MedStar Heart and Vascular Institute
Capabilities Performance Outcomes 2025-2026
Key clinical achievements
#38 Hospital in the country for cardiology and heart and vascular surgery
MedStar Washington Hospital Center was awarded.
Center of Excellence in the treatment of sarcoidosis
MedStar Health is now a Center of Excellence in the treatment of sarcoidosis by the World Health Association of Sarcoidosis and Other Granulomatous Disorders (WASOG).
Among America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Care or Coronary Intervention
Awarded to MedStar Washington Hospital Center, MedStar Union Memorial Hospital, and MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center by Healthgrades’ Specialty Excellence Awards.
1st Combined Heart-Kidney Transplantation program in Washington, D.C.
Contemporaneous transplantation of the heart and kidney provides the optimal outcome for a patient suffering from these concurrent disease processes.
Lowest 30-day mortality rates for heart attack patients
Among the top hospitals in the nation with the lowest 30-day mortality rates for heart attack patients MedStar Washington Hospital Center recognized by Becker’s Hospital Review.
Three star CABG rating from STS
Three stars represents the highest achievable metrics in the U.S. MedStar Washington Hospital Center and MedStar Union Memorial Hospital both have achieved this recognition.
High Performing Hospital
High-performing hospital for heart attack care, heart bypass surgery, heart failure care, and transcatheter aortic valve replacement. MedStar Union Memorial Hospital recognized by U.S. News & World Report.
View a PDF version of this report
This report includes our data from fiscal year 2024.
Please submit any comments to jennifer.e.freas@medstar.net.
Message from MedStar Heart and Vascular Institute Leadership
Dear colleague,
In this biennial Capabilities Report, we are privileged to share recent innovations and key outcomes from MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute. It is our goal to keep you, our partners in caring for the region’s cardiovascular patients, abreast of the variety of current options and new horizons in our field.
We aim to provide patients with the most advanced and thoughtful therapies tailored to their individual circumstances, including choices that may not be available elsewhere. As the knowledge base across cardiovascular care rapidly expands, we are meeting the ever-greater need for subspecialized expertise with the addition of focused programs, novel procedures, and new devices. Through this, we remain committed to collaboration and teamwork, ensuring that patients receive the benefit of specialist opinions combined with comprehensive, multidisciplinary perspectives. We have broken down traditional departmental silos and created an environment in which surgeons, proceduralists, medical physicians, and imaging experts come around the patient to discuss a tailored treatment plan—whether that be open surgery, minimally invasive approaches, catheter-directed therapies, a drug regimen, or
preventive measures. We give every patient the ability to convene true multispecialty care, which we believe leads to the widest options and most optimal outcomes.
This collaborative culture also allows our faculty to engage in dynamic clinical research. We view care innovation as yet another opportunity for colleagues to come together to propel those investigations forward, working as one team.
Finally, we are committed to strengthening our longstanding relationships with the community and with colleagues such as yourself, through improved access to care, meaningful use of novel technology, and support for you and your patients when seeking complementary care from our specialists. We are grateful to you and look forward to our ongoing partnership in this critical work.
Stuart F. Seides, MD
Physician Executive Director Emeritus
MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute
Thomas E. MacGillivray, MD
Vice President of Medical Operations
MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute
Interventional cardiology
The large procedural volumes and extensive research contributions of our interventional cardiologists offer patients the assurance that they will receive access to all possible treatment options from highly experienced providers.
While our programs are led by nationally recognized physicians, care remains easily accessible at a number of locations in the Baltimore and Washington, D.C. regions.
Baltimore Interventional Cardiology Team
Washington, D.C. Interventional Cardiology Team
Key metrics
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6,052
diagnostic catheterizations
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2,393
percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs)
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65 minutes
average primary PCI
door-to-door balloon time
Fiscal year 2024 data
Program highlight and recent innovations
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New device targets refractory angina
For patients who have already exhausted conventional options to manage their angina and are not candidates for further revascularization, the new Neovasc Reducer™ may be a potential therapy. As part of the COSIRA II clinical trial we are studying whether this device provides a safe and effective treatment. The proposed intervention implants a small stent into the coronary sinus to modulate blood flow, toward restoring it to ischemic areas. The procedure is minimally invasive and done under local anesthesia, allowing most patients to be discharged within 24 hours.
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Renal denervation emerges as an alternative for managing certain hypertension
We are now offering renal denervation to select patients, including those whose hypertension is not adequately managed by medications and lifestyle modifications. The minimally invasive procedure quiets sympathetic nervous system activity using multipolar radiofrequency or ultrasound ablation on nerves in the renal arteries.
