The Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold Rays with Rosette was conferred upon Dr. Yokoyama on May 12 at a ceremony in Hancock Park, the official residence of the Consul General of Japan.

Dr. Yokoyama has been with SVMC since 1965, when he came to the hospital to perform a cardiac surgery fellowship. He has stayed at the hospital and saved thousands of lives by perfecting off-pump surgeries – which are performed without having to stop a patient’s heart – and other complex cardiac procedures.

Asked to comment after the conferment ceremony, Dr. Yokoyama credited “tight cooperation” among other physicians and nurses for his longevity as a surgeon at St. Vincent Medical Center. “SVMC provides good team work to the cardiac surgery service, the reason I have been able to perform high-risk cardiac procedures,” said Dr. Yokoyama.

SVMC President and Chief Executive Officer Cathy Fickes attended the conferment ceremony and thanked Dr. Yokoyama for his years of brilliant surgical service at St. Vincent Medical Center. “Dr. Yokoyama has shaped St. Vincent’s Cardiovascular Service into the leading heart care center in Los Angeles,” Fickes said. “This surgeon takes on the most challenging and difficult cases and saves lives.”

Dr. Yokoyama has traveled to Japan several times to share his best techniques with cardiac surgeons there.

About St. Vincent Medical Center

Providing compassionate healthcare for those who need hope and healing has been the mission of St. Vincent Medical Center for more than 153 years. Located in downtown Los Angeles, St. Vincent is a world-renowned, 366-bed facility, offering comprehensive medical services, including multi-organ transplantation, joint replacement, general orthopaedics, cancer treatment, cardiovascular services, thoracic surgery, interventional cardiology, electrophysiology, and world-renowned neurosurgery and neurotology services.

St. Vincent Medical Center is part of the Daughters of Charity Health System, a nonprofit healthcare system spanning the California coast.