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GEORGIA HEART INSTITUTE

Heart & Vascular Report

ABOUT GEORGIA HEART INSTITUTE Georgia Heart Institute is the most forward-thinking heart and vascular program in the state and one of the largest cardiology practices in the region. It includes more than 80 clinicians seeing patients at more than a dozen locations. With a multidisciplinary team of experts treating nearly every type of heart and vascular disease and participating in leading national research, we’re providing advanced care that ensures lasting heart health for generations.

The experts of Georgia Heart Institute also form the core of the cardiac care team at Northeast Georgia Medical Center’s five hospitals in Gainesville, Braselton, Winder, Dahlonega and Demorest. It’s all part of Northeast Georgia Health System, a non-profit which serves more than 1 million people across the region.

Georgia Heart Institute’s Fiscal Year (FY) for reporting data begins in October and ends in September of the following year. For Georgia Heart Institute’s FY 2024, this includes all volumes and outcomes for October 2023 through September 2024.

CONTENTS A Letter from Dr. Vik Reddy

“This is My Only Option”

3-6

Heart Failure Treatment & Recovery Center

7-8

Multidisciplinary Care in Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery

9-10

TEAVR: A First in Georgia

11-12

New Beginnings in a New Tower

13-14

When Seconds Count: Brad’s Cardiac Arrest Story

15-18

Advancements in Vascular Care

19-20

Structural Heart Center

21-22

Changing the AFib Treatment Landscape

23-24

Center for Complex Coronary Disease

25-26

Women’s Heart Center

27-28

Center For Cardiovascular Prevention, Metabolism & Lipids

29-30

Going With the Flow

31-32

Trailblazing In Clinical Trial Research

33-36

2024 Georgia Heart & Vascular Symposium

37-38

Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship Update

39-42

Education Update

43-44

By the Numbers

45-48

Growing for the Future

49-50

Directory

51-52

A LETTER FROM DR. VIK REDDY

I am excited to share with you the third Heart & Vascular Report from Georgia Heart Institute — the comprehensive heart and vascular service line of Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS). I hope in your reading of this report we can celebrate together the impact these providers are having on patients’ lives. NGHS launched Heart & Vascular Services over 65 years ago, and since then it has developed into a cardiac care destination for patients across the region, with 14 clinic locations and care at five hospitals. From our first diagnostic cath procedure in 1984, to our first robotic coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) in 2023 – our trajectory has been one of excellence and patient-first care since the beginning. We display this commitment to our patients by bringing clinical advancements to our scope of treatments, welcoming new physicians and advanced practice providers, and pioneering clinical trials and cardiovascular research. As you’ll read in the following pages, we are also leading the way in educating the next generation of cardiologists with the second-largest Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship program in Georgia. This year brings another exciting chapter as we move into the Green Tower, Northeast Georgia Medical Center Gainesville’s newest hospital wing and the new home of our inpatient cardiology units, cath and EP labs. You can read more about this development on page 13. We’re looking forward to how this space will help our team do even more to save lives and elevate our patient care. None of this could be done without the meaningful work of our physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, technologists and administrators. They strive to bring their best each day to provide unparalleled care to patients like Jan, Brian and Bill, whose stories you’ll read in the following pages. I share in their gratitude for the hard work and compassion that Georgia Heart Institute’s medical and administrative staff bring every day so we can continue our mission of improving the health of the community in all that we do. Sincerely,

Vik Reddy, MD, MHSA Chief Clinical Officer Northeast Georgia Health System

‘THIS IS MY ONLY OPTION’ HEART FAILURE

PATIENT EMBRACES SECOND CHANCE THANKS TO LVAD IMPLANT

After being implanted with her life-saving LVAD, Jan Leakey picked out a pretty strap to make the equipment look like a purse.

“I remember hearing the helicopter.” Thumpthump-thump, like a heartbeat. “But after that, I don’t remember.” Jan Leakey credits her best friend, Pam Russell, with saving her life. Pam insisted that Jan go to the urgent care center in Clayton when she was feeling ill. It turned out Jan was having a heart attack. By the time she arrived via life flight at Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) Gainesville, Jan had been revived seven times. “Everyone asked me if I saw a bright light,” said Jan. “But God didn’t want me just yet. He didn’t open that door for me.” “She’s lucky to be alive given the amount of support she needed early on,” said Kyle Thompson, MD, a cardiothoracic surgeon with Northeast Georgia Physicians Group Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery, an integral part of Georgia Heart Institute. “She pretty much went through every heart support device we have available at this hospital. She is very fortunate, and she did great.” LIFE SUPPORT Back in November 2022, Jan didn’t feel like herself. “I was having shortness of breath walking across a room and thought, ‘That’s not normal,’” she said. “I was concerned I had COVID or pneumonia.” A trip to a different urgent care center turned into a stay at a hospital in Metro Atlanta as Jan was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. Jan was prescribed stabilizing medications that worked only for about five months before her fateful life flight to NGMC Gainesville. Dr. Thompson and the surgical team at NGMC Gainesville stabilized Jan with an Impella 5.5 heart pump. Then, they put her on venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) to relieve stress on Jan’s heart. Jan remained in the intensive care unit for weeks following her heart attack. “There were a lot of machines going,” said Jan. “I thought I’d hear beeping the rest of my life. I remember the people — the nurses and the doctors were the best. I’ve never felt that kind of love.” A LONG-TERM SOLUTION While the Impella and ECMO saved Jan’s life for the time being, Dr. Thompson was thinking long-term. Would Jan be a candidate for an LVAD? An LVAD, or left ventricular assist device, is a pump placed in the lower left chamber of the heart. About the size of a quarter, it helps pump blood out of the heart and put it back into the bloodstream. Essentially, an LVAD is an artificial left side of the heart powered by an external battery pack.