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Latest generation of drug-coated balloon technology for treating restenosis
We are participating in two national clinical trials evaluating the safety and efficacy of the SELUTION SLR™ drug-coated balloon technology for the treatment of in-stent restenosis, and SELUTION DeNovo for the prevention of restenosis in patients undergoing coronary intervention without a stent. Unlike with stents, patients undergoing the balloon-only procedure do not require prolonged administration of blood thinners, which could be attractive for those at high risk of bleeding.
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Percutaneous alternative to traditional "fem-pop" bypass
In patients with long and complex obstructive disease of the superficial femoral artery (SFA), endovascular procedures have limited success and surgical bypass has a high complication rate with a prolonged recovery. Percutaneous Transmural Arterial Bypass (PTAB) with the DETOUR™ System is an alternative. Performed by an interventional cardiologist or a vascular surgeon, a detour is created around a long, calcified blockage of the SFA by percutaneously creating a channel through the adjacent femoral vein. A stent is inserted from the top of the SFA, into the femoral vein, and back into the popliteal artery. Current data indicates that PTAB has longer durability than balloon angioplasty or intravascular stenting alone.
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Elective PCI program launches at MedStar Health Franklin Square Medical Center
MedStar Franklin Square has long performed emergent percutaneous coronary intervention procedures, and now elective PCIs are offered by the same high-volume specialists that perform them at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital. A brand-new cardiac catheterization laboratory, equipped with state-of-the-art technology, accompanies the launch.
Our cohesive teams—in Baltimore and Washington, D.C.—of cardiac surgeons, interventional cardiologists, and imaging specialists have been at the forefront of nearly every structural heart study in recent decades. As a result, our patients receive the most customized, effective, and thoughtfully selected device and technique for their unique circumstance, anatomy, and preference—all through a multidisciplinary decision-making process.
Key metrics
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551
total TAVR procedures
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61
PFO closures
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20
active aortic valve studies
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11
active mitral valve studies
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3
active tricuspid valve studies
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<2 weeks
expedited TAVR process timeline (referral to procedure, for elective cases)
Fiscal year 2024 data
Program highlight and recent innovations
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Aortic valve
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Much progress has been made in recent years toward TAVR for isolated aortic regurgitation. The JenaValve Trilogy™ Heart Valve System has completed its pivotal trial, for which we were one of the top enrollers. In addition, we are now participating in the early feasibility study for the J-Valve™ Transfemoral System.
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Despite its wide acceptance, TAVR still carries the potential for stroke or other ischemic events. One promising solution under study is the Emboliner® Total Embolic Protection Catheter, a new TAVR device designed to provide not only greater cerebral protection but safeguard all four of the major arteries supplying blood to the brain.
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Our patient-centered TAVR pathway provides expedited treatment—about two weeks from referral to TAVR. It also allows for all pre-procedure testing and consults to be streamlined around the patient’s schedule.
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We remain at the forefront of new TAVR technology, including the ALLIANCE study, investigating the next-generation balloon-expandable SAPIEN X4 Transcatheter Heart Valve.
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Mitral valve
We are building on knowledge from our studies of the MitraClip™, transcatheter mitral cerclage annuloplasty, Tendyne™, the Edwards PASCAL™, and others, to find safer, more effective ways to treat the mitral valve.
- An early feasibility study of the AltaValve™ is investigating a percutaneous approach for MVR and evaluating its potential to reduce complications and length of hospitalizations.
- We continue the investigation of the Intrepid™ system, with completion of the first cases done via femoral access. Femoral access may further reduce complications, potentially offering a new and lower risk solution for patients who are severely ill and poor candidates for conventional mitral surgery or with mitral annular calcification.
- Our participation in the ENCIRCLE Trial of SAPIEN M3 System offers some patients a transcatheter approach consisting of a dock in the mitral position and replacement valve.
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Tricuspid valve
The field has arrived at a point of optimism and excitement, as there are now a number of therapies recently approved and under evaluation. Our team now offers:
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EVOQUE, the only FDA-approved transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement system.
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TriClip™ TEER device for repair.
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CorMatrix® Cor ECM® replacement valve.
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Cardiac surgery
Our cardiac surgery program has been a premier destination for patients since the early 1960’s. Since then, we have brought a number of “firsts” to our patients, offering procedures and programs not available elsewhere in the region.
