Vasek Polak:
Philanthropic Engine for Cardiovascular Institute

Vasek Polak felt the pulse of Southern California’s love of the automobile and opened the first Hermosa Beach auto service business in 1958. Followed by the first exclusive Porsche dealership in the United States, Polak’s business success fueled his expansion into an organization that included six automobile dealerships, a world-renowned race car collection, a racing program and extensive real estate holdings. This success made it possible for him to share his good fortune with others through the Vasek and Anna Maria Polak Charitable Foundation, Inc., which he established in 1994.

 
Polak’s remarkable good fortune now is benefiting Little Company of Mary. As a recipient of $3 million in grants supporting the South Bay’s first dedicated Electrophysiology (EP) Laboratory and the latest technological advances in heart care, LCM publicly dedicated the Vasek Polak Cardiovascular Institute in February.

 
Combining technology with the medical expertise of our cardiac specialists, the institute offers a comprehensive package of cardiovascular programs and services.

Soterios (Sam) Menzelos, co-trustee of the Vasek and Anna Maria Polak Charitable Foundation, Inc., spoke about the late benefactor at February’s dedication. “Vasek Polak acknowledged that the people of the South Bay supported him, and he wanted to divert this support back into the community for medical purposes. I feel humbled to represent a wonderful person who entrusted Jeffrey Bucher and myself to handle his estate. He would be very proud of what Little Company of Mary has done to perpetuate his name.”

With a range of services from diagnosis and treatment to recovery and rehabilitation, LCM’s heart care continuum encompasses everything from simple outpatient procedures to complex cardiac surgeries. In addition to the EP Lab for diagnosis and treatment of disturbances in heart rhythm, the highly technical care capabilities include: cardiac catheterization laboratories utilizing the only alldigital cardiovascular x-ray imaging system in the South Bay, sophisticated new cardiac imaging equipment for MRA (magnetic resonance angiogram) and CTA (computerized tomography angiogram), and a newly designed Angio Recovery Suite adjacent to the labs to enable easier transitions and patient access.

The LCM Community Health Foundation is grateful for the foresight of Vasek Polak and his desire to share his success to benefit the South Bay and Harbor area communities.

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