Becker's Hospital Review has named "70 Hospitals with Great Cardiology Programs." These hospitals offer outstanding heart care, and the Becker's Hospital Review editorial team selected them based on clinical accolades, quality care and contributions to the field of cardiology. These hospitals have been recognized for excellence in this specialty by reputable healthcare rating resources, including U.S. News & World Report, HealthGrades, Thomson Reuters, the American Heart Association, the American Stroke Association and the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Note: This list is not an endorsement of included hospitals or associated healthcare providers, and hospitals cannot pay to be included on this list. Hospitals are presented in alphabetical order.
Abbott Northwestern Hospital (Minneapolis). The Minneapolis Heart Institute at Abbott Northwestern Hospital uses an integrated cardiovascular care model to coordinate research and practice for a range of cardiovascular specialties. MHI's OPTIMIST Program — OPTions In Myocardial Ischemic Syndrome Therapy — provides new approaches for patients for whom surgery and other traditional treatments do not succeed. In July, a study published in Circulation by MHI researchers and others presented more evidence that therapeutic hypothermia is an effective treatment for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients.
Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital (Downers Grove, Ill.). Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital offers several specialized programs for heart and vascular health, including a congestive heart failure program, the Cardiac Heart Alert Program and an open-heart surgery program. The hospital also has a Cardiovascular Heart Assessment Recovery and Treatment Unit to provide outpatient therapy and same-day cardiac procedures in a central location. Midwest Heart Specialists, the largest independent cardiology practice in Illinois, signed a letter of intent in June to integrate with Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital.
Allegheny General Hospital (Pittsburgh). Allegheny General Hospital's Gerald McGinnis Cardiovascular Institute offers the Pulmonary Hypertension Program as a center of excellence. The program is the only one in the region that uses advanced imaging such as MRI and myocardial tissue Doppler imaging to evaluate PH patients. The development of the Magovern-Cromie Sutureless Aortic Valve by George Magovern, Sr., MD, in the early 1960s is one of the hospital's claims to fame.
Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center (Milwaukee). In June, Aurora St. Luke's opened specialty centers for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, adult congenital heart disease, Marfan syndrome and valvular heart disease. The hospital was the first in the state to offer robotically-assisted heart surgery and performed the first heart transplant in the Midwest in 1968. In May, the hospital became the first in Wisconsin to implant a new device designed to reduce strokes in people with atrial fibrillation.
Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center (Phoenix). Banner Good Samaritan's Cavanagh Heart Center includes cardiac catheterization labs along with noninvasive, surgical and rehabilitation services. In April, the center became one of a select group of clinical sites to participate in a clinical trial studying a device for transcatheter aortic valve implantation. Banner Good Samaritan researchers will evaluate the use of the device in treating severe aortic stenosis.
Barnes-Jewish Hospital/Washington University (Saint Louis). In June, Barnes-Jewish & Washington University opened the new Heart and Vascular Center that aims to provide patients with an inviting experience, featuring concierge staff to escort patients through the center. The center offers a heart second opinion program to connect patients who want a second opinion with the hospital's cardiologists. The center is also focused on research and has made important discoveries in areas such as the role of exercise training in patients with heart failure.
Beaumont Hospital (Royal Oak, Mich.). Beaumont Hospital's heart and vascular services include numerous centers devoted to cardiovascular health. Its Ministrelli Women's Heart Center was the first center of its kind in Michigan. Beaumont Hospital was also the first in the world to install an MRI unit dedicated solely to the heart. In July, Beaumont cardiovascular physician Kavitha Chinnaiyan, MD, was awarded a two-year, $84,822 grant from the American Heart Association to study coronary CT angiography.
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (Boston). Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center's CardioVascular Institute has three divisions: cardiovascular medicine, cardiac surgery and vascular and endovascular surgery. The hospital invented the first pacemaker to be used in humans and continues to conduct innovative cardiovascular research. In April, BIDMC researchers published a study in Archives of Internal Medicine that suggested tai chi may improve the quality of life of chronic heart failure patients.
Boca Raton (Fla.) Regional Hospital. Boca Raton Regional Hospital's Christine E. Lynn Heart & Vascular Institute opened in 2006 and was followed two years later by the opening of the hospital's Advanced Arrhythmia Center. The arrhythmia center is one of only a few facilities in the region that offers the mini-maze procedure, which involves a series of incisions arranged in a maze-like pattern, to treat atrial fibrillation. In January, the hospital opened the Aortic Center for the rapid diagnosis and treatment of aortic emergencies.
Brigham and Women's Hospital (Boston). Brigham and Women's Hospital's Carl J. and Ruth Shapiro Cardiovascular Center provides special services to cardiovascular patients through The Pavilion, which offers private rooms and a separate sleeping area for family. The Pavilion also provides luxury features like fine china and high tea served every afternoon. In April, the center's executive medical director Patrick T. O'Gara, MD, received the American Heart Association's Paul Dudley White award for his passion for patient care and contributions to the Heart Association.
Carolinas Medical Center (Charlotte, N.C.). Carolinas Medical Center distinguishes itself from other hospitals in the region in several ways: Physicians at its Sanger Heart and Vascular Institute performed the first balloon angioplasty in North Carolina and the first excimer laser coronary angioplasty and directional coronary atherectomy in the Carolinas. Last year, Heart Group of the Carolinas merged with Sanger Heart and Vascular to increase access to care and expand the services available to Heart Group patients.
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (Los Angeles). Cedars-Sinai's Heart Institute offers multiple services, including a pediatric cardiothoracic program and a preventive and rehabilitative cardiac center. The institute opened a 30-bed advanced heart failure unit for inpatients in Aug. 2010, the first of its kind in California. In February, John Gordon Harold, MD, current board member and a former chief of staff and clinical chief of cardiology at Cedars-Sinai, was named vice president of the American College of Cardiology.
The Christ Hospital (Cincinnati). The Christ Hospital has had several recent expansions and renovations to its heart program. In 2004 the hospital completed its $77 million Heart and Vascular Center; in 2007 it opened the Carl H. & Edyth Lindner Heart Failure Treatment Center; and in 2008 it opened a clinic for congestive heart failure for uninsured patients who cannot pay for follow-up appointments or medications. In April, The Christ Hospital became the first in Ohio to treat patients who have irregular heartbeats with a new cardiac rhythm device designed to minimize inappropriate shocks.
Cleveland Clinic. The Cleveland Clinic's Sydell and Arnold Miller Family Heart & Vascular Institute includes centers for women's cardiovascular services, heart failure and other specific cardiac conditions. A milestone in Cleveland Clinic's heart care occurred in the late 1960s when it hosted the first coronary artery bypass operation. The clinic's heart program has been ranked #1 by the U.S. News and World Report for 17 years in a row.
Duke University Medical Center (Durham, N.C.). Duke University Medical Center's Duke Heart Center shares its focus on both clinical services and research. In September, researchers at the Duke Clinical Research Institute discovered a genetic variant that may be associated with lower five-year survival after a coronary artery bypass. The hospital also features the Duke Databank for Cardiovascular Disease, the world's oldest and largest repository of cardiac outcomes information.
Emory University Hospital (Atlanta). Emory University Hospital's Heart and Vascular Center has been a pioneer in cardiac care. It performed the world's first triple off-pump bypass surgery using minimally invasive coronary artery bypass graft instrumentation in 1997. In 2001, the center performed the world's first totally endoscopic left ventricular resynchronization. Emory University researchers published a study in Diabetes Care in August that found economically disadvantaged youth showed more cardiovascular disease risk factors than youth from other socioeconomic levels.
