By Vanessa Orr
In 2025, the Memorial Cardiac and Vascular Institute’s Total Heart Center will mark its 10th anniversary performing adult heart transplants, but that’s not the only reason that they’re celebrating. This past year was a remarkable year for Memorial with more procedures performed than ever before—and they’ve got even bigger plans for the future.
Total Heart Center Staff
“Our volume of growth was unprecedented in 2024; our surgeons performed 854 cardiac surgeries, which is a 12 percent growth over the previous year, and our structural heart surgeons performed 155 procedures, which is a 25 percent growth since last year,” said Memorial Cardiac and Vascular Institute Vice President Michele Slane, R.N., B.S.N. “These numbers reflect not only our capabilities, but the growing trust of the community.”
Slane adds that the adult heart transplant program also excelled, with surgeons performing 43 transplants in 2024, more than double the amount from the previous year. To mark the 10th anniversary of the program, a celebration will be held on Feb. 17, 2025 with previous transplant patients as well as those awaiting surgery. The center has performed nearly 150 transplants since its inception.
Each year, Memorial clinicians see more than 50,000 patients for different cardiac and vascular issues, and perform more than 10,000 procedures a year. The center excels in the areas of adult congenital heart disease (ACHD), arrythmia, cardiology, electrophysiology, heart failure, heart imaging, heart surgery, heart transplant, cardiac rehabilitation, and also offers a Women’s Heart Health program. The center is the market leader in Broward County for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and cardiac surgery, and also ranks in the top decile for highest patient satisfaction scores.
“Our high market share reflects our team’s hard work, collaboration and unwavering commitment to patients,” said Slane, adding that the center’s multidisciplinary approach contributes to the institute’s success.
Memorial’s Cardiac and Vascular Institute is also committed to the future of cardiac and vascular care and has established a graduate medical education cardiology fellowship, which is now in its third year. A cornerstone of the institution, the fellowship enables the health system to nurture the next generation of cardiologists and fortifies its commitment to excellence for years to come.
Memorial has also earned numerous accreditations in the past year. Its Advanced Heart Failure Program was recently reaccredited by the American College of Cardiology and the Joint Commission recently recertified its Ventricular Assist Device for the 10th consecutive year.
“As the only hospital in South Florida accredited for adult congenital heart disease, we give hope to all of these patients who in the past would not have lived past age 20,” said Slane. “Now they are living full lives; we are actually following more than 2,500 adult congenital patients in our health system.”
Memorial Regional Hospital has also been recognized with the Center of Excellence Gold Level ELSO Award for Excellence in Life Support from the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO). The hospital provides advanced therapy using an ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) machine to temporarily replace the function of the heart and lungs of critically ill patients recovering from severe lung damage or heart failure. Memorial’s outcomes are even better than ELSO’s benchmarks and it is sought out by other hospitals to treat their ECMO patients.
Memorial Cardiac and Vascular Institute is also on the leading edge of innovative procedures to help heart patients; for example, utilizing transcatheter aortic valve replacement, or TAVR, to provide a less-invasive procedure than aortic valve replacement surgery. The center will also be introducing pulmonary valve replacements in the near future for patients with congenital heart disease.
“For more than 15 years, we have maintained a 3-star rating—the highest rating available—from the Society of Thoracic surgeons,” said Slane. “This level of consistency speaks volumes about our commitment to quality and safety in cardiac surgery and to our patients.” She adds that the center is currently in the process of earning a Vascular Accreditation from the American College of Surgeons as well.
As Memorial’s programs continue to grow, future plans include the opening of a $14 million “one-stop-shop” on the campus of Memorial Hospital West. The more than 20,000 sq. ft. building, which is slated to open in November, will provide a comprehensive range of services that patients can access in one location.
Memorial leadership is also exploring the possibility of expanding a tower at Memorial Regional, the flagship for the healthcare system, in order to construct new operating rooms and private rooms. When that project is finished in a few years, the cardiac and vascular institute’s Total Heart Center will double in size, providing more room for heart failure, transplant, valve, and adult congenital heart disease patients.
To learn more about the Memorial Cardiac and Vascular Institute, visit www.mhs.net/services/heart-and-vascular-institute.
