Serving Michigan and the World DIFFERENTIATORS in Cardiovascular Care
FRANKEL CVC U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT RATINGS
U.S. News & World Report annually judges hospitals for its Best Hospitals list by rating high-quality patient care, commitment to patient safety, clinical resources, family-centeredness, and other measures.
For 2024–25, University of Michigan Health has been ranked number 21 in the nation for Cardiology and Heart Surgery. The Frankel Cardiovascular Center’s scores include “High Performing” ratings in five conditions/procedures: Heart Failure, Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair, Aortic Valve Repair or Replacement, Heart Bypass Surgery and Heart Attack. Thanks to the teamwork, innovation and excellence of our employees, this is the 32nd consecutive year that U-M Health has been nationally recognized for strong across-the-board performance.
Michigan Answers are found where over 100 years of teaching, research and patient care intersect with an endless curiosity and passion for changing patients’ lives for the better. Michigan Answers come with confidence. Michigan Answers bring hope. Michigan Answers run toward the incurable and wrestle with the impossible until something new emerges. Michigan Answers are small steps and giant leaps, and the pathway to breakthroughs you’re waiting for.
2,385
92,578
2
,838
6,165
5,333
97.4%
Dear Colleagues,
It is with great enthusiasm that we share the 2024 Frankel Cardiovascular Center Differentiators in Cardiovascular Care report. This report highlights our unique strengths in cardiovascular care, research, and innovation. We aim to provide you with valuable and accessible information that ultimately improves care and serves your patients.
MICHIGAN ANSWERS FOR COMPLEX CASES
The health and well-being of our patients is at the center of everything we do. Our care teams regularly evaluate and treat the most complex cardiovascular disease patient cases, offering expertise and patient volumes unmatched by other hospitals.
RESEARCH AND DISCOVERY
Another Frankel CVC differentiator is our relentless pursuit to connect the people and resources necessary to accelerate groundbreaking innovation and research. Our range of clinical research studies for patients continues to grow, along with our discoveries that advance everincreasing choices for personalized treatment programs.
BUILDING FOR TOMORROW
As we look toward the future, our ability to advance care and change lives will be enhanced by the opening of the D. Dan and Betty Kahn Health Care Pavilion at University of Michigan Health in the fall of 2025. The new hospital will feature 12 floors with 264 private rooms capable of converting to intensive care, 20 state-of-the-art operating rooms, three interventional radiology suites, advanced imaging and high-level, specialty care services. These new resources will enable us to grow our services and provide the best in access, safety, experience, and overall quality of care for your patients.
Thank you for your partnership. We look forward to the opportunity to work with you to serve Michigan and the world.
With gratitude,
PROCEDURAL VOLUMES
*Superficial vein procedures include sclerotherapy, thermal and nonthermal venous ablation, and phlebectomy.
**Deep vein procedures include venogram, IVC filter placement and retrieval, venous thrombectomy/thrombolysis, deep venous recanalization, and pelvic vein embolization.
INTERNATIONAL Outreach
The mission of Michigan Medicine is to advance health to serve Michigan and the World. The Frankel CVC’s complementary vision is to be the best academic heart and vascular center across the globe, advancing superior patient-centered care, innovative science, and excellence in education. Through extensive international outreach, research, and educational activities, we touch millions of lives across the globe and advance the field of cardiovascular medicine.
Cardiovascular disease (rheumatic disease, ischemic heart disease and stroke) is the leading cause of death worldwide, taking the lives of more than 16 million people, or 23% of total global deaths each year.1 We deeply value international collaboration between clinicians and scientists to further the understanding of cardiovascular disease and make inroads against these statistics.
THE FRANKEL CVC DIFFERENCE
Through a unique MichiganIsrael partnership, clinicians and researchers from the Technion–Israel Institute of Technology, the Weizmann Institute of Science, and Michigan Medicine come together on collaborative research projects and educational exchanges that leverage multidisciplinary expertise to advance biomedicine and beyond.