Evanston (Ill.) Hospital. Evanston Hospital, part of NorthShore University HealthSystem, offers a Cardiovascular Care Center that includes cardiothoracic surgery and a heart failure program, among other services. Earlier this year, NorthShore interventional cardiologist Ted Feldman, MD, studied the safety and effectiveness of MitraClip for select patients with mitral regurgitation two years after treatment. The results were published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
Geisinger Medical Center (Danville, Pa.). As part of Geisinger Medical Center's Level 1 Heart Attack Program, the hospital partners with emergency ambulance and helicopter services and community hospitals to ensure that heart attack patients transferred to Geisinger receive angioplasty as quickly as possible. In January, Geisinger Medical Center researchers published a study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology detailing its success in reducing door-to-balloon times for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction patients referred to Geisinger from other hospitals.
Greenville (S.C.) Memorial Hospital. Greenville Memorial Hospital's Heart and Vascular Institute includes the Chest Pain Center, Atrial Fibrillation Clinic and HeartLife, a cardiac rehabilitation and prevention program. The institute's cardiologists pioneered the use of intra-vascular ultrasound to diagnose cardiovascular disease. The institute is currently conducting clinical trials in acute coronary syndrome, congestive heart failure, adult acute coronary syndrome and adult coronary artery disease.
Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center (La Crosse, Wis.). Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center Heart Institute includes a Priority One Heart Attack Program, which is designed to treat heart attack patients as quickly as possible. Under the program, healthcare facilities in the community stabilize the patient and call Gundersen Lutheran to activate the Priority One team, which provides treatment once the patient arrives via helicopter or ambulance. In May, the center's heart surgery team performed the 100th minimally invasive coronary surgery and aired portions of the surgery live on television.
Hackensack (N.J.) University Medical Center. Hackensack University Medical Center delivers cardiovascular services through its Heart and Vascular Hospital — a "hospital within a hospital." The hospital has created "A Beat Beyond" campaign to make Hackensack's heart and vascular hospital a world-class resource for advanced cardiac care. In September, Charles Osgood, anchor of CBS News Sunday Morning and anchor and writer of The Osgood File, was named National Honorary Chairperson of the campaign.
Hahnemann University Hospital (Philadelphia). Some of the cardiac care programs offered at Hahnemann include cardiothoracic surgery, heart failure/transplant and nuclear cardiology. The hospital participated in research on drug-coated stents, designed to prevent scar tissue, through its cardiac catheterization program. In February, the hospital was awarded accreditation in nuclear cardiology by the American College of Radiology.
Henrico Doctors' Hospital (Richmond, Va.). Henrico Doctors' Hospital opened its new Heart Center, part of a $100 million expansion, in January. Through the center's critical care nursing services, the Henrico nursing team provides patients with sleep masks and ear plugs, massage therapy for pain management, pet therapy and other services to enhance their healing and patient experience. The rooms, which are designed so the patient is in the center with equipment around them, include additional space for family and large windows.
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia). The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania's Penn Heart and Vascular offers comprehensive cardiology services, from its consultative cardiology program to its heart transplantation program. The hospital also conducts research through the Penn Cardiovascular Institute, which has seven research programs. In July, researchers published a study in Archives of Internal Medicine based on their findings that post-menopausal women with coronary artery disease and other risk factors are at an increased risk for sudden cardiac death.
Johns Hopkins Hospital (Baltimore). Johns Hopkins Hospital's Heart and Vascular Institute has multiple centers of excellence, including the Dana and Albert "Cubby" Broccoli Center for Aortic Disease and the comprehensive Marfan center. The hospital performed the first Blalock-Taussig shunt to treat infants with congenital heart defects in 1944. In September, Johns Hopkins researchers published a study in Science Translational Medicine that revealed how a widely-used pacemaker works at the biological level, which may allow physicians to use pacemakers in a new way.
Lake Health (Concord, Ohio). Lake Health's Heart and Vascular Center provides prevention, diagnosis and early intervention services as well as a range of treatment options. Through a 1997 partnership with Cleveland Clinic, Lake Health constitutes the only cardiac surgery program between Cuyahoga County, Ohio, and Erie, Pa. — a distance of approximately 100 miles. In June, Lake Health received the American Heart Association's Worksite Innovation award, which recognizes organizations that have implemented innovative and effective programs to encourage healthier lifestyles for employees.
Lancaster (Pa.) General Hospital. Lancaster General Hospital's Heart Center offers non-invasive services, a cardiac catheterization lab, an electrophysiology lab, cardiac surgery and cardiac rehabilitation. Lancaster General was the first hospital in the county to perform open heart surgery and the first in the country to perform high-risk interventions with the aid of percutaneous ventricular assist devices. The hospital also includes the Lancaster Heart & Stroke Foundation, which donates all earned income from its clinical trials to fund community services.
Loyola University Medical Center (Maywood, Ill.). Loyola's Center for Heart & Vascular Medicine includes a Heart Attack Rapid Response Team to provide heart attack patients with emergency angioplasty treatment immediately upon arrival when necessary. The hospital is the first in the Chicago area to use magnetic-guided catheterization to treat irregular heart beats. In June, Loyola physician Ross Milner, MD, became the first physician in Illinois to use a new delivery system to deploy stent grafts.
Martin Memorial Medical Center (Stuart, Fla.). Martin Memorial Medical Center's Frances Langford Heart Center offers comprehensive cardiac care, from diagnostic services to open-heart surgery to rehabilitation. In addition to the cardiovascular surgeons, physician assistants and anesthesiologists, the center's open-heart surgery team includes nurses and technicians specifically trained in surgical services with extra training for open-heart surgery. In January, the center hosted its fifth "Fleet Feet Run for Your Heart," an event that has raised a total of more than $18,000 for the heart center since the event's inception in 2007.
Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston). The Massachusetts General Hospital Heart Center includes 11 condition-specific programs, such as programs for atrial fibrillation and heart valve problems, and the Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Center. The hospital also has a Cardiovascular Research Center that first identified progenitor cells in the heart. In August, hospital researchers published a study in Nature Medicine on their development of a new imaging probe that may be able to accurately diagnose an infection in heart valves.
Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minn.). The Mayo Clinic provides cardiology services through its Division of Cardiovascular Surgery and Division of Cardiovascular Diseases. There are also multiple condition-specific clinics, such as the Cardiometabolic Program that focuses on behavioral changes to treat people with metabolic syndrome. In August, Mayo Clinic researchers received a four-year grant of more than $3 million to incorporate advances in the genetics of heart and blood vessel disease into electronic medical records.
Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center (Houston). Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center's Heart and Vascular Institute has had many "firsts" in cardiac care: It was the first in the world to perform robotic-assisted reconstructive aortic surgery and to show that heart disease can be reversed. The institute was also the first in Texas to perform a cardiac catheterization, give patients clot-dissolving drugs to stop heart attacks and offer cardiac risk screening designed specifically for women. Lastly, physicians at the institute were the first in Houston to perform minimally invasive surgery to correct atrial fibrillation.
Methodist Hospital (Houston). The Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center includes the Center for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and the Heart Tumor Program, among other offerings. The Heart Tumor Program has performed the greatest amount of malignant heart tumor surgeries in the world, according to the hospital website. In Dec. 2010, researchers at the center were awarded a $6.78 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to extend until 2014 a study of heart disease that had been running for 23 years.
Morton Plant Hospital (Clearwater, Fla.). The Morgan Heart Hospital at Morton Plant uses a universal bed concept, which allows patients to remain in the same room throughout their recovery. Details such as wood floors, refrigerators and sleeper chairs make the patient's room seem more like a home and less like a hospital room. In addition, Morton Plant Hospital's program is the only one in the United States to be named a Top 50 Cardiac Program by Thomson Reuters for 12 consecutive years.