“This was foreign to me. I had never heard about an LVAD. I had never seen anyone with an LVAD,” said Jan. “Five nurses came into my room, and it was like a counseling session. They asked, ‘Do you have any questions about this?’ And they explained, ‘This is how it will be living with an LVAD.’ They were straightforward about it. I said, ‘I can do this. This is my only option.’” ‘A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE’ On May 1, 2023, Dr. Thompson and the team took Jan back for surgery to insert the LVAD. “I remember I really felt peace about it,” Jan said. “When I think about it now, I should have been nervous, but I felt a real peace because of Dr. Thompson and the nurses. I felt like everybody was on my side.” “We’re one of the few centers in the state of Georgia that offers left ventricular assist devices,” said Dr. Thompson. “We’re the only ones in this region. We could provide her an option that many other places wouldn’t have.” After all she had been through, Jan astonished everyone by striding through the hospital corridors arm in arm with her beloved nurses just 24 hours after the operation. It was a breathtaking testament to her strength and optimistic spirit. “I had that cute little heart pillow with me everywhere I went,” she said. “I was never thinking, ‘Oh, I’ve been here for weeks!’ It wasn’t dreadful. They knew what they were doing, and they knew how to handle people like me. It was a wonderful experience.” Recovery lasted two more weeks, allowing Jan to regain her strength before heading home. “I was excited about going home, but I didn’t want to leave because I knew it was going to be a big challenge, with a lot of changes and a different routine,” she said. Jan’s daily walks became more frequent and invigorating. She started with short, leisurely strolls around the yard, gradually extending her routes through her neighborhood in Stone Mountain. She’s back working in her garden, as long as it’s not too hot. She is also back driving again and she has no restrictions on her activities. Ever the optimist, Jan learned to embrace the LVAD as her new fashion accessory. “I got a pretty strap to make me feel better, like the ones for purses,” said Jan. “When I start talking to people, they say, ‘Oh, I thought that was just your pocketbook.’ I don’t think people notice it as much as I think they do.”

Keep reading to learn more about the Heart Failure Treatment & Recovery Center. >>

LVAD SUCCESS The left ventricular assist device (LVAD) program overseen by Georgia Heart Institute at Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) Gainesville has implanted 67 patients since 2018. In fiscal year 2024, a record 18 patients received LVAD implants.

Ugochukwu Egolum, MD, is LVAD program director for Georgia Heart Institute.

NGMC Gainesville and Georgia Heart Institute celebrate the LVAD program and its positive impact each Valentine’s Day, February 14, with a VADentine’s Day Patient Celebration. After a reception with cake and hors d’ouevres, a panel of patients share their experiences in the hospital auditorium to an audience of staff and loved ones.

HEART FAILURE TREATMENT & RECOVERY CENTER It was an award-winning year for the Heart Failure Treatment & Recovery Center, giving patients and referring physicians even more confidence in the quality of heart failure care at Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC). The center celebrated winning the American Heart Association (AHA) Get With The Guidelines Gold Plus Achievement Award at NGMC’s Braselton and Gainesville campuses. This is the highest award attainable from the AHA, and it was the first year that both hospital campuses were eligible to receive it. “This award is a testament to the quality of care our physicians, advanced practice providers and clinical staff have offered patients for years,” said Vikram Raje, DO, FACC, FSCAI, interim medical director of the Heart Failure Treatment & Recovery Center. “We are committed to implementing innovative, research-proven, state-of-the-art management strategies for our patients with heart failure so we can lead them on a path to recovery.”

In addition to award-winning care, the Heart Failure Treatment & Recovery Center has grown in services and treatments. The Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) Program in collaboration with Northeast Georgia Physicians Group (NGPG) Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery completed a program-record number of implants, placing 18 devices in FY 2024. Based on yearly volumes, Northeast Georgia Health System is among the top 15 non-transplant programs in the country. Additionally, the team completed the first durable LVAD implant from extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support with successful survivability.

To learn more about the Heart Failure Treatment & Recovery Center or to refer a patient, visit georgiaheartinstitute.org/heart-failure

“This award is a testament to the quality of care our physicians, advanced practice providers and clinical staff have offered patients for years.” Heart Failure Outcomes – FY24 AHRQ Inpatient Quality Indicator Heart Failure Mortality:

1.73% National Benchmark:

11.8% Heart Failure Readmission Rate:

HF Geometric Length of Stay:

19.3% 3.87

National Benchmark: (Risk Adjusted 2023, Isolated CABG Only)

Days

Goal: 5.10 Days

23%

MULTIDISCIPLINARY CARE IN CARDIOVASCULAR & THORACIC SURGERY

Grounded in a legacy of excellence with a commitment to the highest standards of care, Northeast Georgia Physicians Group (NGPG) Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery, an integral part of Georgia Heart Institute, is evolving into a new era of cardiac surgery. The team is adopting a collaborative heart team-based approach, bridging across specialty lines to provide patients with the best treatment options available. Working closely with the interventional cardiologists at Georgia Heart Institute, the surgeons hold TAVR Clinic each week to consult on cases and determine whether the patient is a better candidate for a cardiac cath procedure or surgery. Additionally, Sloane Guy, MD, MBA, FACS, FACC, director of robotic and minimally invasive surgery, works closely with the interventional cardiologists in the Mitral Valve Clinic to identify the best course of treatment for patients with mitral valve disease. Using a novel, team-based approach provides personalized treatment options for patients needing a valve repair or replacement.

The surgeons also participate in a multidisciplinary care team approach in other areas. Karen Gersch, MD, FACC, FACS, cares for patients in the Lung Nodule Clinic with medical oncologists, radiation oncologists and pulmonologists to identify and treat lung cancer using advanced technology. In partnership with the heart failure cardiologists at the Heart Failure Treatment & Recovery Center, R. Kyle Thompson, MD, surgical director of advanced heart failure, implanted a program record number of left ventricular assistance devices (LVADs) this year to offer mechanical support to patients in some of the most advanced heart failure cases. “Our collaboration with cardiologists, oncologists, vascular surgeons, pulmonologists and other clinicians is paramount to our ability to provide the highest quality of care to patients,” said Dr. Hastings. “Our highest priority is to ensure we’re offering the optimal treatment plans to save and improve patient lives.”

“This collaboration gives our patients even more confidence that they are receiving a treatment plan specific to their needs,” said Clifton Hastings, MD, FACS, medical director of NGPG Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery. “By bringing together the expertise of both our surgeons and interventionalists, we can confidently tell patients, ‘We believe this is the best procedure or surgery to improve your quality of life.’”

To refer a patient to the comprehensive cardiac surgery program at Georgia Heart Institute, visit georgiaheartinstitute.org/heart-surgery

Heart Failure Outcomes — FY24 Coronary Artery Bypass Grafts (CABG):

384

Aortic Valve Repairs & Replacements*:

Operative Mortality Rate:

94 2.68%

Mitral Valve Repairs & Replacements*:

Robotic Cardiac & Thoracic Surgeries:

201

National Benchmark: (Risk Adjusted 2023, Isolated CABG Only)

2.48%

Includes robotic and open surgeries.

