MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute Increases Regional Cardiovascular Presence as MedStar Union Memorial Hospital Enters Unique Alliance With Cleveland Clinic

BALTIMORE, MD--(Marketwired - Nov 18, 2014) - MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital announced today it has entered into a groundbreaking clinical and research alliance with the world renowned Cleveland Clinic Sydell and Arnold Miller Family Heart & Vascular Institute.

The announcement came as MedStar Union Memorial Hospital celebrates 160 years of caring for patients in Baltimore, and the 20^th anniversary of its heart program.

Under this alliance, the two organizations have agreed to share best practices related to patient care, outcomes measurement, quality reporting and clinical research. This collaborative exchange among leading heart care providers means that patients throughout the mid-Atlantic region will benefit from an exceptional and unmatched level of heart and vascular care.

"MedStar Union Memorial Hospital's history of excellence in heart care has been well established in this region over the past twenty years," said Brad Chambers, president of MedStar Union Memorial Hospital and Senior Vice President for MedStar Health. "I am very proud of the dedication and commitment demonstrated by our clinicians and associates that put us in the national arena for heart health. We are looking forward to collaborating and creating the future of heart and vascular care, with the nation's premier heart program."

The alliance with Cleveland Clinic is not new to MedStar Health. In January 2013, MedStar President and CEO Ken Samet and Cleveland Clinic CEO Toby Cosgrove, M.D., announced the system's initial alliance between then-MedStar Heart Institute at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and Cleveland Clinic Sydell and Arnold Miller Family Heart and Vascular Institute. Under the leadership of Stuart F. Seides, MD, Physician Executive Director of MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute, that alliance, which included four MedStar hospitals in the southern region, paved the way for this accomplishment in Baltimore. Dr. Seides teamed with Mr. Chambers and the hospital's heart care experts and physician leadership teams to elevate this renowned heart care program, and position MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute for future growth. 

"This alliance of two of the world's top heart programs speaks to the superior quality and enormous potential of the heart and vascular programs at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital and throughout MedStar Health," said Dr. Seides.

"Treating patients with cardiovascular disease is complex, and as new techniques and technologies come to the forefront it's important to deliver these new innovations quickly to patients," said Joseph Cacchione, M.D., Cardiologist and Chairman of Operations and Strategy at Cleveland Clinic's Heart & Vascular Institute. "This alliance with MedStar Union Memorial Hospital will help to meet that goal that in the mid-Atlantic region." 

Physician teams from both institutions will work together to accelerate improvements in heart care and research, to support even greater outcomes and clinical protocols. Patients throughout the mid-Atlantic region will benefit from an exceptional and unmatched level of heart and vascular care.

About MedStar Union Memorial Hospital
MedStar Union Memorial Hospital in northern Baltimore, has been caring for patients for 160 years. Its heart care program, established in 1994, has been consistently ranked among the top in the nation. A forerunner in clinical cardiac research, the hospital is among only a handful in Maryland to offer such advanced treatment as transradial cardiac catheterization (performed through the patient's wrist) and transcatheter aortic valve replacement, or TAVR, a valve replacement procedure performed through the groin, without open heart surgery. MedStar Union Memorial Hospital is the area's most experienced provider of beating heart bypass surgery and recently implanted the first subcutaneous implantable cardiac defibrillator, or S-ICD, in the state. MedStar Union Memorial was among the highest rated Maryland hospitals based on Consumer Reports rankings in 2013, and is the only hospital in Maryland to receive the Delmarva Foundation's highest honor, the Excellence Award for Quality for Hospitals, for six years in a row. MedStar Union Memorial has ranked among the nation's top 50 "Best Hospitals" by U.S. News & World Report, earning national recognition for seven consecutive years. Visit MedStarUnionMemorial.org . 

About MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute
MedStar Heart Institute, founded at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, is a national leader in the research, diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease, and has been the premier destination for cardiac care in the nation's capital for more than 55 years. U.S. News & World Report and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons consistently recognize the Washington region's preeminent heart program as one of the nation's best. Volumes in coronary artery bypass graft surgery and percutaneous coronary intervention are among the highest in the nation, according to UHC's Clinical Data Base. Nearly half of all coronary artery bypass surgeries are performed off-pump at the Heart Institute. This volume and experience, coupled with innovative technology, ensure patients receive leading-edge treatment and high-quality care from top cardiologists and cardiac surgeons whose outcomes are consistently above national averages. In addition, MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute has been at the forefront of leading-edge research and clinical trials, offering patients access to treatment alternatives that may otherwise be unavailable. Visit us at www.MedStarHeartInstitute.org.

About Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. U.S.News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation's best hospitals in its annual "America's Best Hospitals" survey. More than 3,000 full-time salaried physicians and researchers and 11,000 nurses represent 120 medical specialties and subspecialties. The Cleveland Clinic health system includes a main campus near downtown Cleveland, eight community hospitals, more than 75 Northern Ohio outpatient locations, including 16 full-service Family Health Centers, Cleveland Clinic Florida, the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas, Cleveland Clinic Canada, and, scheduled to begin seeing patients in 2015, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. In 2012, there were 5.1 million outpatient visits throughout the Cleveland Clinic health system and 157,000 hospital admissions. Patients came for treatment from every state and from more than 130 countries. Visit us at www.clevelandclinic.org. Follow us at www.twitter.com/ClevelandClinic.