Mount Sinai Medical Center (New York City). Mount Sinai Medical Center provides cardiology services through Mount Sinai Heart, which includes a heart failure and cardiomyopathy program and cardiovascular genetics program, among other resources. Mount Sinai Heart and the Mount Sinai Department of Radiology collaborated to create a Cardiovascular MRI/CT Program to provide specialized imaging services for cardiac patients and promote research in this area. Mount Sinai researchers recently published a study in Nature that identified a potential drug target for heart disease treatment and/or prevention.
Munson Medical Center (Traverse City, Mich.). Munson Medical Center prides itself on its comprehensive cardiology program, which includes education, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation. It provides education through its Health Wise program, cardiac education classes, dietary counseling and a lecture series, among other resources. The center's diagnostic services include a mobile cardiac catheterization lab at Mercy Hospital Cadillac (Mich.) that increases patients' access to Munson cardiology care.
New York-Presbyterian Hospital (New York City). The New York-Presbyterian Hospital provides cardiology services through the Weill Cornell Medical Center's Cardiovascular Interventional Therapy Program and the Columbia University Medical Center's division of cardiology. The hospital has performed more than 1,600 heart transplants — more than any other hospital in the country, according to its website. In May, hospital researchers published a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association that found medical therapy for patients receiving a heart stent improved less than 3 percent after the Clinical Outcomes Utilizing Revascularization and Aggressive Drug Evaluation trial.
Newark (N.J.) Beth Israel Medical Center. The Saint Barnabas Heart Center at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center offers diagnosis, imaging, interventional cardiology, electrophysiology and heart failure management. NBIMC was the first hospital in New Jersey to use robotic surgery to close holes in the heart and to repair defective heart valves. In January, Children's Hospital of New Jersey at NBIMC began offering pediatric cardiac surgery through a new partnership with NYU School of Medicine.
Northeast Georgia Medical Center (Gainesville). Northeast Georgia Medical Center's Ronnie Green Heart Center offers a range of support services for patients, including heart failure support and assistance from Mended Hearts volunteers. In the Mended Hearts program, volunteers visit cardiac patients and their families to answer questions, share educational materials and offer encouragement. Last year, Northeast Georgia Medical Center trained heart staff at Satilla Regional Medical Center in Waycross, Ga., who in appreciation donated $5,000 to help fund a heart attack program at NGMC.
Northside Medical Center (Youngstown, Ohio). Northside Medical Center is an affiliate of ValleyCare Health System of Ohio. The center's cardiac services, called ValleyCare Heart and Vascular, are offered at both Northside and Trumbull Memorial Hospital in Warren, Ohio, also an affiliate of ValleyCare Health System of Ohio. ValleyCare Heart and Vascular has been a pioneer in cardiology in several ways: It was the first heart hospital in Mahoning Valley; the first in Trumbull County to perform open-heart surgery and to offer interventional cardiology services; and the site of the region's first atrial fibrillation surgery and first endovascular stent grafting.
Northwestern Memorial Hospital (Chicago). Northwestern Memorial Hospital's Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute includes centers for various heart conditions as well as a center for women's cardiovascular health. The hospital conducts heart care research through its clinical trials unit, the Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute and its program in cardiovascular regenerative medicine. In April, Northwestern Memorial's heart institute became the first in the country to receive accreditation for carotid stenting from the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Carotid Stenting Facilities, an organization formed in 2010.
NYU Langone Medical Center (New York City). NYU Langone's Cardiac and Vascular Institute includes the Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology, the Fetal Heart Program and several other cardiovascular resources. Surgeons at NYU Langone have performed more than 3,800 mitral valve repair procedures since 1979 — the most procedures in the country. In addition, the center recently received an $84 million grant from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health for the International Study of Comparative Health Effectiveness with Medical and Invasive Approaches.
Ochsner Medical Center (New Orleans). Ochsner Medical Center includes the John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute, which provides imaging, non-invasive procedures, surgery, consultation and rehabilitation services. Surgeons at the institute pioneered the development of a technique for renal stenting. Ochsner vascular specialists recently wrote a book chapter in the upcoming edition of Rutherford's Vascular Surgery on endovascular techniques of treating abdominal and thoracic aneurysms.
Ohio State University Hospital (Columbus). Ohio State's Richard M. Ross Heart Hospital has the only adult heart transplant program in central Ohio. It also features the largest electrophysiology program in Ohio and one of the largest ventricular assist device programs in the country. In February, the hospital's researchers published a study in Lancet that found an implantable pulmonary artery pressure device in patients with moderate heart failure reduced hospitalizations and readmissions for those patients.
Presbyterian Hospital (Charlotte, N.C.). Presbyterian Hospital's Cardiovascular Institute includes the region's first hybrid operating room dedicated to aortic and vascular care. The hospital is also one of the first in the region to open an emergency department to diagnose and treat chest pain. The chest pain center has Cycle III accreditation — the highest level awarded by the Society of Chest Pain Centers — with PCI, a special designation for the hospital's interventional catheterization program. Presbyterian Hospital recently affiliated with Cleveland Clinic to expand its heart care services.
Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center (Los Angeles). Ronald Reagan UCLA's cardiology resources include the center for cholesterol and lipid management and the transitional care program for adolescents/young adults with congenital heart disease, among others. The hospital's heart transplant program has been leading a nationwide clinical study since 2009 in which donor hearts prior to transplantation function almost normally outside the body. In June, a patient at Ronald Reagan UCLA participated in this program and underwent a successful heart transplant via this method.
Rush University Medical Center (Chicago). Rush University Medical Center's heart and vascular services include a variety of programs, such as the Early Detection Center, Center for Congenital and Structural Heart Disease and Outpatient Chest Pain Center. The hospital also hosts the Pulmonary Hypertension Clinic, a collaboration between the cardiology, pulmonary and critical care departments. In June, Lynne T. Braun, PhD, CNP, a nurse practitioner in Rush's Preventive Cardiology Center and the Heart Center for Women, received the Healthcare Volunteer of the Year Award from the American Heart Association.
Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla (Calif.). Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla offers a range of cardiology services, from prevention and diagnostics to minimally invasive robotic surgery and electrophysiology. Parent company Scripps Health, based in San Diego, is currently constructing a new cardiovascular facility that will integrate cardiology programs from several of Scripps Health's facilities, including the La Jolla hospital, and Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente. The $456 million Scripps Cardiovascular Institute is expected to open for patients in 2015.
Sentara Norfolk (Va.) General Hospital. The Sentara Heart Hospital includes an advanced imaging center and arrhythmia center in addition to clinics for cardiac surgery, congestive heart failure, pacemakers and transplants. The Sentara Heart Arrhythmia Center includes a program navigator that guides patients through referral and screening, acting as a liaison between the hospital and referring physician. The hospital's hybrid cardiac operating suite is the first of its kind in the region, and allows cardiothoracic surgeons, electrophysiologists and interventional cardiologists to collaborate on patient care.
Shands at the University of Florida (Gainesville). Some specialties of the heart care team at Shands at the University of Florida include noninvasive cardiology and imaging and clinical cardiac electrophysiology. The hospital has a ventricular assist device program to treat heart failure patients and conduct clinical trials. In August, the hospital opened a chest pain emergency room dedicated to serving patients with chest pain or other symptoms of a heart condition.
St. Francis Hospital (Roslyn, N.Y.). St. Francis Hospital is New York state's only specialty designated cardiac center and includes multiple disease-specific programs. The hospital's Cardiac Outreach Program is a mobile clinic that travels and screens patients who do not have access to cardiac care. This program also educates local communities through written materials and referrals to community health programs.