We are proud to be consistently recognized among the nation’s top heart programs for superior outcomes and high volumes, and to employ surgeons who are internationally known for their expertise and contributions to clinical research.
Program highlight and recent innovations
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Multidisciplinary collaboration
The capabilities of our cardiac surgeons are improved and fortified through increased collaboration across multiple specialties. Our heart teams work closely together, keeping the patient as the focus of our treatment choice. You can explore details of our efforts in the following sections:
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Deep subspecialization and expertise
A program of this breadth and depth fosters the ability for surgeons to strengthen their distinct areas of focus, which results in a truly elite team of providers, each at the forefront of innovation in their subspecialty. Through this, we can provide uncommon, balanced approaches to nuanced cases—often patients who have been denied care elsewhere.
For example, we offer the Ross Procedure as an alternative to aortic valve replacement, “bloodless” surgery protocol, and unique solutions for complex coronary disease.
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Robotic Cardiac Surgery
Our robotic cardiac surgery program offers minimally invasive surgical approaches to repair and replacement of valves, cardiac myxoma removal, coronary artery bypass, and other conditions.
For select patients, this approach may deliver shorter recovery times, less post-surgical pain, and fewer surgical complications such as blood loss, infection, and stroke, than the conventional open-sternotomy approach.
Key metrics
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1,941
total open cardiac
surgery procedures -
820
total CABG procedures
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160
surgical
mitral valve procedures -
37
surgical mitral valve procedures + CABG
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49
surgical tricuspid
valve procedures -
160
surgical aortic
valve procedures -
95
surgical
aortic valve procedures + CABG -
75
robotic cardiac procedures
Fiscal year 2024 data
Aortic disease
Complex Aortic Center
We offer 24/7 evaluation and treatment for emergent, urgent, and elective cases of complex aortic disease. Our helicopter and ground transport system provides expedited access to care, regardless of patient location. With one phone call, we will initiate transfer and treatment for your patient:
800-824-6814
(Washington, D.C. region)
410-554-2332
(Baltimore region)
Our aortic disease program carefully integrates surgical, endovascular, and medical techniques to achieve the best outcomes possible for our patients. Our cardiac and vascular surgeons—who perform more aortic interventions than any other program in the region—provide the full spectrum of options for all aortic pathology.
Innovation toward more tailored solutions
Participation in abundant clinical trials give our patients access to advanced treatments and technology. Treatment plans are always carefully selected according to each person’s unique needs, risks, and anatomy. From aneurysms, dissections, and ulcers to congenital defects and other uncommon conditions, our teams offer highly customized solutions.
Key metric
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669
open and endovascular aortic procedures
Fiscal year 2024 data
Ongoing investigations include:
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Evaluation of the GORE® Ascending Stent Graft in the Treatment of Lesions of the Ascending Aorta (ARISE II).
- Thoraflex Hybrid and Relay Extension Post-Approval Study (EXTEND).
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A Global Post Market Evaluation of Terumo Aortic Endovascular Grafts (TiGER registry).
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RCT of the Nectero EAST System for Small to Mid-Sized Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms Stabilization: Evaluation of Efficacy (stAAAble).
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Safety and effectiveness of the Zenith® Fenestrated+ Endovascular Graft (ZFEN+) in combination with the BeGraft Balloon-Expandable FEVAR Bridging Stent Graft System (BeGraft) for the treatment of patients with aortic aneurysms, where the device sealing zone requires fenestrations with connections to one or more of the major visceral arteries.
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Safety and Effectiveness of the NEXUS™ Aortic Arch Stent Graft System in Treating Thoracic Aortic Lesions Involving the Aortic Arch (TRIOMPHE).
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Evaluation of GORE® EXCLUDER® for thoracoabdominal branch endoprosthesis in the treatment of thoracoabdominal and pararenal aortic aneurysms (GORE TAMBE).
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Evaluation of GORE® TAG® Thoracic Branch Endoprosthesis in treatment of aortic arch and DTAA lesions (GORE TAG).
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Objective Analysis to Gauge EVAR Outcomes Through Randomization (JAGUAR).
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Endurant Stent Graft System vs Excluder Endoprothesis: A Global, Prospective, Randomized Clinical Trial in Sac Regression (ADVANCE).
