CommonSpirit Health designated CHI St. Vincent Infirmary as a Center of Excellence for both Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) and Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair (MitraClip™) (TEER) heart procedures. CHI St. Vincent joins Mercy One in Des Moines, Iowa as the only two hospitals in the 142 hospital and 21 state CommonSpirit Health system to be recognized as a Center of Excellence in both of these complex heart procedures.

“We at the CHI St. Vincent Heart Institute are truly honored by this recognition, not only because it reflects our physicians’ commitment to excellence, but because it clearly demonstrates how we put our patients first,” said Marcia Atkinson, president of the CHI St. Vincent Heart Institute. “These minimally invasive heart procedures provide faster recovery times, excellent outcomes and help limit the need for patients to undergo open heart surgery.”

TAVR procedures allow interventional cardiologists and cardiovascular surgeons to replace the aortic valve of patients suffering from aortic valve stenosis without open heart surgery, resulting in improved quality of life and extended lifespans. Similarly, TEER or MitraClip™ procedures offer a less-invasive option for patients who are not able to undergo traditional mitral valve surgery. Doctors access the mitral valve using a thin tube called a catheter through a vein in the patient’s leg to reach the heart instead of requiring them to open the chest and temporarily stop the heart during surgery.

“The CommonSpirit Health TAVR and TEER Center of Excellence programs were developed to establish minimum standards and to distinguish centers that exceed these nationally-recognized performance standards and practices as centers of excellence,” wrote Dr. Nezar Falluji, CommonSpirit Health System Physician Vice President Cardiovascular Service, in announcing the honor.

The multidisciplinary team at the CHI St. Vincent Heart Institute provides access to the latest technology, advanced techniques and treatments to ensure patients benefit from the highest standard of heart care. In August, CHI St. Vincent Infirmary was also recognized as the best hospital in Arkansas for cardiology and heart surgery in the 2020–21 Best Hospital Rankings from U.S. News & World Report. For more information, visit: chistvincent.com/heart