St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital (Houston). The Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital includes a center for coronary artery anomalies and center for heart valve disease, among other programs. The institute provides heart health education through its Heart Information Center and Library and Learning Resource Center. The Wallace D. Wilson Museum at the institute features cardiovascular advances and a Celebration of Hearts art collection. Earlier this year, cardiologists at the institute performed a groundbreaking procedure when they completely replaced a patient's heart with two continuous flow ventricular assist devices.
Stanford Hospital and Clinics (Palo Alto, Calif.). The Stanford Heart Center has numerous heart care programs, including the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Center and the Preventive Cardiology Clinic. The Heart Center at Stanford was the first in the United States to perform an adult human heart transplant. In June, Stanford researchers published a study in Cardiovascular Imaging that linked physical activity to improved function of heart arteries in older adults.
Tampa (Fla.) General Hospital. Tampa General Hospital offers non-invasive and diagnostic cardiology procedures, invasive cardiology treatment, electrophysiology, surgical treatment and cardiac rehabilitation. The hospital's cardiac rehabilitation program includes education and counseling about heart disease in addition to exercise and other services. Tampa General was the fifth busiest U.S. cardiac transplant center in 2010, according to data from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network.
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital (Philadelphia). Thomas Jefferson University Hospital has the distinction of inventing the Heart-Lung Bypass Machine and performing the first open-heart surgery in the United States in 1953. Since then, the hospital has continued to be a leader in heart care. In May, Walter J. Koch, PhD, director of the hospital's Center for Translational Medicine, received the Outstanding Investigator Award for 2011 by the International Society for Heart Research for his work in heart failure gene therapy.
Union Memorial Hospital (Baltimore). Union Memorial Hospital's Heart Institute prides itself on its cardiology-focused team: the anesthesiologists are heart anesthesiologists, the intensivists are cardiac intensivists and the operating room nurses are strictly cardiac nurses. Furthermore, the institute's advanced heart failure treatment center has nurses specially trained in heart failure. Recently, the hospital's open heart program and its four cardiovascular surgeons were given top marks for performance by Consumer Reports.
The University of Arizona Medical Center – University Campus (Tucson). A unique offering of the heart program at The University of Arizona Medical Center (formerly University Medical Center) is its Native American Cardiology Program, which provides care through telemedicine and remote clinics in addition to the hospital. The program also organizes community education programs and outreach efforts to increase understanding and treatment of cardiovascular disease among Native Americans. In March, the center became the first in Arizona to perform Melody Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve Therapy to replace a pulmonary valve without open-heart surgery.
University of California, San Francisco Medical Center. UCSF Medical Center's Heart and Vascular Center includes the Asian Heart and Vascular Center, which provides care to the Asian community in the patients' preferred language and with respect for cultural differences. The center was established in 2006 to meet the needs of a growing population segment — Asian Americans account for approximately one-third of San Francisco's population. In July, the center reported a 30 percent reduction in hospital readmissions for older heart failure patients due to its heart failure program, launched in 2008.
University of Chicago Medical Center. The University of Chicago Medical Center provides a range of cardiology services and offers several specialized programs, such as the Hypertension Center and Chronic Angina Program. The hospital also created the University of Chicago Aortic Specialty Team, a multidisciplinary team that cares for patients with aortic conditions. The hospital was the first in the world to perform a successful heart-kidney-liver transplant.
The University of Kansas Hospital (Kansas City, Kan.). The University of Kansas' Center for Advanced Heart Care, which opened in 2006, was the first U.S. academic hospital to be named an Accredited Heart Failure Institute by the Healthcare Accreditation Colloquium. The center features the White Heart Learning Resource Center, which provides a library and other learning tools for patients and visitors. Earlier this year, the hospital became the first in the region to perform a totally endoscopic robotic coronary bypass procedure.
University of Maryland Medical Center (Baltimore). The University of Maryland Heart Center includes various cardiology programs, such as congestive heart failure service. The hospital also includes the Maryland Arrhythmia and Cardiology Imaging Group, a multispecialty team that aims to develop innovative ways to diagnose and treat arrhythmias and cardiac diseases. UMMC was recently designated a Cardiac Interventional Center by Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Systems Services under a new program to recognize quality in cardiac care in the state.
University of Michigan Medical Center (Ann Arbor). University of Michigan Medical Center, part of Ann Arbor-based University of Michigan Health System, offers a range of cardiology services through its Cardiovascular Center. Its Congenital Heart Center was recently chosen as a Pediatric Heart Network core site for clinical research, funded by the National Institutes of Health's National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Researchers will receive $2.25 million over five years to study how to improve outcomes for children with congenital heart disease.
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. In May, UPMC combined the operations of its cardiac surgery, vascular surgery and cardiology departments to create the Heart and Vascular Institute. UPMC is the only facility in western Pennsylvania that offers minimally invasive atrial surgery. In addition, the hospital was one of the first to implant a left ventricular assist device into the heart cavity instead of the abdomen. In February, UPMC was one of two recipients of a $13.3 million grant to study the value of heart devices for heart failure patients.
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (Dallas). The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center's preventive cardiology program offers comprehensive cardiovascular risk assessment, multidisciplinary risk intervention, lipid management, cardiac imaging and nutrition services. The hospital developed the first statin drug to lower cholesterol in people at risk for cardiovascular disease. In February, UT Southwestern researchers published a study in Science that found mammalian newborn hearts can heal themselves completely.
Vanderbilt University Medical Center (Nashville, Tenn.). Adult and pediatric cardiac physicians and experts in cardiovascular genetics at Vanderbilt Heart created the Center for Inherited Heart Disease to provide genetic counseling, screening and preventive care. Vanderbilt was the first medical center in the country to give heart failure recovery patients GGF2, a drug that has helped regrow damaged heart muscles in research trials. Recently, the hospital affiliated with three Tenn. hospitals — Maury Regional Medical Center in Columbia, NorthCrest Medical Center in Springfield and Williamson Medical Center in Franklin — for services including heart care.
Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center (Richmond). The Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center's Pauley Heart Center includes a comprehensive cardiovascular research program. Rakesh Kukreja, PhD, head of the basic research program, discovered that sildenafil (Viagra) can protect the heart. In May, the center's total artificial heart program, which began in 2006, was featured by PBS in a show on medical breakthroughs.
Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center (Winston-Salem, N.C.). The Heart Center at Wake Forest University Baptist offers a range of services, including imaging, surgery and rehabilitation. The center emphasizes a team approach to drive innovation, quality and overall patient care. In July, hospital researchers published a study in Heart that suggested hypertension, race/ethnicity, body mass index, heart rate and other electrocardiogram-detectable markers may predict the survival rate of heart attack patients.
Washington (D.C.) Hospital Center. Washington Hospital Center's MedStar Heart Institute includes several multidisciplinary centers organized around specialty areas of excellence, such as coronary artery disease. Treatment is delivered from an interdisciplinary team. For example, the team for heart failure includes cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, heart failure nurses and nurse practitioners, dieticians, physical therapists, research coordinators and social workers. Washington Hospital Center also features the Cardiovascular Research Institute that conducts clinical trials.
Winthrop-University Hospital (Mineola, N.Y.). Winthrop-University Hospital's Institute for Heart Care includes a holistic rehabilitation program. The program includes patient assessment, ongoing patient education, progressive exercise programs, nutritional counseling, support groups and individual/family counseling, smoking cessation, weight reduction and vocational and social service counseling. In July, Scott L. Schubach, MD, chairman of the hospital's department of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery, was elected to the board of directors of the Founders Affiliate chapter of the American Heart Association.