TEAVR A FIRST IN GEORGIA

A Habersham County firefighter/paramedic is back on the job after getting a new heart valve in a robotic surgery that was the first of its kind ever done in Georgia. Brian Mills underwent a totally endoscopic aortic valve replacement (TEAVR) at Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) Gainesville, and he was able to go home just 48 hours later. Brian had a leaky aortic valve which was discovered when he became sick with a high fever caused by underlying endocarditis. Sloane Guy, MD, MBA, FACS, FACC, director of robotic and minimally invasive surgery at Northeast Georgia Physicians Group (NGPG) Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery, determined that Brian needed an aortic valve replacement. Dr. Guy chose to conduct the procedure using the Da Vinci surgical robot. An open approach to an aortic valve replacement is typically followed by a months-long recovery. For Brian, a TEAVR at NGMC Gainesville with much smaller incisions allowed him to go home just 48 hours later. “Aortic valve replacement has been done with sternotomy and through minimally invasive procedures with thoracotomy,” Dr. Guy said. “Those are great operations, but my life’s obsession has been to make incisions smaller and smaller and help patients recover as quickly as possible.”

In 2023, Dr. Guy completed Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) Gainesville’s first robotic heart surgery — an endoscopic mitral valve repair. The practice has now expanded its robotic heart surgery offerings to include robotic aortic valve replacements and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgeries, giving patients a minimally invasive option with smaller scars and faster recovery times. For Brian, that meant that he was back at work much faster, saving other people’s lives. “We did our annual physical training test after my surgery and it was really crazy how quickly I recover after exertion now,” Brian said. “It’s pretty amazing. Even the person doing the vital signs before and after said, ‘Wow, you recovered quicker than anybody!’ I said, ‘Well, there’s some new hardware in there. It probably does work a little better.’” To learn more about robotic heart and thoracic surgery at Georgia Heart Institute, visit georgiaheartinstitute.org/robotic-surgery

Brian Mills, a paramedic firefighter lieutenant with Habersham County Emergency Services, underwent the first totally endoscopic aortic valve replacement ever performed in the state of Georgia. His wife, Autumn, is a pediatric nurse practitioner with Northeast Georgia Physicians Group.

NEW BEGINNINGS IN A NEW TOWER Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) Gainesville’s newest capital project, the Green Tower, is now open and serving the heart and vascular needs of the community and surrounding areas. The 663,000-square-foot, 11-story tower is home to a new emergency department, eight new operating rooms, four cardiac catheterization labs, three electrophysiology labs and two endovascular operating rooms (EVOR).

The helipad connects to a dedicated trauma and STEMI elevator to get patients quickly to life-saving services. Previously, the hospital’s helipad was on campus, but a short ambulance ride away from the emergency department. This improvement provides better access to Level I trauma services, cardiac catheterization labs and operating rooms.

The Green Tower centralizes NGMC Gainesville’s heart and vascular services and expands cardiac imaging services for patients, including an additional PET/CT scanner, a dedicated cardiac CT scanner and a space for cardiac viability and cardiac sarcoidosis evaluations.

“The helipad is going to improve the life-saving care we offer by improving our average door-to-balloon time,” said Glen Henry, MD, director of Interventional Cardiology and Cardiac Cath Labs. “As one of the hospitals treating the most heart attacks in the state, we know how important it is to have efficient transitions in care between our EMS partners and cath lab teams.”

“This new tower embodies our vision to provide an unmatched level of heart and vascular care to our patients,” said Vik Reddy, MD, chief clinical officer of Northeast Georgia Health System. “It’s amazing to see the heart care at NGMC evolve from the first diagnostic cardiac cath 40 years ago, to all that we’re offering this community today.”

NGMC Gainesville is a Level I Trauma Center and Emergency Cardiac Care Center, offering the highest level of care to patients experiencing a cardiac event. NGMC Gainesville is the single largest STEMI site in Georgia and in 2024, according to US News and World Report, treated the most acute myocardial infarctions of any hospital in the state.

One of the biggest highlights of the tower can’t be seen from the inside — it’s on the roof. A rooftop helipad was included in the project, thanks to appropriated congressional funds to help with construction costs.

The tower also increases inpatient cardiac bed space by 14%, with more beds in the Heart Failure Unit, the CVICU, step-down and coronary care units. To learn more about emergency cardiac care at Georgia Heart Institute, visit georgiaheartinstitute.org/ECCC

STEMI Volumes & Outcomes — FY24

STEMI Alert Activations:

450

Average Door-to-Balloon Time:

55Min PCI:

1,881 Stents Placed:

3,356 Coronary IVUS/FFR:

2,408

Rural Medicine Expansion

Now even more patients in northeast Georgia have access to the advanced cardiovascular medicine offered by Georgia Heart Institute as new offices have opened and new treatments are being offered in rural areas. Last year, Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS) opened a new medical office building in Winder, now home to a Georgia Heart Institute clinic. Additionally, Northeast Georgia Physicians Group Vascular Center, an integral part of Georgia Heart Institute, expanded its clinic locations to include Dawsonville, bringing comprehensive vascular care to a growing area. Expanded treatment options are also now available in Blairsville, including stress testing and echocardiograms. To learn more about all 14 of Georgia Heart Institute’s locations, visit georgiaheartinstitute.org

WHEN SECONDS COUNT BRAD’S CARDIAC ARREST STORY

“I was playing 3-on-3 basketball with a bunch of 14 and 15-year-olds. I don’t know if we won or not, but I do know I made an impression.”