Brian Bethea, MD, Cardiac Surgeon,
Co-Director of the Complex Aortic Center
Christian Shults, MD, Cardiac Surgeon,
Co-Director of the Complex Aortic Center
Raghuveer Vallabhaneni, MD, Vascular Surgeon,
Co-Director of the Complex Aortic CenterAs the largest vascular surgery program in the region, our diverse team of specialists are prepared to care for patients with deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, carotid artery disease, complex aortic pathology, peripheral arterial disease, limb salvage and wound care needs, cosmetic and varicose veins, and hemodialysis access. We also offer 20 noninvasive vascular imaging labs where we provide advanced diagnostic options.
Program highlight and recent innovations
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Improving options for deep vein thrombosis
Our DVT program continues to earn international recognition by pioneering new approaches and technology.
Recent major highlights include:
- Becoming first in the world to use the RevCore™ thrombectomy catheter, a novel mechanical thrombectomy device for treating in-stent thrombosis.
- Introducing the mechanical thrombectomy ClotTriever® System to the region—which allows for rapid and complete lytic-free thrombus removal in a single session, agnostic to thrombus age—through the DEFIANCE study.
- Offering the Indigo® Aspiration System, under investigation for percutaneous mechanical thrombectomy in certain patients with DVT.
- Remaining at the forefront of pulmonary embolism treatment through CLEAN PE, a study of the Cleaner™ Pro Thrombectomy System for aspiration thrombectomy in patients with acute PE.
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Leading the region in transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR)
Our multidisciplinary review process ensures that each patient receives the best possible recommendation for their carotid artery disease, whether that be carotid artery stenting, TCAR, or surgical carotid endarterectomy. Our vascular surgeons continue to lead the region in TCAR volumes and are contributing to the body of research through the PERFORMANCE III trial of the Neuroguard IEP® Direct 3-in-1 delivery system, intended to protect against emboli during carotid artery stenting using a stent, balloon, and filter.
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Percutaneous alternatives for revascularization
Our team offers a number of strategies to treat chronic limb ischemia in patients who are not good candidates for traditional bypass. The newly approved DETOUR™ System, provided in collaboration with our interventional cardiology colleagues, offers Percutaneous Transmural Arterial Bypass (PTAB) for patients with complex peripheral arterial disease. By creating a detour around the blockage in the SFA through a channel through the femoral vein back to the popliteal artery, we can restore flow to the leg. Current data indicates that PTAB has longer durability than balloon angioplasty or intravascular stenting alone. In addition, we continue to offer deep venous arterialization with the LimFlow™ System, which we studied in its early investigations. With LimFlow, we can reduce need for amputation, bypassing the blocked arteries in a minimally invasive approach, restoring blood flow to the feet.
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Expanded access to crucial vascular services
Creating a seamless patient experience for all vascular needs, regardless of location, is a top priority for the program. To that end, we:
- Are now operating 20 noninvasive imaging laboratories across the region with state-of-the-art technology, rapid scheduling, and image interpretations by vascular surgeons.
- Offer the largest vascular hemodialysis access program in the mid-Atlantic region with specialized grafts and minimally invasive options for both routine and highly complex access cases.
- Coordinate a streamlined plan for wound care patients with our colleagues in plastic and podiatric surgery, along with support from other services, for debridement, infection removal, revascularization, and any further interventions that may be necessary.
- Curate personalized and comfortable experiences at each of our 16 Vein Center locations, for patients who need cosmetic or functional treatment of venous disease.
Key metrics
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8,190
total vascular
surgery and access procedures -
>34,800
outpatient encounters
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>38,900
vascular lab studies
Fiscal year 2024 data
Cardiac electrophysiology
We offer the region’s most established and dynamic heart rhythm program.
At 24 hospital and ambulatory sites across Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia, renowned cardiac electrophysiologists manage the full spectrum of heart rhythm conditions for thousands of patients each year.
Program highlight and recent innovations
Key metrics
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2,242
total ablation procedures
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>700
pulsed-field ablations (Since beginning in April 2024)
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32
hybrid/convergent ablations
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213
left atrial appendage occulder implants
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1.8
LAA Device complication rate
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1.0
LAAO Device length of stay
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0.0
LAAO Device
mortality -
87
laser lead extractions
Fiscal year 2024 data
MedStar Health Heart Rhythm Innovation Center
The new MedStar Health Heart Rhythm Innovation Center at MedStar Washington Hospital Center launches a new era of advanced care, teaching, and technology development. This one-of-a-kind lab is designed to facilitate teaching and research, and will serve as a knowledge and technology-development incubator for industry, academic centers, government agencies, medical societies, and other local, national, and international visitors. The multimillion-dollar project was funded in part by the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation.