• 66 projects funded exceeding $5M in grants
• Overall programmatic support of over $23M towards mega projects, educational exchanges, annual symposiums, and grant funding
Established in 2010, the Joint Institute for Translational and Clinical Research brings together researchers from Michigan Medicine and Peking University Health Science Center in Beijing for high-impact health research to advance medicine in the U.S. and China. The Joint Institute partnership offers a unique opportunity for leading researchers to study cardiovascular disease in a large, genetically diverse patient population. Seventeen research projects are currently underway, including projects that study the role of genetics in cardiovascular disease.
• 77 project awards to date
• 154 publications to date in high-impact journals
• $68M in extramural funding to date
Science advances in part through educational exchange at conferences and symposia. Frankel CVC clinicians and investigators are highly sought-after invited lecturers at the world’s leading cardiovascular conferences both in the U.S. and abroad. In the last year, our experts gave cardiovascular-related presentations in more than 15 countries across six continents
We help train cardiovascular specialists and save lives in low-income countries through medical missions and international outreach. Through the Save MI-Heart group, Frankel CVC surgeons in 2023 collaborated with local surgical teams at National Heart Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia, on complex open-heart operations. Our surgical teams have also helped surgeons from Bangladesh on three separate missions over the last two years, including performing their first annular enlargements and aortic aneurysm repair.
A study highlighted at this year’s American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, our My Heart Your Heart program donated recycled pacemakers and defibrillators to patients in low-income countries around the world where access to the devices is limited. It has been estimated that hundreds of thousands of individuals from around the world die from lack of a pacemaker.
Cardiac VALVE DISEASE
our decades-long reputation for excellence in surgical valve procedures.
THE FRANKEL CVC DIFFERENCE
TRICUSPID VALVE
• The Frankel CVC offers the most comprehensive tricuspid valve treatment program in the state founded on excellent outcomes with a breadth of minimally invasive and conventional surgical options.
• We are one of the few centers nationally to participate in a broad spectrum of percutaneous repair and replacement clinical trials, providing patients access to next generation technologies, including:
⚪ Edge to edge repair
⚪ Replacement devices
⚪ The TRiCares Topaz Transfemoral Tricuspid Valve Replacement System, a novel system designed to eliminate tricuspid regurgitation, allow the right ventricle to remodel, and minimize the risk for pacemaker.
EXPERT
INTEGRATED HEART TEAM APPROACH for the management of valve disease
Specialized Aortic Surgeons
Specialized Mitral Surgeons
Specialized Interventional Cardiologists
Specialized Cardiac Anesthesiologists
Advanced Heart Failure Specialists
Advanced Practice Providers
RN Clinical Care Coordinators
Clinical Research Team
Quality & Safety Specialists
IMAGING SPECIALISTS:
Echocardiologists
Radiologists
Nuclear Medicine
Imaging Specialists
We offer patients the latest open surgical and percutaneous options for all valve conditions and specialize in the management of cardiac valves over a lifetime.
AORTIC VALVE
• We are an internationally recognized leader in aortic valve repair and replacement and have long been at the forefront of aortic valve surgery, including aortic valve insufficiency, stenosis, and repair of aortic root aneurysms.
• Today, the Frankel CVC offers patients a variety of minimally invasive treatment options, including cuttingedge transcatheter valve replacement techniques for aortic valve disease and the percutaneous treatment of failed bioprosthetic valves. We also offer the latest in dedicated leaflet modification technologies
U-M Health surgeons perform minimally invasive mitral valve repair through a 3" incision between the ribs.
MITRAL VALVE
3,064
U-M TAVR TICKER 3,064 AORTIC VALVES REPLACED AND COUNTING
• We consistently earn national recognition as “High Performing” in aortic valve repair or replacement by U.S. News & World Report in its annual quality and safety rankings.
High performance recognition for AORTIC VALVE SURGERY
• Our team developed novel aortic annular enlargement techniques for patients needing surgical aortic valve replacement, to allow larger valve size replacements leading to better blood flow and improved survival.
• As one of the largest and longest-standing mitral valve centers in the country, and the largest in Michigan, the Frankel CVC is nationally recognized for expertise in mitral valve repair and treatment
• We were one of the first five medical centers in the U.S. to receive a Mitral Valve Repair Reference Center Award based on our high volume of mitral valve procedures, superior clinical and patient outcomes, and the highest mitral repair rates.