What was meant to be an enjoyable trip to a youth camp in the north Georgia mountains quickly turned into an urgent and unexpected experience for Brad Ramsay, a small group leader at North Point Community Church. “I was playing 3-on-3 basketball with a bunch of 14 and 15-year-olds,” said Brad as he reflected on the day of the event. “I don’t know if we won or not, but I do know I made an impression.” Brad collapsed on the basketball court in cardiac arrest and lost his pulse. Fortunately, a member of the church’s staff, who was also an EMS first responder, was able to secure an AED. He shocked Brad’s heart back into rhythm three different times and maintained CPR until local EMS and fire personnel arrived on the scene. LIFESAVING EMERGENCY CARE Brad was rushed to Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) Gainesville where Falgun Patel, MD, an interventional cardiologist at Georgia Heart Institute, took Brad to the cardiac cath lab and discovered he had multiple blockages and cardiogenic shock. After his assessment, Dr. Patel continued with an IABP to stabilize Brad into transient care until he was ready for bypass surgery. “I saw Brad unconscious being loaded into the ambulance and followed behind to the hospital,” said Michele, Brad’s wife. “I sat in the waiting room for what felt like hours, but I’m sure it wasn’t. The next time I saw Brad, he was in recovery.” Once his heart was able to recover from multiple shocks, prolonged CPR and the inserted IABP, Brad underwent a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery to correct the severe three-vessel coronary disease that was discovered in the cath lab. Clifton Hastings, MD, a cardiothoracic surgeon with Northeast Georgia Physicians Group (NGPG)

Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery, a proud partner of Georgia Heart Institute, met with Brad and Michele beforehand to assure them of a promising outlook. “Dr. Hastings came and told me that Brad was in good hands and he’d done over 6,000 of these procedures,” recalled Michele. “He let us know that things looked positive and there was no reason to not expect a full recovery.” THE VALUE OF BYSTANDER CPR NGMC Gainesville is a Level 1 Emergency Cardiac Care Center — the first one to be established in the state. This means that a patient in an acute cardiac event has comprehensive treatments available to save their life — from interventional cardiac cath procedures to heart and vascular surgeries. While the care available at the hospital is critical, bystander CPR and first responders are vital to a good outcome. “The first responders at the scene to start CPR immediately was key to saving Mr. Ramsay’s life,” said Dr. Hastings. “There are times when you can shock people back into a rhythm, but if they have been without CPR, they can have a lot of brain damage. Mr. Ramsay was able to stabilize and recover with no neurological damage because of all the great work that was done in the field.” “I told Dr. Hastings, ‘Thank you for the day that you decided to become a doctor,’” said Michele. “Because that decision he made decades earlier was instrumental in saving Brad’s life.” To learn more about or refer a patient to NGPG Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery, call 770-219-7099 or visit georgiaheartinstitute.org/heart-surgery

Michelle and Brad Ramsay attended the 2024 Georgia Heart & Vascular Symposium, where they were reunited with heart surgeon Clifton Hastings, MD, (at bottom, far left) and the first responders who treated him at the scene of his cardiac arrest.

Watch Brad’s full story

ADVANCEMENTS IN VASCULAR CARE The surgeons at Northeast Georgia Physicians Group (NGPG) Vascular Center, an integral part of Georgia Heart Institute, continue to make technological advancements and expand their already comprehensive program.

who performed the first Esprit BTK procedure at Northeast Georgia Medical Center Gainesville. “We’re excited to offer our patients the latest technological advancements to treat conditions that might otherwise leave patients without their lower leg.”

In 2024, in the first such case performed at a hospital in north Georgia, the center implanted a patient with a new limb-saving device called Esprit BTK. This new technology provides a new level of care to patients with severe peripheral artery disease (PAD), helping to reduce pain, promote wound healing and save limbs from amputation

The center was also the first in the region to perform the GORE EXCLUDER thoracoabdominal branch endoprosthesis (TAMBE) procedure, which treats complex abdominal aortic aneurysms involving the visceral vessels percutaneously. This recently FDA-approved treatment gives an alternative option for patients who are not optimal candidates for an open surgery.

More than 20 million Americans have some form of PAD. Chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) is a severe form of PAD that occurs when arteries become clogged with plaque. This prevents blood and oxygen from reaching the lower leg and foot. People living with CLTI experience extreme pain and open wounds that don’t heal. Some patients must have their leg or foot amputated.

In addition to advancements in technology and treatments, the team also welcomed a new surgeon, William Zickler, MD. Dr. Zickler recently completed his vascular and endovascular surgery fellowship at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York.

“This device represents a step forward in the care of our patients, supporting healing while reducing the risk of long-term complications,” said James Reeves, MD, a vascular surgeon with NGPG Vascular Center

NGPG Vascular Center currently sees patients in Gainesville, Braselton, Buford, Blairsville, Toccoa and Dawsonville. To learn more about the comprehensive care of NGPG Vascular Center and to refer a patient, visit georgiaheartinstitute.org/vascular

James Reeves, MD, is a vascular surgeon with NGPG Vascular Center.

Vascular Surgery Procedures – FY24 Percutaneous Vascular Procedures:

Open Vascular Procedures:

1,551 Vascular Testing:

2,378 33,090 20

STRUCTURAL HEART CENTER

Patients and physicians can now have even more confidence in the quality and scope of care offered by the Structural Heart Center at Georgia Heart Institute. The center is now offering enhanced treatments and services, and it welcomed a highly skilled physician to the team. The center began offering BASILICA, an electrosurgery technique used to lacerate the aortic valve leaflet in patients with prohibitive or high risks of coronary obstruction during transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). They also implemented LAMPOON, another electrosurgery technique used to lacerate the anterior mitral valve leaflet in patients susceptible to left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction undergoing transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR). Additionally, the center launched transcatheter treatments for congenital and acquired heart defects, such as fistula repairs, patent ductus arteriosus, ventricular septal defect (VSD) repairs and paravalvular leak repairs and closures. The program also expanded its aortic catheter valve options by adding Navitor, bringing the total number of valve options offered to three and allowing the procedure to be customized to the patient’s needs.

Georgia Heart Institute was also the first commercial-use site for the PASCAL TMVR system in Georgia and the first in the U.S. to use TriClip for a tricuspid valve repair. And that’s not all the Structural Heart Center has been up to — they also hired a new physician, Marc Allard-Ratick, MD, who joined the team in August 2024. Dr. Ratick received his medical degree and completed his residency at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, followed by fellowships in cardiovascular disease, interventional cardiology and structural heart interventions at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. “It’s exciting to track the growth of our Structural Heart program over the last three years since we started it in 2021,” said Ronnie Ramadan, MD, FACC, FSCAI, medical director of the Structural Heart Center. “We’re offering new technologies and techniques that can greatly improve a patient’s cardiac health and quality of life.” To learn more about the Structural Heart Center, visit georgiaheartinstitute.org/structural

Structural Heart Procedures – FY24 TAVR:

TEER:

TMVR:

ASD,ASA & PFO:

Total Structural Heart Procedures:

210 110 8 60 548

CHANGING THE AFIB TREATMENT LANDSCAPE In August 2024, Georgia Heart Institute’s electrophysiology teams at Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) Gainesville and Braselton conducted the practice’s first pulsed field ablations (PFA), led by Stephen Prater, MD. This new technology is changing the landscape of catheter ablations, typically conducted by cauterizing arrhythmogenic tissue with pinpoint-sized lesions. The area of the heart that needs to be ablated to treat atrial fibrillation (AFib) effectively is much larger. PFA is unique from previous AFib treatments because it uses pulsed electrical currents — without using heat — to destroy cardiac tissue. It also allows the electrophysiologist to target a larger area of the heart at one time. The device is cardio-selective, meaning it targets heart muscle without damaging arteries, nerves or adjacent structures, such as the esophagus. This approach allows for faster procedure times and a lower rate of major complications that come with other types of ablations.