Yale-New Haven (Conn.) Hospital. Yale-New Haven Hospital's Heart and Vascular Center includes the Mitral Valve Repair Program and the Inherited Cardiomyopathy Clinic, among other resources. One of Yale-New Haven Hospital's claims to fame is having performed the first successful heart transplant from an unmatched donor. Earlier this year, the hospital performed Connecticut's first epicardial ventricular tachycardia ablation procedure.
Abbott Northwestern Hospital (Minneapolis). The Minneapolis Heart Institute at Abbott Northwestern Hospital uses an integrated cardiovascular care model to coordinate research and practice for a range of cardiovascular specialties. MHI's OPTIMIST Program — OPTions In Myocardial Ischemic Syndrome Therapy — provides new approaches for patients for whom surgery and other traditional treatments do not succeed. In July, a study published in Circulation by MHI researchers and others presented more evidence that therapeutic hypothermia is an effective treatment for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients.
Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital (Downers Grove, Ill.). Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital offers several specialized programs for heart and vascular health, including a congestive heart failure program, the Cardiac Heart Alert Program and an open-heart surgery program. The hospital also has a Cardiovascular Heart Assessment Recovery and Treatment Unit to provide outpatient therapy and same-day cardiac procedures in a central location. Midwest Heart Specialists, the largest independent cardiology practice in Illinois, signed a letter of intent in June to integrate with Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital.
Allegheny General Hospital (Pittsburgh). Allegheny General Hospital's Gerald McGinnis Cardiovascular Institute offers the Pulmonary Hypertension Program as a center of excellence. The program is the only one in the region that uses advanced imaging such as MRI and myocardial tissue Doppler imaging to evaluate PH patients. The development of the Magovern-Cromie Sutureless Aortic Valve by George Magovern, Sr., MD, in the early 1960s is one of the hospital's claims to fame.
Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center (Milwaukee). In June, Aurora St. Luke's opened specialty centers for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, adult congenital heart disease, Marfan syndrome and valvular heart disease. The hospital was the first in the state to offer robotically-assisted heart surgery and performed the first heart transplant in the Midwest in 1968. In May, the hospital became the first in Wisconsin to implant a new device designed to reduce strokes in people with atrial fibrillation.
Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center (Phoenix). Banner Good Samaritan's Cavanagh Heart Center includes cardiac catheterization labs along with noninvasive, surgical and rehabilitation services. In April, the center became one of a select group of clinical sites to participate in a clinical trial studying a device for transcatheter aortic valve implantation. Banner Good Samaritan researchers will evaluate the use of the device in treating severe aortic stenosis.
Barnes-Jewish Hospital/Washington University (Saint Louis). In June, Barnes-Jewish & Washington University opened the new Heart and Vascular Center that aims to provide patients with an inviting experience, featuring concierge staff to escort patients through the center. The center offers a heart second opinion program to connect patients who want a second opinion with the hospital's cardiologists. The center is also focused on research and has made important discoveries in areas such as the role of exercise training in patients with heart failure.
Beaumont Hospital (Royal Oak, Mich.). Beaumont Hospital's heart and vascular services include numerous centers devoted to cardiovascular health. Its Ministrelli Women's Heart Center was the first center of its kind in Michigan. Beaumont Hospital was also the first in the world to install an MRI unit dedicated solely to the heart. In July, Beaumont cardiovascular physician Kavitha Chinnaiyan, MD, was awarded a two-year, $84,822 grant from the American Heart Association to study coronary CT angiography.
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (Boston). Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center's CardioVascular Institute has three divisions: cardiovascular medicine, cardiac surgery and vascular and endovascular surgery. The hospital invented the first pacemaker to be used in humans and continues to conduct innovative cardiovascular research. In April, BIDMC researchers published a study in Archives of Internal Medicine that suggested tai chi may improve the quality of life of chronic heart failure patients.
Boca Raton (Fla.) Regional Hospital. Boca Raton Regional Hospital's Christine E. Lynn Heart & Vascular Institute opened in 2006 and was followed two years later by the opening of the hospital's Advanced Arrhythmia Center. The arrhythmia center is one of only a few facilities in the region that offers the mini-maze procedure, which involves a series of incisions arranged in a maze-like pattern, to treat atrial fibrillation. In January, the hospital opened the Aortic Center for the rapid diagnosis and treatment of aortic emergencies.
Brigham and Women's Hospital (Boston). Brigham and Women's Hospital's Carl J. and Ruth Shapiro Cardiovascular Center provides special services to cardiovascular patients through The Pavilion, which offers private rooms and a separate sleeping area for family. The Pavilion also provides luxury features like fine china and high tea served every afternoon. In April, the center's executive medical director Patrick T. O'Gara, MD, received the American Heart Association's Paul Dudley White award for his passion for patient care and contributions to the Heart Association.
Carolinas Medical Center (Charlotte, N.C.). Carolinas Medical Center distinguishes itself from other hospitals in the region in several ways: Physicians at its Sanger Heart and Vascular Institute performed the first balloon angioplasty in North Carolina and the first excimer laser coronary angioplasty and directional coronary atherectomy in the Carolinas. Last year, Heart Group of the Carolinas merged with Sanger Heart and Vascular to increase access to care and expand the services available to Heart Group patients.
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (Los Angeles). Cedars-Sinai's Heart Institute offers multiple services, including a pediatric cardiothoracic program and a preventive and rehabilitative cardiac center. The institute opened a 30-bed advanced heart failure unit for inpatients in Aug. 2010, the first of its kind in California. In February, John Gordon Harold, MD, current board member and a former chief of staff and clinical chief of cardiology at Cedars-Sinai, was named vice president of the American College of Cardiology.
The Christ Hospital (Cincinnati). The Christ Hospital has had several recent expansions and renovations to its heart program. In 2004 the hospital completed its $77 million Heart and Vascular Center; in 2007 it opened the Carl H. & Edyth Lindner Heart Failure Treatment Center; and in 2008 it opened a clinic for congestive heart failure for uninsured patients who cannot pay for follow-up appointments or medications. In April, The Christ Hospital became the first in Ohio to treat patients who have irregular heartbeats with a new cardiac rhythm device designed to minimize inappropriate shocks.
Cleveland Clinic. The Cleveland Clinic's Sydell and Arnold Miller Family Heart & Vascular Institute includes centers for women's cardiovascular services, heart failure and other specific cardiac conditions. A milestone in Cleveland Clinic's heart care occurred in the late 1960s when it hosted the first coronary artery bypass operation. The clinic's heart program has been ranked #1 by the U.S. News and World Report for 17 years in a row.
Duke University Medical Center (Durham, N.C.). Duke University Medical Center's Duke Heart Center shares its focus on both clinical services and research. In September, researchers at the Duke Clinical Research Institute discovered a genetic variant that may be associated with lower five-year survival after a coronary artery bypass. The hospital also features the Duke Databank for Cardiovascular Disease, the world's oldest and largest repository of cardiac outcomes information.
Emory University Hospital (Atlanta). Emory University Hospital's Heart and Vascular Center has been a pioneer in cardiac care. It performed the world's first triple off-pump bypass surgery using minimally invasive coronary artery bypass graft instrumentation in 1997. In 2001, the center performed the world's first totally endoscopic left ventricular resynchronization. Emory University researchers published a study in Diabetes Care in August that found economically disadvantaged youth showed more cardiovascular disease risk factors than youth from other socioeconomic levels.