Recognized
for
BEST PRACTICES IN MITRAL VALVE REPAIR
• Our mitral valve program offers an extensive range of treatment options that spans traditional approaches as well as minimally invasive surgery (sternal sparing) and percutaneous approaches.
• The percutaneous program offers a wide variety of repair and replacement technologies. We are one of few centers in the country to offer AltaValve, a novel transcatheter mitral valve replacement in a pivotal clinical trial to treat severe mitral regurgitation designed to anatomically fit in many more patients than other valves.
NOVEL CLINICAL TRIALS
READ TIM’S STORY:
Planting a tree, and hope, for a heart healthy future
Tim Darnall was on a golf course in Tennessee when he experienced his first frightening cardiac episode. Five months later, he was in serious heart failure and tests found his mitral and tricuspid valves within his heart were leaking. Thankfully, innovative complex mitral and tricuspid valve repairs using a minimally invasive approach developed at U-M Health have set him back on track.
Through our robust clinical trials program, patients who are not candidates for commercially approved transcatheter and/or surgical therapies have access to a wide variety of alternative treatment options not available at other sites in Michigan.
Currently participating in 16 VALVE CLINICAL TRIALS
TAVR: 5 AORTIC: 2 MITRAL: 6 TRICUSPID: 3
For information about our many active clinical trials, visit UMHealthResearch.org
COMPLEX CORONARY Disease
Complex coronary disease specialists at the Frankel CVC have expertise in advanced treatments, ranging from open surgical and percutaneous revascularization to specialized medical management. We care for a large volume of high-risk and complex patients who have limited treatment options and many of whom have been declined at other treatment centers.
A dedicated heart team of cardiac surgeons, interventional cardiologists, and critical care specialists collaborate in multidisciplinary conferences to develop individualized, evidencebased treatment plans to optimize outcomes for patients with mutli-vessel disease.
THE FRANKEL CVC DIFFERENCE
CORONARY DIAGNOSTICS
• Routine use of coronary physiology to guide treatment decisions.
• The latest coronary flow technology to evaluate patients with microvascular dysfunction, an underrecognized diagnosis that often affects patients with significant exertional symptoms who do not have major large-vessel coronary disease.
CATHETER-BASED OPTIONS
• A high percentage of our percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) patients have one or more highly complex coronary lesion features, including left main coronary artery location, in-stent restenosis, and significant calcification.
NEARLY 1/2 OF THE PCIs performed in FY24 WERE CONSIDERED COMPLEX
• We are one of few institutions in the state with access to coronary drug-coated balloons, a new treatment option recently approved by the FDA for patients who have recurrent blockages or blockages within previously placed stents. These allow physicians to simultaneously
treat coronary lesions and deliver medication to the blood vessel wall to prevent recurrence.
• As one of the few teams in the state with expertise in the catheter-based treatment of chronic total occlusions (CTO), we offer advanced, clinically proven, minimally invasive solutions to improve quality of life for patients with chronic angina or cardiac dysfunction.
TOP SUCCESS AND SAFETY RATES in Complex
and CTO Interventions
• For patients with in-stent restenosis or stent failure, our interventional cardiologists offer optimization techniques including coronary brachytherapy. By directing radiation inside the affected vessel our team can remediate the stent and prevent recurrent stent failure.
• Nearly ¼ of patients undergoing stent placement at U-M Health in 2023 underwent vessel preparation with advanced calcium modification therapies
• Older patients with coronary disease are more likely to have significant calcification not amenable to conventional angioplasty balloons and stent placement. We offer minimally invasive treatment options that remove obstructive calcium to obtain optimal outcomes, including atherectomy and intravascular lithotripsy
SURGICAL OPTIONS
• Exceptional expertise in multi-arterial grafting
Multiple Arterial Bypass Grafting procedures are performed NEARLY 3x MORE OFTEN THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE
⚪ A majority of our coronary bypass surgeries are either high risk, reoperations or performed with complex valve or aortic procedures.
• Despite our high-risk patient population with complex disease and comorbidities, for patients undergoing bypass surgery at the Frankel CVC:
⚪ We utilize significantly fewer blood transfusions
⚪ We liberate patients from the ventilator faster than STS national averages.