Central features include:
- Large hybrid, interventional procedure/operating room with adjacent control room.
- The very latest technology for electrophysiology therapies as well as complementary cardiac surgical capabilities.
- Integrated audiovisual system, allowing for the recording and transmission of procedures in real time to viewers around the world.
- A 27-seat auditorium, separated from the operating theater by a smart-glass wall, offering unique access for live observation.
Surgical therapies for advanced heart failure
From performing the first heart transplant in Washington, D.C. in 1987 to being among the first four hospitals in the world to implant an LVAD in 1988, our team remains committed to progressing these lifesaving therapies and expanding our ability to provide them. We are now one of the largest programs in the country for LVAD implantations and heart transplants.
Through close partnerships with community cardiologists, we’ve made significant progress in our region this year to achieve earlier identification of patients who need these therapies, thereby saving more lives.
Key metrics
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47
heart transplantations
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65
durable LVAD implantations
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84
ECMO cases
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73
Impella® pumps
Fiscal year 2024 data
Heart-Kidney Transplantation program:
The first in Washington, D.C.
We have recently integrated combined heart-kidney transplantation into our existing heart transplantation program. The dual-transplant service is offered in partnership with MedStar Georgetown Transplant Institute, which is among the top programs by volume in the United States and performs more than 300 kidney transplants annually.
Contemporaneous transplantation of the heart and kidney provides the optimal outcome for a patient suffering from these concurrent disease processes.
The multi-organ transplant is performed in two stages. Our cardiac surgeon first performs the heart transplant. Once the patient is stabilized and the new heart is functioning well, the kidney transplant team implants the donor kidney.
Medical management of advanced heart failure
We manage the lifelong course of care for the most medically complex patients, and are passionate about introducing new treatments and improving prognoses. We use state-of-the-art imaging technology, offer advanced medical therapy through involvement in clinical trials, and facilitate complementary services such as cardiogenetics and palliative care. A close collaboration with our team of surgeons and interventionalists ensure a continuum of care at any level of need.
Meet Our Advanced Heart Failure Specialists
Baltimore region team
Washington, D.C. region team
Leaders in emerging treatments for transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis
Historically, ATTR-CA was underdiagnosed, lacked effective treatment, and frequently fatal. Now, the prognosis is much more optimistic. There is a new run of trials underway at our program that have the potential to further improve the clinical status and lives of patients:
- The DepleTTR-CM study commenced in early 2024 and we are one of the leading sites in the country. This trial is investigating safety and efficacy of the depleting agent ALXN-2220 to actively target and remove amyloid deposits entirely.
- In May 2024, we enrolled the first U.S. patient in the gene-editing trial, MAGNITUDE. This study is evaluating the medication NTLA-2001, which uses the gene-editing system CRISPR/Cas9 to find and disable the TTR gene in the liver, where most TTR protein is produced. Interim Phase 1 and 2 clinical trial data showed consistent and long-lasting TTR protein reduction.
- Vutrisiran, a small interfering RNA therapeutic intended to reduce amyloid deposits, was evaluated in the HELIOS-B trial. Our program enrolled the first patient in the world in this trial, which ultimately demonstrated it could reduce mortality and adverse cardiovascular events while preserving quality of life in ATTR-CA patients.
Sarcoidosis Center of Excellence
Our Sarcoidosis Program has been recognized as a Center of Excellence by the World Association of Sarcoidosis and Other Granulomatous Disorders (WASOG). At our Center, patients have access to a multidisciplinary team of experts and the full complement of technologies necessary to effectively manage their unique needs.
Program highlight and recent innovations
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Baroreflex activation therapy helps regulate blood pressure and flow
When the cardiac baroreflex no longer works properly due to heart failure, our specialists can partner with vascular surgery and electrophysiology colleagues to implant the Barostim™ system. The device stimulates the baroreflex through electrical impulses, thereby regulating blood pressure and flow, and balancing sympathetic and parasympathetic regulation of the heart. Barostim offers new hope for patients with systolic heart failure who are not candidates for—or not well managed by—CRT, ICD, or medications.
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Cardiac contractility modulation improves efficacy and force of contraction
The substantial population of heart failure patients who are not candidates for CRT but still suffer from significant symptoms despite GDMT may benefit from the Optimizer® Smart System. The therapy delivers pulses of energy during the absolute ventricular refractory period, improving the efficacy and force of natural contraction. Myocardial contractility is directly improved with enduring impact—regular therapy may have a sustained effect and provide a reverse remodeling effect.