“We can do this now in an hour and a half versus what used to be over three hours,” said Dr. Prater. “We’re excited to have this technology that’s changing AFib treatment worldwide.” In addition to new technology, the electrophysiologists at Georgia Heart Institute are also improving upon seasoned treatments. The team offers conduction system pacing (CSP) at increased volumes in cases where left bundle branch pacing is needed. “These new tools help us deliver pacing leads into the ventricle which allows us to capture the conduction system and pace the heart in a way similar to how the heart is normally activated without pacing present,” said Joon Ahn, MD, interim director of Electrophysiology. “We’re continuously improving our care so we can offer patients the best possible treatments for their condition.” To learn more about Georgia Heart Institute’s electrophysiology program, visit georgiaheartinstitute.org/EP

Electrophysiology Procedures — FY24

Implants:

Lead Extractions:

349 AFib Ablations:

1,141 233

LAAO (Watchman & Amulet):

125

Non-AFib Ablations:

209 EP Studies:

CENTER FOR COMPLEX CORONARY DISEASE The Center for Complex Coronary Disease is quickly developing into a center of reference and expertise for complex coronary interventions which are needed for patients who aren’t good candidates for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and those who have had a prior bypass surgery and have a recurrent blockage.

blockages and bring a multidisciplinary approach between interventionalists and cardiac surgeons to give patients the best treatment option that fits their case. The center will also provide procedures to cover quaternary care, such as myocardial bridge unroofing and treatment for microvascular disease (MVD) and vasospasms.

The center’s team conducted two live complex coronary cases this year — one at the ARCH Consortium in St. Louis, Missouri, and another at the MLCTO Middle East meeting in Cairo, Egypt. In 2025, the center will conduct a live case at the annual Cardiovascular Research Technologies (CRT) meeting in Washington, D.C.

“At Northeast Georgia Physicians Group Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, we see our collaboration with our interventional cardiology teammates as complementary — not competitive — to our work,” said Sloane Guy, MD, MBA, FACS, FACC, director of minimally invasive and robotic cardiac surgery. “As a surgeon who is solely focused on helping my patients find the best option for their unique case, it is ideal to work closely with highly trained interventionalists if that’s the solution that will give the patient the most optimal outcome and quality of life.””As a surgeon who is solely focused on helping my patients find the best option for their unique case, it is ideal to work closely with highly trained interventionalists if that’s the solution that will give the patient the most optimal outcome and quality of life.”

“We are becoming a reference point for knowledge translation in the complex coronary space,” said Stéphane Rinfret, MD, SM, FRCP(C), FSCAI, FACC, medical director of the Center for Complex Coronary Disease. “The goal of sharing our clinical knowledge through international conferences is to help physicians provide the best possible care to their patients.” The center is now a part of a larger, novel program at Georgia Heart Institute — Treating Refractory Angina and Ischemia for Life (TRAIL). This center will focus on patients across the spectrum of coronary

To learn more about the Center for Complex Coronary Disease, visit georgiaheartinstitute.org/complex

Cardiologists and surgeons collaborate across subspecialties to provide personalized care for patients at Georgia Heart Institute. Glen Henry, MD, (at bottom left, center) is medical director of interventional cardiology and cath labs, and Stephane Rinfret, MD, (bottom right) is director of complex coronary interventions.

WOMEN’S HEART CENTER 27

In collaboration with HOPE for Georgia Moms, the Women’s Heart Center at Georgia Heart Institute is impacting cardiovascular care for pregnant and postpartum women on local and national fronts. Laura Divoky, MD, MPH, FACC, director of the Women’s Heart Center, was invited in June 2024 to speak to the Advisory Committee on Infant and Maternal Mortality (ACIMM) — an entity of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services — about an impactful opportunity to improve care for the treatment of gestational hypertension. “Both obstetrics and cardiology are striving to provide the best possible care for pregnant women,” said Dr. Divoky. “It comes down to a different interpretation in the same two pieces of literature by our specialties.” Dr. Divoky and the team at the Women’s Heart Center, in communication with the obstetrics clinicians at Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC), discovered that their respective specialties’ professional associations recommend a different threshold for treating hypertension in pregnant women, based on varied interpretations of the literature. One specialty recommends treating hypertension when blood pressure reaches 140 over 90, while the other recommends treating at 160 over 110. Additionally, other international medical organizations have different guidelines for treatment. Dr. Divoky was given the opportunity to bring awareness to this discrepancy at the ACIMM meeting and encourage closing the gap in the guideline recommendations on antihypertensive therapy for patients greater than 20 weeks’ gestation. “It was an honor to advocate for at-risk pregnant women and their infants at such a high level,” said Dr. Divoky. “At the end of the day, we all want to see pregnant women and their infants thrive. Closing the gap between the standards can help reach that end.” HOPE for Georgia Moms was established as the result of a $5 million grant awarded to NGMC’s Women and Children’s Services and Georgia Heart Institute by the HRSA to study and prevent cardiac disease among pregnant and postpartum women. The Women’s Heart Center is also screening all postpartum women at NGMC’s Gainesville, Braselton and Habersham campuses. In the future, the center’s goal is to collaborate with outpatient clinics in a multidisciplinary approach to broaden the cardiovascular screening scope for pregnant and postpartum women. To learn more about the work being done by the Women’s Heart Center, visit georgiaheartinstitute.org/womens

CENTER FOR CARDIOVASCULAR PREVENTION, METABOLISM & LIPIDS 29

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the leading cause of death in the United States is cardiovascular disease. The clinicians’ goal at Georgia Heart Institute’s Center for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention, Metabolism & Lipids is to care for patients on the front end to prevent cardiovascular disease before it starts.