• We have been rated a 3-star program — the highest category of quality — by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons.
• The Frankel CVC consistently earns national recognition as “High Performing” in heart bypass surgery by U.S. News & World Report in its annual quality and safety rankings.
1 Case 1: Pre-intervention
A patient with severe cardiomyopathy, severe stenosis of a large diagonal branch, and a long-segment chronic total occlusion of the left anterior descending artery.
2 Case 1: Post-intervention
After chronic total occlusion percutaneous coronary intervention, flow is restored to the left anterior descending artery and the diagonal stenosis is eliminated.
3 Case 2: Pre-intervention
A patient with a high-risk stenosis involving the distal left main and left anterior descending arteries.
4 Case 2: Post-intervention
Complete revascularization after percutaneous coronary intervention of the left main and left anterior descending arteries. The procedure was completed with the aid of a mechanical support device to provide temporary cardiac support during this complex intervention.
NOVEL CLINICAL TRIALS
Some of our current coronary disease clinical trial offerings include:
• ROMA Trial – Dedicated to women, who tend to be at higher risk and poorly studied in prior trials, to improve coronary bypass outcomes.
• RECHARGE Trial – Comparing stents versus heart bypass surgery specifically for women and minorities as prior studies have not evaluated these groups adequately.
• COSIRA II Trial – Evaluating a novel coronary sinus occluder device for patients who have continued symptoms but do not have bypass or stent options, or have vessels too small for intervention.
For information about our many active clinical trials, visit UMHealthResearch.org.
Roy’s Michigan Answer: Second opinion saves patient’s heart
At 85 years old, Roy Schaefer started showing signs of heart failure. Not only did he have severe calcium buildup in his aortic valve, but doctors also found significant and complete blockages in his heart’s surrounding arteries. His local community hospital sent him home, telling him there was nothing they could do. That’s when Roy found his Michigan Answer.
HEART FAILURE Continuum of Care
The multidisciplinary Heart Failure Program provides expert diagnosis, medical management, advanced interventions and surgical care, and comprehensive rehabilitation for patients at all stages of heart failure
We are a regional and national referral center for patients with end-stage heart failure or cardiogenic shock.
THE FRANKEL CVC DIFFERENCE
DIAGNOSIS AND MEDICAL MANAGEMENT
• Early referral and diagnosis allows us to offer treatment options not available at less-specialized centers and optimizes patient outcomes
• Our renowned specialists provide advanced treatment for rare, difficult-to-diagnose conditions, such as cardiac sarcoidosis, transthyretin amyloidosis, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which require unique expertise and imaging studies. Our Comprehensive Inherited Cardiomyopathies Program provides genetic testing and counseling as well as management of genetic cardiomyopathies (see page 23).
• A unique U-M Health inpatient heart failure service at Chelsea Hospital, in partnership with Trinity Health, gives patients access to Frankel CVC heart failure specialists, closer to home. The program provides intensive education and support to patients and family members during their stay and after discharge.
• Outreach partnership with MyMichigan Health also provides mid-Michigan residents expedited heart failure evaluation and management closer to home
ADVANCED INTERVENTIONS AND SURGERY
A leader in advanced heart failure therapies
We use the latest device therapies for heart failure, including Cardiac Contractility Modulation (CCM) and devices for structural heart disease.
High performance recognition for HEART FAILURE
WORLD LEADERS IN EXTRACORPOREAL LIFE SUPPORT
• U-M Health is the birthplace of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), a lifesaving support when a person’s heart and lungs are not able to function on their own.
• We care for approximately 150 ECMO patients annually in five ICUs across U-M Health with 50% of these patients housed in the Frankel CVC.
• A team of ECMO-certified critical care nurses and respiratory therapists provides 24/7 in-house ECMO coverage, emergently responds to ECMO needs anywhere on our main hospital campus, and partners with Survival Flight to cannulate and transport critically ill patients to U-M Health from outside facilities.
• The Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) awarded our 30-member team the Platinum Level Award for Excellence in Life Support — its highest level of recognition.
