LONGMONT - Longmont United Hospital opened the new Milestone Cardiology Associates in an office at the west end of the hospital at 2030 Mountain View Ave. in Longmont.

Cardiologist Murry Drescher is heading the cardiology practice, which is part of Milestone Medical Group.

The hospital also has two catheterization laboratories and a three-dimensional cardio echo machine to serve its heart patients, Mitchell Carson, president and chief executive of Longmont United Hospital, said in a press statement.

"Adding another experienced cardiologist will make our award-winning cardiology services more accessible," Carson said.

Drescher comes to Longmont from a practice at the Westside Regional Medical Center in Plantation, Florida. He recently was recognized as a "super doctor" in the field of cardiology in South Florida.

In all, Milestone Medical Group is made up of 11 doctors working under the umbrella of the hospital. Eight of the doctors saw 17,689 patient visits for the first eight months of the year. Since Sept. 1, the group added three new doctors - Starr Fowler in internal medicine; Ann Martin in obstetrics and gynecology and Drescher in cardiology.

Milestone Medical Group includes Milestone Family Medicine, which has offices in Berthoud, Lyons and Niwot; and Milestone Internal Medicine; Milestone Obstetrics & Gynecology; Milestone Full Circle Health Associates; and the newly opened cardiology office, all based at the hospital.