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Benefits of remote monitoring of pulmonary arterial pressure
One of the most promising developments in reducing hospitalizations, reducing symptoms, and delaying the need for advanced surgical therapies for people with heart failure, are permanent cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED) that measure pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) through remote monitoring. Since PAP can serve as an early indicator of exacerbated heart failure, our physicians implement the CardioMEMS™ and Cordella™ systems to regularly observe the metric, rather than waiting for symptoms, weight, and blood pressure changes to emerge.
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Recent study links genetics to advanced dilated cardiomyopathy
First author Mark Hofmeyer, MD, along with colleagues at 25 other leading academic U.S. heart failure and transplant programs, published findings that link genetics to advanced dilated cardiomyopathy, and provide a compelling basis for routine genetic testing of first-degree relatives. Results showed that LVAD or transplant patients were more than twice as likely to carry a pathogenic or likely pathogenic variant than patients with only an ICD or with no device, implant, nor transplant.
Clinical cardiology & specialty programs
For more than 60 years, referring physicians have trusted their patients to our national leaders in many cardiovascular specialties. We continue to expand our general cardiology practices as well as programming for complex diseases that require unique expertise and considerable infrastructure.
In addition to our 10 hospital locations, cardiologists at numerous ambulatory sites offer wide, regional access to sophisticated care throughout Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Northern Virginia.
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Cardio-oncology
Due to the rapidly growing population of cancer survivors, the need for cardio-oncology services has become much more pronounced. Chest radiation, conventional chemotherapies, and newer agents such as immune checkpoint inhibitors can contribute to the development of cardiovascular conditions such as coronary artery disease, peripheral arterial events, deep vein thrombosis, atrial fibrillation, and even heart failure. As newer oncologic therapies continue to prove more successful, cardiologists must monitor and care for the patient’s heart—often before, during, and long after their cancer treatments.
We have pioneered this niche medical subspecialty since 2012, participating in much of the groundbreaking research and protocol implementation aimed at minimizing cardiovascular impact in people with cancer.
To refer a patient, please call 202-360-6367 (Washington, D.C.) or 443-444-4700 (Baltimore).
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Sports and performance cardiology
Our Sports and Performance Cardiology Program is one of only a few in the country to offer specialized services that combine sports medicine and cardiology. We care for general cardiology patients and elite athletes, alike, focusing on patients who are seeking to enhance cardiovascular performance or those returning to play after serious cardiac events. We also contribute to the management of complex conditions such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, helping patients exercise safely. In our state-of-the-art physiology lab, we conduct cardiopulmonary exercise testing in combination with traditional stress testing with spirometry. We have also expanded our use of advanced cardiac imaging techniques tailored specifically for athletes, including cardiac MRI and 3D echocardiography. These tools have proven invaluable in differentiating between physiological adaptations in athletes and potential pathological conditions.
We support a number of professional teams, including the Baltimore Orioles, Baltimore Ravens, and Washington Capitals. We are also the premier cardiovascular consultants for the University of Maryland athletics.
One of our most significant recent endeavors has been our involvement in Project Rampart, a comprehensive cardiac screening program targeting youth athletes in the city of Baltimore. This initiative, launched in collaboration with local schools and sports organizations, aims to identify and mitigate cardiac risks in young athletes before they become serious issues.
To engage our sports cardiology services, call 410-366-5600.
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Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Significant progress has been made in recent years regarding our understanding of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), leading to increased awareness of the condition and advances in the management and prevention of complications. Our program offers expertise in the latest guidelines and therapies.
We are one of the few certified programs to provide mavacamten, a novel cardiac myosin inhibitor shown to improve quality of life and exercise tolerance, reduction of symptoms, and favorable hemodynamic effects for adults with a specific symptom profile and subset of HCM. Only available under a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy, patients must be precisely diagnosed, and regularly titrated, educated, and monitored. The next front is our participation in the ACACIA-HCM clinical trial, currently underway to study the effects of aficamten—a next-in-class cardiac myosin inhibitor—on the quality of life, exercise capacity, and clinical outcomes of patients with symptomatic nonobstructive HCM.
