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WYOMING, Mich. (October 12, 2022) – A new era of advanced cardiovascular care has begun in West Michigan, as some of the nation’s top heart surgeons gathered to perform open-heart procedures in a new state-of-the art operating room at University of Michigan Health-West.

For the first time, patients in the Grand Rapids market have an option for open-heart surgery. This is a major advancement for the Cardiovascular Network of West Michigan, a joint operating agreement that leverages the clinical expertise of three existing heart programs in the region - the open-heart surgery program at Trinity Health Muskegon, the cardiovascular programs at Trinity Health Saint Mary’s in Grand Rapids, and UM Health-West – and the nationally ranked expertise of UM’s Frankel Center in Ann Arbor.

The initial cardiac surgery operations are being performed by a team comprised of Dr. Gorav Ailawadi, Dr. Theodore Boeve, Dr. Jonathan Haft and Dr. Himanshu Patel, all part of the Department of Cardiac Surgery at University of Michigan Health. Patel also is executive director for the Cardiovascular Network of West Michigan.

“Above all, we are extremely pleased with the opportunity to connect with more patients through the network, and to provide them with increased quality of life,” Patel said. “It could not be more gratifying to begin on such a positive note as we launch this era of collaboration, choice, access and excellence for the heart patients of West Michigan.”

Drs. Ailawadi, Haft, and Patel are primarily based at the Frankel Cardiovascular Center (FCVC) in Ann Arbor. Along with Stefanie Peters, chief administrative officer at the FCVC, they have been integral partners with UM Health-West and Trinity Health Michigan to develop this program.

The network was designed to give West Michigan patients close-to-home choice and access to top expertise. Wherever patients enter the network, they can expect seamless access to the best and most appropriate cardiovascular care, said Dr. Peter Hahn, CEO of UM Health-West.

“This is one network, one program, one team,” Hahn said. “We have reached a major milestone with the beginning of open-heart surgery in Grand Rapids, but this is just the beginning of what becomes possible through our ongoing and strengthening collaboration.”

Gary Allore, president of Trinity Health Muskegon Hospital, home of the Thill Heart and Vascular Center, applauded the dedication that led to this point, noting that more accomplishments are ahead.

“We envision a region-leading program to address cardiovascular disease, which is still the number one cause of death in Michigan. We are focused on improving access to world-class care that meets the needs of the people we serve in Grand Rapids, Muskegon and all of West Michigan.”

Dr. Boeve, a cardiothoracic surgeon with more than 30 years of experience providing heart care to the West Michigan community, will primarily be based at Trinity Health Muskegon. And in 2023, the cardiovascular team at UM Health-West will add the leadership of Dr. Alphonse DeLucia III, a cardiothoracic surgeon who has performed more than 5,000 cardiac surgery procedures in his career, including for many patients in West Michigan.

In keeping with the collaborative design of the Cardiovascular Network of West Michigan, candidates for surgery are evaluated by the “heart team,” a group of experts from all four programs who confer to determine the best course of treatment in each case.

The Cardiovascular Network's current expertise includes coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG), aortic valve surgery, mitral valve surgery, treatment of aortic aneurysm, and cardiac ablation procedures.

About Trinity Health Michigan:

Trinity Health Michigan is a leading health care provider and one of the state’s largest employers. With more than 24,000 full-time employees serving 29 counties, Trinity Health Michigan is composed of nine hospitals located in Ann Arbor, Chelsea, Grand Haven, Grand Rapids, Howell, Livonia, Muskegon, Pontiac and Shelby. The health system has 2,314 beds and 5,446 physicians and advanced practice providers. With operating revenues of $4.16 billion, Trinity Health Michigan returns $184 million back to their local communities each year. Together with numerous ambulatory care locations, four home health and hospice agencies and 23 senior living communities owned and/or operated by Trinity Health, Trinity Health Michigan provides the full continuum of care for Michigan residents.

About University of Michigan Health-West (formerly Metro Health – University of Michigan Health):

University of Michigan Health-West is a nonprofit multispecialty medical provider that is relentlessly advancing health to serve West Michigan as part of the state’s top-ranked health system. Founded in Grand Rapids in 1942 by a group of osteopathic doctors, our organization today serves more than 250,000 patients annually at 30 locations across four counties, including a 208-bed teaching hospital in Wyoming, Michigan. More than 61,000 emergency patients are treated each year at the hospital, a Verified Level II Trauma Center, certified Comprehensive Stroke Center and accredited Chest Pain Center. Our physician-led medical group, University of Michigan Health Partners, drives excellence and convenient access to primary and specialty care, including the expertise of University of Michigan Health, consistently ranked among the nation’s top academic medical centers. In addition to earning top grades for safety and quality, University of Michigan Health-West is consistently recognized as a leader in the use of technology and as an inclusive employer of choice. It supports the health and wellness of all in the community, offering free Live Healthy education programs as well as outreach clinics to underserved areas. Learn more at www.uofmhealthwest.org.