& Lipids, gave a poster presentation titled “Descriptive Analysis of Patients at the Georgia Heart Institute Center for Cardiovascular Prevention, Metabolism, & Lipids,” at the 2024 NLA Sessions conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. Anna is a recipient of the NLA scholarship program and was the only dietitian selected for the 2023 class.

The center uses a comprehensive approach by incorporating a registered dietitian, exercise physiologist and cardiologist into a patient’s care plan. A treatment plan includes patient education about diet and exercise, support groups and advanced screenings. The center currently sees patients at Georgia Heart Institute’s locations in Buford, Cumming, Dawsonville and Gainesville.

Also, this year, Melissa Blasingame, FNP, joined the group as the center’s first dedicated advanced practice practitioner. Melissa earned her Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She has particular clinical interests in lipidology, familial chylomicronemia syndrome (FCS) and uncontrolled or statin-resistant cholesterol.

The physicians involved in the center are active members of the American Society for Preventive Cardiology and the National Lipids Association (NLA). Anna Biggins, MPH, RDN, LD, cardiology dietitian at the Center for Cardiovascular Prevention, Metabolism

To learn more about the Center for Cardiovascular Prevention, Metabolism & Lipids or to refer a patient, visit georgiaheartinstitute.org/prevention

GOING WITH THE FLOW ADVANCED DIAGNOSTICS POWER PERSONALIZED TREATMENT

True to its billing as Georgia’s most forward-thinking heart program, Georgia Heart Institute has been a leader in using the most advanced imaging technologies available. In 2024, Georgia Heart Institute celebrated a milestone by marking its 1,500th case using HeartFlow FFRct Analysis. HeartFlow FFRct Analysis was the first non-invasive test used to diagnose coronary artery disease, and Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) Gainesville in 2019 became the first site in Georgia to use the technology. HeartFlow is now also available at NGMC Braselton. The HeartFlow pathway begins with a CCTA. If a physician sees disease on the study, the CCTA images are sent to HeartFlow, where AI algorithms, computational fluid dynamics and trained analysts create the HeartFlow Analysis. It produces a personalized 3D model with exceptional visualization of the coronary arteries and enables physicians to develop effective treatment plans.

Continuing its commitment to innovation, Georgia Heart Institute began to offer HeartFlow Plaque Analysis in late 2024. This tool provides more complete data on the type of plaque present so that physicians can accurately assess patients’ risk for CAD. “By ordering a HeartFlow test to diagnose hemodynamically significant coronary stenoses, we are noticing less follow-up testing and lower percentages of negative coronary angiograms in our institution,” said Zaid Said, MD, medical director of CT and MRI for Georgia Heart Institute. “We are very excited with the addition of Plaque Analysis; this modality has great potential in procedural planning as well as better overall risk stratification for our patients. The detailed information obtained through Heartflow FFRct and Plaque Analysis was available in the past only through invasive heart cath procedures. Now it is available with a routine CCTA scan at the same visit without further requirements from the patient or the ordering providers.” To refer a patient to Georgia Heart Institute, visit georgiaheartinstitute.org/clinicians

TRAILBLAZING IN CLINICAL TRIAL RESEARCH Over the span of 25 years, Georgia Heart Institute and Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS) have carried out more than 500 groundbreaking clinical trials, emerging as leaders in the field of clinical research. At Georgia Heart Institute, a team of more than 25 cardiologist principal investigators and sub-investigators participate in primarily Phase II – Phase IV pharmaceutical and Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) trials, all for improvement in quality, education and care of the patients they serve.

Interventional Cardiology Heart Failure

Georgia Heart Institute is currently participating in over 40 clinical trials across active enrollment, follow-up and pipeline phases. Over the past year, the team enrolled or followed more than 400 patients in trials. The current clinical trial portfolio includes interventional cardiology, heart failure, electrophysiology, structural heart and general cardiology drug and medical device treatment modalities. Georgia Heart Institute’s Research and Innovation program also includes experienced research nurse coordinators and staff dedicated to moving the needle on advanced, breakthrough therapies in cardiovascular health.

Number of Clinical Trials by Subspecialty

Patients Enrolled in Clinical Trials by Subspecialty

Structural Heart General Cardiology Electrophysiology

3 2

13 16

3 5

104

117

152

Georgia Heart Institute was ranked in or around the Top 10 in 2024 in clinical trial enrollment and/or quality operations among sites across the United States in several ongoing trials, such as:

Scale HF

Amulet

1st

4th

Ocean (a) Outcomes

DAPA-HF Awarded

in enrollments nationally

1st

across all activated sites in quality. 98% Quality Score for EDC entry and query resolution Lux DX Trends Recognized as first site to enroll patient in Georgia

in enrollments nationally and worldwide

Silver

Status Top 10% in patient enrollment of 208 sites worldwide. Define GPS

12th

in enrollments nationally

Complete TAVR Recognized as first site to enroll patient in the Southeast

“This clinical trial has dramatically improved my quality of life. For years, I lived in the hospital, unable to breathe on my own, walk outside, or drive a car. Thanks to my care team, I’m able to live a better life.” — Tommy McClure, a patient enrolled in the RELIEVE-HF research study, assessing the efficacy of the V-Wave Interatrial Shunt

Georgia Heart Institute Ranked Top Site in the U.S. for Heart Failure Clinical Trial Enrollments Georgia Heart Institute was recognized by Bodyport, Inc., a clinical trial sponsor, as the top enroller of patients in the Surveillance and Alert-Based Multiparameter Monitoring to Reduce Worsening Heart Failure Events (SCALE-HF 1) trial. Georgia Heart Institute rose to the top out of eight sites, including Duke University. In this observational study, patients were required to take daily cardiac scale measurements as a noninvasive predictor of a heart failure event based on fluid accumulation. By measuring patients’ daily weight and other biometric parameters, a congestion index was calculated that alerted to the possibility of a heart failure event.

This study resulted in the new finding that the congestion index alerts demonstrated sensitive prediction of heart failure events at a low alert rate, significantly exceeding the performance of weightbased monitoring. This innovative device and index could help improve outcomes of heart failure patients and could lead to better remote monitoring options in the future. With Ugochukwu Egolum, MD, as the principal investigator and Vikram Raje, DO, as the sub-investigator, the results of this study were published in national publications including Journal of Cardiac Failure and Circulation: Heart Failure.