Evanston (Ill.) Hospital. Evanston Hospital, part of NorthShore University HealthSystem, offers a Cardiovascular Care Center that includes cardiothoracic surgery and a heart failure program, among other services. Earlier this year, NorthShore interventional cardiologist Ted Feldman, MD, studied the safety and effectiveness of MitraClip for select patients with mitral regurgitation two years after treatment. The results were published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
Geisinger Medical Center (Danville, Pa.). As part of Geisinger Medical Center's Level 1 Heart Attack Program, the hospital partners with emergency ambulance and helicopter services and community hospitals to ensure that heart attack patients transferred to Geisinger receive angioplasty as quickly as possible. In January, Geisinger Medical Center researchers published a study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology detailing its success in reducing door-to-balloon times for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction patients referred to Geisinger from other hospitals.
Greenville (S.C.) Memorial Hospital. Greenville Memorial Hospital's Heart and Vascular Institute includes the Chest Pain Center, Atrial Fibrillation Clinic and HeartLife, a cardiac rehabilitation and prevention program. The institute's cardiologists pioneered the use of intra-vascular ultrasound to diagnose cardiovascular disease. The institute is currently conducting clinical trials in acute coronary syndrome, congestive heart failure, adult acute coronary syndrome and adult coronary artery disease.
Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center (La Crosse, Wis.). Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center Heart Institute includes a Priority One Heart Attack Program, which is designed to treat heart attack patients as quickly as possible. Under the program, healthcare facilities in the community stabilize the patient and call Gundersen Lutheran to activate the Priority One team, which provides treatment once the patient arrives via helicopter or ambulance. In May, the center's heart surgery team performed the 100th minimally invasive coronary surgery and aired portions of the surgery live on television.
Hackensack (N.J.) University Medical Center. Hackensack University Medical Center delivers cardiovascular services through its Heart and Vascular Hospital — a "hospital within a hospital." The hospital has created "A Beat Beyond" campaign to make Hackensack's heart and vascular hospital a world-class resource for advanced cardiac care. In September, Charles Osgood, anchor of CBS News Sunday Morning and anchor and writer of The Osgood File, was named National Honorary Chairperson of the campaign.
Hahnemann University Hospital (Philadelphia). Some of the cardiac care programs offered at Hahnemann include cardiothoracic surgery, heart failure/transplant and nuclear cardiology. The hospital participated in research on drug-coated stents, designed to prevent scar tissue, through its cardiac catheterization program. In February, the hospital was awarded accreditation in nuclear cardiology by the American College of Radiology.
Henrico Doctors' Hospital (Richmond, Va.). Henrico Doctors' Hospital opened its new Heart Center, part of a $100 million expansion, in January. Through the center's critical care nursing services, the Henrico nursing team provides patients with sleep masks and ear plugs, massage therapy for pain management, pet therapy and other services to enhance their healing and patient experience. The rooms, which are designed so the patient is in the center with equipment around them, include additional space for family and large windows.
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia). The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania's Penn Heart and Vascular offers comprehensive cardiology services, from its consultative cardiology program to its heart transplantation program. The hospital also conducts research through the Penn Cardiovascular Institute, which has seven research programs. In July, researchers published a study in Archives of Internal Medicine based on their findings that post-menopausal women with coronary artery disease and other risk factors are at an increased risk for sudden cardiac death.
Johns Hopkins Hospital (Baltimore). Johns Hopkins Hospital's Heart and Vascular Institute has multiple centers of excellence, including the Dana and Albert "Cubby" Broccoli Center for Aortic Disease and the comprehensive Marfan center. The hospital performed the first Blalock-Taussig shunt to treat infants with congenital heart defects in 1944. In September, Johns Hopkins researchers published a study in Science Translational Medicine that revealed how a widely-used pacemaker works at the biological level, which may allow physicians to use pacemakers in a new way.
Lake Health (Concord, Ohio). Lake Health's Heart and Vascular Center provides prevention, diagnosis and early intervention services as well as a range of treatment options. Through a 1997 partnership with Cleveland Clinic, Lake Health constitutes the only cardiac surgery program between Cuyahoga County, Ohio, and Erie, Pa. — a distance of approximately 100 miles. In June, Lake Health received the American Heart Association's Worksite Innovation award, which recognizes organizations that have implemented innovative and effective programs to encourage healthier lifestyles for employees.
Lancaster (Pa.) General Hospital. Lancaster General Hospital's Heart Center offers non-invasive services, a cardiac catheterization lab, an electrophysiology lab, cardiac surgery and cardiac rehabilitation. Lancaster General was the first hospital in the county to perform open heart surgery and the first in the country to perform high-risk interventions with the aid of percutaneous ventricular assist devices. The hospital also includes the Lancaster Heart & Stroke Foundation, which donates all earned income from its clinical trials to fund community services.
Loyola University Medical Center (Maywood, Ill.). Loyola's Center for Heart & Vascular Medicine includes a Heart Attack Rapid Response Team to provide heart attack patients with emergency angioplasty treatment immediately upon arrival when necessary. The hospital is the first in the Chicago area to use magnetic-guided catheterization to treat irregular heart beats. In June, Loyola physician Ross Milner, MD, became the first physician in Illinois to use a new delivery system to deploy stent grafts.
Martin Memorial Medical Center (Stuart, Fla.). Martin Memorial Medical Center's Frances Langford Heart Center offers comprehensive cardiac care, from diagnostic services to open-heart surgery to rehabilitation. In addition to the cardiovascular surgeons, physician assistants and anesthesiologists, the center's open-heart surgery team includes nurses and technicians specifically trained in surgical services with extra training for open-heart surgery. In January, the center hosted its fifth "Fleet Feet Run for Your Heart," an event that has raised a total of more than $18,000 for the heart center since the event's inception in 2007.
Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston). The Massachusetts General Hospital Heart Center includes 11 condition-specific programs, such as programs for atrial fibrillation and heart valve problems, and the Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Center. The hospital also has a Cardiovascular Research Center that first identified progenitor cells in the heart. In August, hospital researchers published a study in Nature Medicine on their development of a new imaging probe that may be able to accurately diagnose an infection in heart valves.
Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minn.). The Mayo Clinic provides cardiology services through its Division of Cardiovascular Surgery and Division of Cardiovascular Diseases. There are also multiple condition-specific clinics, such as the Cardiometabolic Program that focuses on behavioral changes to treat people with metabolic syndrome. In August, Mayo Clinic researchers received a four-year grant of more than $3 million to incorporate advances in the genetics of heart and blood vessel disease into electronic medical records.
Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center (Houston). Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center's Heart and Vascular Institute has had many "firsts" in cardiac care: It was the first in the world to perform robotic-assisted reconstructive aortic surgery and to show that heart disease can be reversed. The institute was also the first in Texas to perform a cardiac catheterization, give patients clot-dissolving drugs to stop heart attacks and offer cardiac risk screening designed specifically for women. Lastly, physicians at the institute were the first in Houston to perform minimally invasive surgery to correct atrial fibrillation.
Methodist Hospital (Houston). The Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center includes the Center for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and the Heart Tumor Program, among other offerings. The Heart Tumor Program has performed the greatest amount of malignant heart tumor surgeries in the world, according to the hospital website. In Dec. 2010, researchers at the center were awarded a $6.78 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to extend until 2014 a study of heart disease that had been running for 23 years.
Morton Plant Hospital (Clearwater, Fla.). The Morgan Heart Hospital at Morton Plant uses a universal bed concept, which allows patients to remain in the same room throughout their recovery. Details such as wood floors, refrigerators and sleeper chairs make the patient's room seem more like a home and less like a hospital room. In addition, Morton Plant Hospital's program is the only one in the United States to be named a Top 50 Cardiac Program by Thomson Reuters for 12 consecutive years.
Mount Sinai Medical Center (New York City). Mount Sinai Medical Center provides cardiology services through Mount Sinai Heart, which includes a heart failure and cardiomyopathy program and cardiovascular genetics program, among other resources. Mount Sinai Heart and the Mount Sinai Department of Radiology collaborated to create a Cardiovascular MRI/CT Program to provide specialized imaging services for cardiac patients and promote research in this area. Mount Sinai researchers recently published a study in Nature that identified a potential drug target for heart disease treatment and/or prevention.
