At his 40th birthday party, Bryan Jackson started feeling subtle heart palpitations. He thought it might be his body’s way of introducing him to middle age, but he decided to schedule a checkup just in case. As a pro golfer, spouse of a VCU Health nurse and father of four, Bryan didn’t want to take any chances.

To his surprise, what started as a routine appointment suddenly turned into a diagnosis and procedure that would save his life.

Bryan learned that he has sarcoidosis – a rare, inflammatory disease that is commonly misdiagnosed and can affect patients of all ages. He came to VCU Health Pauley Heart Center to receive care from Jordana Kron, M.D., a cardiologist who collaborates across departments and specialties to provide the very best treatment for patients like Bryan.

Sarcoidosis has no cause or cure, and it affects people of all ages throughout the world. Once considered rare, the inflammatory condition now affects about 40 in every 100,000 African Americans in the U.S. and about five in every 100,000 Caucasians. It occurs in all races and in men and women but is most common among African American females ages 20 to 40.

VCU has led clinical and translational research of cardiac sarcoidosis for nearly a decade, and VCU Health is home to the Multidisciplinary Sarcoidosis Clinic, the only center of its kind in Virginia. At the clinic, patients are able to meet with specialists in pulmonology, cardiology, electrophysiology and rheumatology.

In December 2019, VCU was recognized as a Sarcoidosis Center of Excellence. This two-year designation provides formal recognition of our team’s commitment to meet the needs of sarcoidosis patients and efforts to keep abreast of the ongoing advances and findings in the space.

"Pauley has been incredible," Bryan said. "As I research and learn more, people say diagnosing sarcoidosis is luck. So to have a facility for a disease that’s not very well known — let alone have access to an actual clinic — I realize how fortunate I am to be so close to a world-renowned researcher like Dr. Kron."

Whether you are a patient, a family member or a community supporter, heart health impacts all of us. At Pauley, we know that everyone’s heart is unique and that is how we treat it.
With the generosity of our donors, we are able to build upon our history of innovative patient care, scientific discovery and collaboration to combat heart issues like sarcoidosis and help patients like Bryan.

Please consider making a gift to the Pauley Heart Center and help us continue providing exceptional cardiovascular care for all.