Principal Investigator Team

(left to right, top to bottom) Joon Ahn, MD l Ugochukwu Egolum, MD l Nima Ghasemzadeh, MD Glen Henry, MD l Falgun Patel, MD l Vikram Raje, DO l Ronnie Ramadan, MD Veerappan “Ramesh” Subramaniyam, MD l Olga Toleva, MD

To learn more about clinical trials offered at Georgia Heart Institute, download the High Enroll app, which allows for easy access to information about clinical trials including trial summaries and inclusion criteria. This app is free and easy to navigate. Download the app, search for “Northeast Georgia Health System” and select any categories of interest. All of Georgia Heart Institute’s cardiovascular clinical trials are located under the “Heart & Vascular” category. High Enroll is available in the App Store and Google Play. Connect a patient with our clinical trial program by visiting georgiaheartinstitute.org/clinical-trials or by calling our research team directly at 678-897-0658.

2024 GEORGIA HEART & VASCULAR SYMPOSIUM Perhaps the highlight of the year for Georgia Heart Institute was the 2024 Georgia Heart & Vascular Symposium, held June 21 – 22, 2024, at Chateau Elan Resort & Winery in Braselton, Georgia. An audience of more than 730 physicians, advance practitioners, nurses and EMS professionals — attending in person and virtually — heard from more than 60 leading experts in cardiovascular medicine. The Symposium featured talks, case studies, debates, exhibits from 30 industry partners, and three heart procedures live-streamed from NGMC Gainesville. Attendees had opportunities to earn continuing education credits as well as to make important professional connections with colleagues. The 2024 symposium keynote speakers were Peter Fitzgerald, MD, a Stanford Medicine professor emeritus and tech entrepreneur who discussed artificial intelligence in health care, and Brian King, a flight paramedic and CEO of professional educational platform FOAMfrat, who shared how small changes can drive dramatic improvements.

Among many highlights of the Symposium were the live cases — a robotic-assisted mitral valve surgery performed by Sloane Guy, MD, and his team; a complex coronary intervention performed by Stephane Rinfret, MD, Glen Henry, MD, and their team; and a mitral valve intervention performed by Ronnie Ramadan, MD, Karen Gersch, MD, Ioannis Parastatidis, MD, and their team. Conducted simultaneously and featuring commentary by the physicians, these cases were impressive displays of how Georgia Heart Institute puts expertise to work to provide the best outcomes for patients. The Symposium also included a full day of activities for EMS professionals, whose partnership is vital to Northeast Georgia Health System and its patients. A highlight of this session was an in-person patient testimonial from Brad Ramsay, who survived cardiac arrest thanks to life-saving care provided by EMS teams before he was transported to NGMC Gainesville for a coronary intervention performed by Falgun Patel, MD, and a subsequent coronary bypass surgery led by Clifton Hastings, MD. View live case and lecture recordings at georgiaheartinstitute.org/symposium2024

The 2024 Georgia Heart & Vascular Symposium featured more than 60 leading experts, including health tech entrepreneur Peter Fitzgerald, MD (center).

John E. Delzell Jr., MD, MSPH, FAAFP, (left) is vice president of Medical Education for NGHS and Designated Institutional Official for NGMC. Ugochukwu Egolum, MD, is program director for the Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship program.

THIRD CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE FELLOWSHIP CLASS JOINS GEORGIA HEART INSTITUTE PROGRAM DIRECTOR SELECTED FOR ACC CURRICULUM COMMITTEE

Georgia Heart Institute welcomed its third class of cardiovascular disease fellows in the summer of 2024. The six fellows joined Northeast Georgia Medical Center’s (NGMC) Graduate Medical Education (GME) program from across the country, coming from residency programs in Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Michigan and North Carolina. “The pool of applicants gets more competitive each year for this important fellowship,” said John E. Delzell Jr., MD, MSPH, FAAFP, vice president of Medical Education for NGHS and Designated Institutional Official for NGMC. “Our elite faculty members are committed to provide an intellectually stimulating environment for clinical learning that includes experiences beyond the clinic, such as research, education and outreach.” The three-year fellowship program’s first class started in 2022 and is expected to graduate in the summer of 2025.

In addition to the new class, the program’s faculty were also recognized on a national level last year. Ugochukwu Egolum, MD, heart failure cardiologist and program director for the Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship program, made national news as he was selected for the American College of Cardiology (ACC) Curriculum Design Committee. Dr. Egolum has served as the program director since the fellowship’s inception and was selected for the role from a competitive pool of nationwide applicants. “It’s an honor to be selected to be a part of this committee, which will oversee and approve educational offerings,” said Dr. Egolum. “As such, being involved in this allows NGMC to be at the cutting edge of where cardiovascular disease education is headed and being able to leverage this as we enhance the education of our cardiology fellows.” To learn more about the Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship program at NGMC, visit ngmcgme.org/programs/cardiology-fellowship

MEET THE 2024 MATCH CLASS

(top left to right) Moneba Anees, MD Emory University School of Medicine Atlanta, Georgia Teja S. Chakrala, MD University of Florida Gainesville, Florida Shivani Mehta, MD Trinity Health Oakland/Wayne State University Pontiac, Michigan

(bottom left to right) Roshni Prakash, MD University of Florida Gainesville, Florida Toochukwu L. Tanko, MD Hartford Healthcare/St. Vincent’s Medical Center Bridgeport, Connecticut Courtney Wills, MD University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, North Carolina

EDUCATION UPDATE Georgia Heart Institute provides educational opportunities throughout the year to stay up to date on clinical advances being made across the spectrum of cardiovascular specialties. Once a month, internal and external guests are invited to join educational presentations at Northeast Georgia Medical Center Gainesville’s Walters Auditorium or via Zoom. After the presentation, guest speakers provide a post-lecture interview with Georgia Heart Institute leaders. These candid conversations shed light on the topic at hand and explore the future of cardiovascular medicine.