For information on our HCM specialty care, please call
202-877-2183 (Washington, D.C.) or 410-554-6550 (Baltimore). -
Cardiodiabetes clinic
Our cardiodiabetes clinic is designed to provide integrated, coordinated care for patients with type 2 diabetes and related cardiovascular and renal comorbidities, as well as those with risk factors such as high blood sugar, hypertension, elevated cholesterol levels, and excessive belly fat. Based at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore, the clinic provides patients with rapid access to critical services, including cardiologists, endocrinologists, dietitians, and pharmacists. There is also a convenient referral system in place to ensure each patient’s primary cardiologist stays closely connected to their care plan.
To refer a patient to the cardiodiabetes clinic, call 410-554-4511.
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Preventive cardiology
The field of preventive cardiology is a growing subspecialty of cardiovascular medicine dedicated to the primordial, primary, and secondary prevention of all cardiovascular diseases. Our program seeks to identify, address, and ultimately lower patients' risk of cardiovascular events. We provide personalized dietary and exercise guidance, and utilize imaging, biomarkers and genetic testing, when appropriate, to understand risk and allocate pharmacotherapy. We see patients with various dyslipidemias including familial hypercholesterolemia, statin intolerance, elevated lipoprotein(a), elevated coronary calcium scores (CAC), hypertension, resistant hypertension, and cardiometabolic disease with a focus on evidence based GLP-1 receptor agonists.
To refer a patient for services, please call 202-444-5111.
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Pulmonary hypertension
The historically poor outcomes associated with pulmonary hypertension (PH) are largely based on an era when fewer treatment options were available. Today, we have diagnostic thresholds that enable us to confirm the condition and begin therapy earlier, as well as many advances in delineating the cause of PH, risk stratifying the patients, and therapeutic management. Though there remains no cure, we offer an array of oral, inhaled, and parenteral medications to optimize quality of life and prevent right heart failure and death, including the newly approved sotatercept-csrk and macitentan/tadalafil for pulmonary arterial hypertension.
Our multidisciplinary cardiology and pulmonary team offers the benefit of shared perspectives and interdisciplinary collaboration.
To request a consult or screening for your patient, call 202-877-2339 (Washington D.C.) or 410-554-6550 (Baltimore).
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Cardiogenetics
Cardiogenetics has become standard-of-care in many of our cardiovascular services. With the increasing number of inherited diseases, it plays an important role in the comprehensive management of our patients and their families.
Reasons for referral may include:
- Idiopathic cardiomyopathy.
- Aortopathy (history of aortic aneurysm or dissection younger than 65).
- Suspicious arrhythmia, suggesting Brugada or long QT syndrome.
- Diagnosis of heart failure at age 40 or younger.
- Fainting or palpitations during exercise.
- Multiple family members with the same heart condition.
- Sudden, unexpected death in the family due to heart disease.
- Personal history of sudden cardiac arrest.
- Congenital heart disease.
- Peripartum cardiomyopathy.
- High cholesterol or lipid disorders.
- Family history of coronary artery disease.
To schedule a genetic counseling appointment, call 202-877-4698. To discuss patient candidacy for testing, call 202-877-GENE (4363).
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Palliative care
Our palliative care team has pioneered a fully embedded model not broadly seen at other centers. Comprised of physicians, advanced practice providers, social workers, chaplains, and clinical pharmacists, we see highly complex patients across the cardiology spectrum—complex from both a physiological and an emotional standpoint. The service is collaborative and flexible, allowing for changes in prognosis over the course of a patient’s life—truly embodying the ‘continuity of care’ concept.
Services may include:
- Longitudinal supportive care for patients receiving advanced heart failure therapies.
- Acute and chronic pain management around major surgical procedures.
- Ongoing management of dyspnea, weakness, and fatigue.
- Dealing with emotional health challenges.
- Advanced care planning.
- Caregiver support.
- Assistance with complex medical decision-making.
- Automatic engagement with any patient who is on ECMO or in the CVICU for four days or more.
Cardiovascular critical care
Our highest-acuity patients benefit from the deep expertise and state-of-the-art technology available in our Cardiovascular Intensive Care Units and Cardiovascular Recovery Rooms. Intensivists, advanced practice providers, and nurses are cross trained in general critical care and cardiovascular care, ensuring that all nuanced needs of these complex medical and post-operative patients will be well-managed, 24/7.
Our care model is holistic and family focused, and interdisciplinary rounds are done with the patient’s caregivers and loved ones. Palliative care is fully integrated, ensuring all available means of comfort and support are provided. Whether a patient is in our CVICUs long term or for just a few hours, we prioritize communication and person-centered care.
In 2024, MedStar Washington Hospital Center was recognized as having the seventh lowest death rate for heart attack patients in the country, according to data collected in the CMS “Complications and Deaths-Hospital” database, due in part to the expertise of ICU teams.