Munson Medical Center (Traverse City, Mich.). Munson Medical Center prides itself on its comprehensive cardiology program, which includes education, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation. It provides education through its Health Wise program, cardiac education classes, dietary counseling and a lecture series, among other resources. The center's diagnostic services include a mobile cardiac catheterization lab at Mercy Hospital Cadillac (Mich.) that increases patients' access to Munson cardiology care.
New York-Presbyterian Hospital (New York City). The New York-Presbyterian Hospital provides cardiology services through the Weill Cornell Medical Center's Cardiovascular Interventional Therapy Program and the Columbia University Medical Center's division of cardiology. The hospital has performed more than 1,600 heart transplants — more than any other hospital in the country, according to its website. In May, hospital researchers published a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association that found medical therapy for patients receiving a heart stent improved less than 3 percent after the Clinical Outcomes Utilizing Revascularization and Aggressive Drug Evaluation trial.
Newark (N.J.) Beth Israel Medical Center. The Saint Barnabas Heart Center at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center offers diagnosis, imaging, interventional cardiology, electrophysiology and heart failure management. NBIMC was the first hospital in New Jersey to use robotic surgery to close holes in the heart and to repair defective heart valves. In January, Children's Hospital of New Jersey at NBIMC began offering pediatric cardiac surgery through a new partnership with NYU School of Medicine.
Northeast Georgia Medical Center (Gainesville). Northeast Georgia Medical Center's Ronnie Green Heart Center offers a range of support services for patients, including heart failure support and assistance from Mended Hearts volunteers. In the Mended Hearts program, volunteers visit cardiac patients and their families to answer questions, share educational materials and offer encouragement. Last year, Northeast Georgia Medical Center trained heart staff at Satilla Regional Medical Center in Waycross, Ga., who in appreciation donated $5,000 to help fund a heart attack program at NGMC.
Northside Medical Center (Youngstown, Ohio). Northside Medical Center is an affiliate of ValleyCare Health System of Ohio. The center's cardiac services, called ValleyCare Heart and Vascular, are offered at both Northside and Trumbull Memorial Hospital in Warren, Ohio, also an affiliate of ValleyCare Health System of Ohio. ValleyCare Heart and Vascular has been a pioneer in cardiology in several ways: It was the first heart hospital in Mahoning Valley; the first in Trumbull County to perform open-heart surgery and to offer interventional cardiology services; and the site of the region's first atrial fibrillation surgery and first endovascular stent grafting.
Northwestern Memorial Hospital (Chicago). Northwestern Memorial Hospital's Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute includes centers for various heart conditions as well as a center for women's cardiovascular health. The hospital conducts heart care research through its clinical trials unit, the Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute and its program in cardiovascular regenerative medicine. In April, Northwestern Memorial's heart institute became the first in the country to receive accreditation for carotid stenting from the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Carotid Stenting Facilities, an organization formed in 2010.
NYU Langone Medical Center (New York City). NYU Langone's Cardiac and Vascular Institute includes the Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology, the Fetal Heart Program and several other cardiovascular resources. Surgeons at NYU Langone have performed more than 3,800 mitral valve repair procedures since 1979 — the most procedures in the country. In addition, the center recently received an $84 million grant from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health for the International Study of Comparative Health Effectiveness with Medical and Invasive Approaches.
Ochsner Medical Center (New Orleans). Ochsner Medical Center includes the John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute, which provides imaging, non-invasive procedures, surgery, consultation and rehabilitation services. Surgeons at the institute pioneered the development of a technique for renal stenting. Ochsner vascular specialists recently wrote a book chapter in the upcoming edition of Rutherford's Vascular Surgery on endovascular techniques of treating abdominal and thoracic aneurysms.
Ohio State University Hospital (Columbus). Ohio State's Richard M. Ross Heart Hospital has the only adult heart transplant program in central Ohio. It also features the largest electrophysiology program in Ohio and one of the largest ventricular assist device programs in the country. In February, the hospital's researchers published a study in Lancet that found an implantable pulmonary artery pressure device in patients with moderate heart failure reduced hospitalizations and readmissions for those patients.
Presbyterian Hospital (Charlotte, N.C.). Presbyterian Hospital's Cardiovascular Institute includes the region's first hybrid operating room dedicated to aortic and vascular care. The hospital is also one of the first in the region to open an emergency department to diagnose and treat chest pain. The chest pain center has Cycle III accreditation — the highest level awarded by the Society of Chest Pain Centers — with PCI, a special designation for the hospital's interventional catheterization program. Presbyterian Hospital recently affiliated with Cleveland Clinic to expand its heart care services.
Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center (Los Angeles). Ronald Reagan UCLA's cardiology resources include the center for cholesterol and lipid management and the transitional care program for adolescents/young adults with congenital heart disease, among others. The hospital's heart transplant program has been leading a nationwide clinical study since 2009 in which donor hearts prior to transplantation function almost normally outside the body. In June, a patient at Ronald Reagan UCLA participated in this program and underwent a successful heart transplant via this method.
Rush University Medical Center (Chicago). Rush University Medical Center's heart and vascular services include a variety of programs, such as the Early Detection Center, Center for Congenital and Structural Heart Disease and Outpatient Chest Pain Center. The hospital also hosts the Pulmonary Hypertension Clinic, a collaboration between the cardiology, pulmonary and critical care departments. In June, Lynne T. Braun, PhD, CNP, a nurse practitioner in Rush's Preventive Cardiology Center and the Heart Center for Women, received the Healthcare Volunteer of the Year Award from the American Heart Association.
Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla (Calif.). Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla offers a range of cardiology services, from prevention and diagnostics to minimally invasive robotic surgery and electrophysiology. Parent company Scripps Health, based in San Diego, is currently constructing a new cardiovascular facility that will integrate cardiology programs from several of Scripps Health's facilities, including the La Jolla hospital, and Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente. The $456 million Scripps Cardiovascular Institute is expected to open for patients in 2015.
Sentara Norfolk (Va.) General Hospital. The Sentara Heart Hospital includes an advanced imaging center and arrhythmia center in addition to clinics for cardiac surgery, congestive heart failure, pacemakers and transplants. The Sentara Heart Arrhythmia Center includes a program navigator that guides patients through referral and screening, acting as a liaison between the hospital and referring physician. The hospital's hybrid cardiac operating suite is the first of its kind in the region, and allows cardiothoracic surgeons, electrophysiologists and interventional cardiologists to collaborate on patient care.
Shands at the University of Florida (Gainesville). Some specialties of the heart care team at Shands at the University of Florida include noninvasive cardiology and imaging and clinical cardiac electrophysiology. The hospital has a ventricular assist device program to treat heart failure patients and conduct clinical trials. In August, the hospital opened a chest pain emergency room dedicated to serving patients with chest pain or other symptoms of a heart condition.
St. Francis Hospital (Roslyn, N.Y.). St. Francis Hospital is New York state's only specialty designated cardiac center and includes multiple disease-specific programs. The hospital's Cardiac Outreach Program is a mobile clinic that travels and screens patients who do not have access to cardiac care. This program also educates local communities through written materials and referrals to community health programs.
St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital (Houston). The Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital includes a center for coronary artery anomalies and center for heart valve disease, among other programs. The institute provides heart health education through its Heart Information Center and Library and Learning Resource Center. The Wallace D. Wilson Museum at the institute features cardiovascular advances and a Celebration of Hearts art collection. Earlier this year, cardiologists at the institute performed a groundbreaking procedure when they completely replaced a patient's heart with two continuous flow ventricular assist devices.
