Letter from the Chairman

Friends and Supporters,

As the new year begins, it’s a fitting time to reflect upon the past, even as we look forward to the future and many new exciting plans for 2017.

Our cover story profiles three VCU administrators who have been instrumental to our success. John Duval, Dr. Jerry Strauss and Dr. John Ward. These leaders are the team that helped build the Pauley Heart Center and helped us take it to the next level. We are so grateful for all they have done to develop Pauley into a world class heart center.

In this issue, you will also find a history of our programs for heart transplantation and the total artificial heart and advanced left ventricular mechanical assist devices. VCU has become a leading center for these programs in the United States and all over the world. The same is true for our ARCTIC Program, which draws patients from all over Virginia. The dedication and innovative approaches of Dr. Mimi Peberdy and her team helped attract the Weil Institute, one of the world’s top resuscitation and critical care laboratories. We anticipate the new partnership will lead to many exciting discoveries.

Our footprint continues to expand in Virginia, and we welcome the outstanding clinicians who are part of MCV Physicians at Colonial Square. Additionally, in this issue you will learn about other doctors and staff who are making a difference in the lives of our patients, including Dr. Luis Guzman and his interventional cardiology team, Dr. Jay Koneru and Dr. Richard Shepard with complex lead management, and Dr. Pat Nicolato and the ECMO team.

February is American Heart Month, and in this issue, you can learn about some of the special events taking place to bring more awareness of cardiovascular disease to the public.

Thank you for your support in making these programs possible.

Sincerely, 

Kenneth A. Ellenbogen, MD

Chairman, Division of Cardiology