine, and an adjunct professor of Bioengineering at the University of Houston. “Our focus is not only on healing the patients but improving their quality of life as well. I think it will be an eye-opening experience for many viewers who are not aware that many of these life-saving procedures exist.”

The show follows patients from their first consultation with the physician team, through their treatment and recovery, and demonstrating the life-changing impact of their medical care. Other co-hosts of the show are Redmond Burke, M.D., director of Cardiovascular Surgery at Miami Children’s Hospital; Janna Bullock, R.N., M.S.N., of Mattel Children’s Hospital at UCLA; and Tamara Houston, R.N., of Mt. View Hospital in Las Vegas.

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World-renowned cardiovascular surgeon Denton A. Cooley, MD, founded the Texas Heart Institute in 1962 for the study and treatment of diseases of the heart and blood vessels. The Texas Heart Institute is dedicated to reducing the devastating toll of cardiovascular disease through innovative programs in research, education and improved patient care. Together with the Institute's clinical partner, St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, for the past 15 years it has been ranked among the nation's top ten heart centers in an annual survey published by U.S. News & World Report. For more information about the Institute, please visit www.texasheart.org.

St. Luke’s Episcopal Health System comprises the flagship St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital in the Texas Medical Center, founded in 1954 by the Episcopal Diocese of Texas; St. Luke’s Community Medical Center–The Woodlands, opened in 2003; St. Luke’s Episcopal Health Charities, a charity devoted to assessing and enhancing community health, especially among the underserved; and Kelsey-Seybold Management, LLP, overseeing 21 area clinic locations. St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital is home to the Texas Heart® Institute, founded in 1962 by Denton A. Cooley, MD, and consistently ranked among the top 10 cardiology and heart surgery centers in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Affiliated with several nursing schools and two medical schools, St. Luke’s serves as the primary private adult teaching hospital for Baylor College of Medicine. St. Luke’s was the first hospital in Texas named a Magnet hospital for nursing excellence, and the Health System has been recognized by FORTUNE as among “100 Best Companies to Work For” (2002, 2004 and 2005) and by Houston Business Journal as a top employer in Houston for three consecutive years.