Stanford Hospital and Clinics (Palo Alto, Calif.). The Stanford Heart Center has numerous heart care programs, including the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Center and the Preventive Cardiology Clinic. The Heart Center at Stanford was the first in the United States to perform an adult human heart transplant. In June, Stanford researchers published a study in Cardiovascular Imaging that linked physical activity to improved function of heart arteries in older adults.
Tampa (Fla.) General Hospital. Tampa General Hospital offers non-invasive and diagnostic cardiology procedures, invasive cardiology treatment, electrophysiology, surgical treatment and cardiac rehabilitation. The hospital's cardiac rehabilitation program includes education and counseling about heart disease in addition to exercise and other services. Tampa General was the fifth busiest U.S. cardiac transplant center in 2010, according to data from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network.
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital (Philadelphia). Thomas Jefferson University Hospital has the distinction of inventing the Heart-Lung Bypass Machine and performing the first open-heart surgery in the United States in 1953. Since then, the hospital has continued to be a leader in heart care. In May, Walter J. Koch, PhD, director of the hospital's Center for Translational Medicine, received the Outstanding Investigator Award for 2011 by the International Society for Heart Research for his work in heart failure gene therapy.
Union Memorial Hospital (Baltimore). Union Memorial Hospital's Heart Institute prides itself on its cardiology-focused team: the anesthesiologists are heart anesthesiologists, the intensivists are cardiac intensivists and the operating room nurses are strictly cardiac nurses. Furthermore, the institute's advanced heart failure treatment center has nurses specially trained in heart failure. Recently, the hospital's open heart program and its four cardiovascular surgeons were given top marks for performance by Consumer Reports.
The University of Arizona Medical Center – University Campus (Tucson). A unique offering of the heart program at The University of Arizona Medical Center (formerly University Medical Center) is its Native American Cardiology Program, which provides care through telemedicine and remote clinics in addition to the hospital. The program also organizes community education programs and outreach efforts to increase understanding and treatment of cardiovascular disease among Native Americans. In March, the center became the first in Arizona to perform Melody Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve Therapy to replace a pulmonary valve without open-heart surgery.
University of California, San Francisco Medical Center. UCSF Medical Center's Heart and Vascular Center includes the Asian Heart and Vascular Center, which provides care to the Asian community in the patients' preferred language and with respect for cultural differences. The center was established in 2006 to meet the needs of a growing population segment — Asian Americans account for approximately one-third of San Francisco's population. In July, the center reported a 30 percent reduction in hospital readmissions for older heart failure patients due to its heart failure program, launched in 2008.
University of Chicago Medical Center. The University of Chicago Medical Center provides a range of cardiology services and offers several specialized programs, such as the Hypertension Center and Chronic Angina Program. The hospital also created the University of Chicago Aortic Specialty Team, a multidisciplinary team that cares for patients with aortic conditions. The hospital was the first in the world to perform a successful heart-kidney-liver transplant.
The University of Kansas Hospital (Kansas City, Kan.). The University of Kansas' Center for Advanced Heart Care, which opened in 2006, was the first U.S. academic hospital to be named an Accredited Heart Failure Institute by the Healthcare Accreditation Colloquium. The center features the White Heart Learning Resource Center, which provides a library and other learning tools for patients and visitors. Earlier this year, the hospital became the first in the region to perform a totally endoscopic robotic coronary bypass procedure.
University of Maryland Medical Center (Baltimore). The University of Maryland Heart Center includes various cardiology programs, such as congestive heart failure service. The hospital also includes the Maryland Arrhythmia and Cardiology Imaging Group, a multispecialty team that aims to develop innovative ways to diagnose and treat arrhythmias and cardiac diseases. UMMC was recently designated a Cardiac Interventional Center by Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Systems Services under a new program to recognize quality in cardiac care in the state.
University of Michigan Medical Center (Ann Arbor). University of Michigan Medical Center, part of Ann Arbor-based University of Michigan Health System, offers a range of cardiology services through its Cardiovascular Center. Its Congenital Heart Center was recently chosen as a Pediatric Heart Network core site for clinical research, funded by the National Institutes of Health's National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Researchers will receive $2.25 million over five years to study how to improve outcomes for children with congenital heart disease.
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. In May, UPMC combined the operations of its cardiac surgery, vascular surgery and cardiology departments to create the Heart and Vascular Institute. UPMC is the only facility in western Pennsylvania that offers minimally invasive atrial surgery. In addition, the hospital was one of the first to implant a left ventricular assist device into the heart cavity instead of the abdomen. In February, UPMC was one of two recipients of a $13.3 million grant to study the value of heart devices for heart failure patients.
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (Dallas). The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center's preventive cardiology program offers comprehensive cardiovascular risk assessment, multidisciplinary risk intervention, lipid management, cardiac imaging and nutrition services. The hospital developed the first statin drug to lower cholesterol in people at risk for cardiovascular disease. In February, UT Southwestern researchers published a study in Science that found mammalian newborn hearts can heal themselves completely.
Vanderbilt University Medical Center (Nashville, Tenn.). Adult and pediatric cardiac physicians and experts in cardiovascular genetics at Vanderbilt Heart created the Center for Inherited Heart Disease to provide genetic counseling, screening and preventive care. Vanderbilt was the first medical center in the country to give heart failure recovery patients GGF2, a drug that has helped regrow damaged heart muscles in research trials. Recently, the hospital affiliated with three Tenn. hospitals — Maury Regional Medical Center in Columbia, NorthCrest Medical Center in Springfield and Williamson Medical Center in Franklin — for services including heart care.
Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center (Richmond). The Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center's Pauley Heart Center includes a comprehensive cardiovascular research program. Rakesh Kukreja, PhD, head of the basic research program, discovered that sildenafil (Viagra) can protect the heart. In May, the center's total artificial heart program, which began in 2006, was featured by PBS in a show on medical breakthroughs.
Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center (Winston-Salem, N.C.). The Heart Center at Wake Forest University Baptist offers a range of services, including imaging, surgery and rehabilitation. The center emphasizes a team approach to drive innovation, quality and overall patient care. In July, hospital researchers published a study in Heart that suggested hypertension, race/ethnicity, body mass index, heart rate and other electrocardiogram-detectable markers may predict the survival rate of heart attack patients.
Washington (D.C.) Hospital Center. Washington Hospital Center's MedStar Heart Institute includes several multidisciplinary centers organized around specialty areas of excellence, such as coronary artery disease. Treatment is delivered from an interdisciplinary team. For example, the team for heart failure includes cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, heart failure nurses and nurse practitioners, dieticians, physical therapists, research coordinators and social workers. Washington Hospital Center also features the Cardiovascular Research Institute that conducts clinical trials.
Winthrop-University Hospital (Mineola, N.Y.). Winthrop-University Hospital's Institute for Heart Care includes a holistic rehabilitation program. The program includes patient assessment, ongoing patient education, progressive exercise programs, nutritional counseling, support groups and individual/family counseling, smoking cessation, weight reduction and vocational and social service counseling. In July, Scott L. Schubach, MD, chairman of the hospital's department of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery, was elected to the board of directors of the Founders Affiliate chapter of the American Heart Association.
Yale-New Haven (Conn.) Hospital. Yale-New Haven Hospital's Heart and Vascular Center includes the Mitral Valve Repair Program and the Inherited Cardiomyopathy Clinic, among other resources. One of Yale-New Haven Hospital's claims to fame is having performed the first successful heart transplant from an unmatched donor. Earlier this year, the hospital performed Connecticut's first epicardial ventricular tachycardia ablation procedure.