2024 Grand Rounds Presentations

Title

Speaker

The CT-Angio Suite: Unlocking the Power of Advanced Imaging in the EP/Cath Lab

Brian Schuler, MD System Director, Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology WellSpan Health, York, PA

Organizational Approaches to Improve Physician Well-Being: Before and After the Covid-19 Pandemic

Tait Shanafelt, MD Chief Wellness Officer, Stanford Medicine Director, WellMD & WellPhD Center Stanford University, Stanford, CA

Taking Care of Patients with CKMH and Their Risk Factors

Laurence Sperling, MD Katz Professor in Preventive Cardiology Founder, Emory Center for Heart Disease Prevention Professor of Global Health, Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, Atlanta, GA Executive Director, Million Hearts Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

Aortic Valve Disease: New Insights, New Options, New Challenges

Robert Bonow, MD Goldberg Distinguished Professor of Cardiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Evanston, IL Northwestern Memorial Hospital Editor in Chief, JAMA Cardiology

Vulnerable Plaque vs. Vulnerable Patient: Can We Eliminate Coronary Disease in Our Lifetime?

Jagat Narula, MD Executive Vice President & Chief Academic Officer, University of Texas Health, Houston, TX K. Lance Gould Distinguished University Chair of Coronary Pathophysiology, McGovern Medical School President-Elect 2023-24, World Heart Federation

Cardiovascular Risk Assessment and Disease Management in Patients With Cancer

Brett Heimlich, MD, PhD Instructor of Medicine Division of Cardiovascular Medicine Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN

Maternal Mortality: Is Cardiovascular-Disease-Related Maternal Mortality Preventable?

Afshan B. Hameed, MD, FACOG, FACC Professor, OB/GYN, Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine Professor, Division of Cardiology Medical Director, Obstetrics Medical Director, Quality and Safety University of California, Irvine, CA

To learn more about Georgia Heart Institute’s Grand Rounds and other Continuing Medical Education (CME) opportunities, visit georgiaheartinstitute.org/clinicians

BY THE NUMBERS Outpatient Visits:

1,000+ Cardiology Testing & Imaging Diagnostic Heart Cath Procedures:

Cardiac MRI:

734

Cardiac Calcium Scoring:

EKG:

137,410 4,258 Echocardiogram (with and without contrast):

5,147 41,718

Stress Testing:

Cardioversion:

1,358

Transesophageal Echocardiogram:

10,068 2,379 Peripheral Interventional Cardiology Procedures

Peripheral Diagnostics:

2,707 Peripheral Interventions:

1,506

Cardiac Support Interventions Impella:

Balloon Pump:

CVC/Fistula:

1,583 ECMO:

102 28

STEMI Volumes & Outcomes STEMI Alert Activations:

PCI:

Stents Placed:

1,881 3,356 Average Door-to-Balloon Time:

450 55 Min

Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery Volumes and Outcomes Coronary Artery Bypass Grafts (CABG)

384

Coronary IFUS/FFR:

2,408

Aortic Valve Repairs & Replacements*

Mitral Valve Repairs & Replacements*

Operative Mortality Rate:

2.68%

National Benchmark: 2.48% (Risk Adjusted 2023, Isolated CABG Only)

*Includes robotic and open surgeries. Vascular Surgery

Robotic Cardiac & Thoracic Surgeries:

201

Vascular Surgery Percutaneous Vascular Procedures:

2,378

Open Vascular Procedures:

1,551

Vascular Testing:

33,090

Patient Patients rank Georgia Satisfaction Heart Institute in the top box in the Overall 0-10 score for Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS).

91.68%

According to CAHPS, Georgia Heart Institute is ranked in the 74th percentile compared to National Facilities for patient satisfaction.

Blairsville

Clayton

Demorest

Dahlonega

Cleveland

Toccoa

Dawsonville

Jefferson

Cumming

Bethlehem

Hamilton Mill

Buford

Braselton

Gainesville

GEORGIA HEART INSTITUTE CLINIC LOCATIONS 47

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GROWING FOR THE FUTURE NEW PHYSICIANS POISED TO BUILD ON FOUNDATION OF EXCELLENCE

MOGHNIUDDIN MOHAMMED, MD, MS Non-invasive Cardiology Dr. Mohammed seeks to be a guide and advocate for his general cardiology patients. “My approach is to provide them with all the treatment options available and to help them choose the treatment that they feel is best for them through the process of shared decision-making,” said Dr. Mohammed. With a master’s degree in bioinformatics with a clinical research emphasis, Dr. Mohammed also is interested in finding ways to reduce costs and length of stay.

WILLIAM ZICKLER, MD Vascular Surgery Dr. Zickler follows in the footsteps of his father, who was also a vascular surgeon. He completed his fellowship in vascular surgery at Mount Sinai Health System in New York, where he trained in cutting-edge minimally invasive devices and techniques. “It’s staggering to witness how much innovation is happening in the field of vascular surgery, which can save and dramatically improve people’s lives,” says Dr. Zickler. “I was drawn to NGPG Vascular Center, which is part of Georgia Heart Institute, because both groups are committed to providing that level of innovative care.”

EVAN HINER, MD Heart Failure Prior to joining Georgia Heart Institute, Dr. Hiner was an assistant professor of medicine at Augusta University and an attending physician at Augusta University Medical Center. “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to be a part of the highly regarded heart failure program here at Georgia Heart Institute,” said Dr. Hiner. “I believe in providing my patients with comprehensive and cutting-edge care, and I appreciate that this approach is fully embraced by Georgia Heart Institute.”

LAWRENCE JUSTIN CHARLES, MD Heart Failure, Cardio-oncology As a child growing up in Ohio, Dr. Charles was inspired to be a cardiologist when his mother was diagnosed with coronary artery disease. During his fellowship at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer, which inspired him to pursue advanced training in cardio-oncology. “My clinical interests allow me to help people who often have very different needs,” said Dr. Charles, “since I’m usually helping advanced heart failure patients manage a chronic illness to stay out of the hospital or helping cardio-oncology patients during intense medical treatment cycles.”

MARC ALLARD-RATICK, MD Structural Heart Dr. Ratick joins Georgia Heart Institute’s growing Structural Heart Center after training in interventional cardiology and structural heart interventions at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital. “Being able to provide lifesaving treatments to patients using newly approved technologies makes being part of this field highly rewarding,” said Dr. Allard-Ratick.

MATTHEW JANKO, MD, RPVI Cardiothoracic Surgery Dr. Janko joins Northeast Georgia Physicians Group Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, an integral part of Georgia Heart Institute, after serving as a cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon at Baptist Health Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky. His clinical interests include cardiac bypass surgery, aortic surgery, lung cancer surgery, as well as minimally invasive therapies and robotic surgery. “My approach is to combine openheart cardiovascular surgical techniques with endovascular therapies to provide the best treatment for my patients,” said Dr. Janko.