Specialized, comprehensive care team
The particular challenges of cardiovascular patients, who often have multiple comorbidities, require a uniquely skilled care team. Our advanced practice providers, nurses, anesthesiologists, and hospitalists specialize in and are dedicated to the precise needs of this specific population. This team is foundational to achieving safe, successful, and satisfied patient outcomes.
Advanced cardiovascular imaging
Our cardiovascular imaging program conducts among the highest volumes of imaging studies in the country and offers the most sophisticated technology available, including:
- Transthoracic echocardiography.
- Transesophageal echocardiography.
- Stress echocardiography.
- Cardiac MRI, including quantitative stress perfusion.
- Cardiac CT, including CT fractional flow reserve (FFR).
- Nuclear cardiac stress test.
- Quantitative perfusion cardiac stress PET.
- Cardiac PET for sarcoidosis.
- Technetium pyrophosphate (PYP) imaging technology.
Regardless of where the study is performed in the MedStar Health system, the images are read by our advanced cardiovascular imaging specialists, providing accurate and consistent interpretation.
Renowned imaging experts offer referral services throughout the region. If you have an image that you would like to discuss, you may upload it to: MedStarImageShare.com.
Cardiovascular research
Ron Waksman, MD
Director Cardiovascular Research and
Advanced Education
John Wang, MD
Scientific Director Cardiovascular Research, Baltimore region
A defining focus of MedStar Health is our commitment to advancing medicine through research. In the most recent fiscal year, we published approximately 244 articles in peer-reviewed journals. Our many ongoing clinical trials are aimed at providing our patients with the best diagnostic and treatment options available
The MedStar Cardiovascular Research Network is comprised of world-renowned investigators, basic and translational scientists, research nurses, technicians, sonographers, and support staff, and enhanced by our cardiovascular core laboratories, academic Clinical Research Organization, and pre-clinical evaluation.
We have long collaborated with the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, as well as industry and academic institutions, to stay on the forefront of innovation.
Visit MedStarHealth.org/Clinical-Trials to view active studies.
Graduate medical education
MedStar Health is one of the largest institutional sponsors of graduate medical education in the country. Our cardiovascular fellows gain experience at four diverse medical centers in the Washington, D.C. region, and often participate in pioneering research and clinical trials.
Continuing medical education
In addition to our regularly scheduled weekly series, we offer year-round opportunities for clinicians and trainees from across the globe to connect and learn. Virtual case reviews, in-person symposia, and our annual Cardiovascular Research Technologies (CRT) conference— one of the largest of its kind—offer access to leading experts in all cardiovascular specialties, as well as the latest research and cutting-edge techniques.
We invite you to learn more at:
MedSTAR Transport
MedSTAR Transport service is the region’s most established and has set national standards for over 40 years. With our own fleet of helicopters and critical-care ambulances, you can rely on us to coordinate all transfer details for your patient in a prompt, streamlined, and experienced manner. We manage the vital communications and tertiary-level healthcare during transport, removing barriers to accessing our heart and vascular care. Flights are staffed with critical-care personnel based on the patient’s needs, and offer options such as ECMO, IABP, LVAS, and pressure control ventilation. Our geographic reach spans Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, and Pennsylvania.
Nancy and Harold Zirkin Heart & Vascular Hospital
Located on the campus of MedStar Washington Hospital Center, the Nancy and Harold Zirkin Heart & Vascular Hospital is a contemporary facility that brings together cardiovascular specialists, accessible outpatient clinics, modern in-patient units, and state-of-the-art CVICUs—all for the convenience and superior care of our patients. On the historic campus of MedStar Washington, this hub provides patients with an intimate and navigable space to receive all levels of their cardiovascular care.
The Nancy and Harold Zirkin Heart & Vascular Hospital was named to recognize longtime Washingtonians Nancy and Harold Zirkin for their generosity and extraordinary philanthropic support.
Advanced heart failure
202-297-9307
Cardiac surgery
202-877-7464
Electrophysiology
202-877-7685
Interventional cardiology
202-877-5975
Vascular surgery
202-877-0275
MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center
Electrophysiology
301-877-5677
Interventional cardiology
301-877-5677
Vascular surgery
301-877-7353
To schedule procedures:
1-888-529-0200
or call the HeartLine:
410-554-2332
MedStar Union Memorial Hospital
To schedule procedures:
1-888-529-0200
or call the HeartLine:
410-554-2332