Platinum level award for excellence in LIFE SUPPORT
A heart transplant for her birthday
Rachel Lanham is a mother of 8 from Jackson, Michigan, who was diagnosed with a genetic condition, non-compaction cardiomyopathy, in her late 30s. Over the span of 10 years, she underwent different measures to try to restore her heart’s rhythm and function, but her heart continued to deteriorate leading her to be hospitalized in November 2023. She ended up on ECMO and, ultimately, received a life-saving heart transplant through a DCD donor — on her 48th birthday.
EXPERTS IN VENTRICULAR ASSIST DEVICES (VADS)
• High volume that translates to better patient outcomes – Approximately 200 total patients are currently under care in our VAD Program, over a dozen of whom have been on support for 10 years or longer
• Co-creators of VAD-C, ™ a certification program for clinicians that elevates the quality of care received by VAD patients and helps advance the care of critically ill patients with heart failure.
1,384 U-M VAD TICKER 1,384 VADs IMPLANTED AND COUNTING since 1996
Awarded DISEASE-SPECIFIC CARE CERTIFICATION for Ventricular Assist Devices by The Joint Commission in 2008 and consistently re-certified since
5 YEAR VAD SURVIVAL NEARING 60% with HeartMate 3 VAD
TRAILBLAZERS IN TRANSPLANT
• Our internationally-recognized Adult Heart Transplant Program has implemented initiatives to expand the volume of heart transplants and reduce transplant waitlist time.
• The TransMedics Organ Care system, which preserves donor hearts longer, allows utilization of donor hearts from distances that were previously prohibitive
• We were the first center in Michigan to perform a donation after circulatory death (DCD) transplant, which allows transplantation from a donor who has been declared dead based upon circulatory criteria but who does not meet formal brain death criteria. This opens the door to more available donor hearts for patients awaiting transplants.
• We are a multi-organ transplant center with increased options for select patients with advanced heart failure and multi-organ dysfunction.
• With advancements in oral antiviral therapy, we are able to accept hearts from donors with Hepatitis C infection and treat transplant recipients postoperatively to eradicate any potential transmission of the virus.
1,284 HEART TRANSPLANTS since 1984
NOVEL CLINICAL TRIALS
Our robust clinical trials program provides early access to novel medical and device options. Innovation comes through investigator-initiated research and clinical trials as well as international and national multicenter trials. Some examples:
• INNOVATE Trial – We are leading this groundbreaking trial which will assess effectiveness of the latest VAD technology, the BrioVAD™ Left Ventricular Assist System (LVAS), compared to the only device currently used to treat end-stage heart failure, the HeartMate 3™ Left Ventricular Assist System.
• RESPONDER-HF Trial – The latest in a series of clinical studies evaluating the Corvia Atrial Shunt to inform which heart failure patients may benefit most from atrial shunting.
• ACES-EMB Trial – A study comparing rejection surveillance with cell-free DNA (a blood test) versus endomyocardial biopsy.
For information about our many active clinical trials, visit UMHealthResearch.org.
An educator demonstrates the HeartMate 3™ Left Ventricular Assist Device (left) and BrioVAD™ Left Ventricular Assist System (right).
AORTIC Disease
The Comprehensive Aortic Program, established more than 30 years ago, is one of the largest practices in North America, with specialists providing unparalleled expertise in advanced open and endovascular procedures to treat aortic disease, and cutting-edge basic science and clinical research on aortic disease.
EXPERT MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM
for the management of aortic disease
Cardiac surgeons
Vascular surgeons
Interventional radiologists
Diagnostic radiologists
Basic scientists
Interventional cardiologists
Medical cardiologists
Medical geneticists
Biomedical engineers
THE FRANKEL CVC DIFFERENCE
DIAGNOSIS, IMAGING AND NOVEL RESEARCH DIRECTIONS
• To treat aortitis (inflammatory and autoimmune conditions of the aorta), our noninvasive diagnostic program uses novel ultra-high frequency large vessel ultrasound techniques to identify giant cell arteritis, sparing the need for surgical biopsy. We are one of only a few vascular labs in the U.S. offering these studies.
In 2022, the MI-AORTA Program was established with generous donor support. The program aids the growth of our highly regarded aortic disease clinical practice, training and research program into a worldrenowned enterprise.
Collaboration among multidisciplinary specialists and shared decision making between patients and surgeons on timing and approach for aortic surgery are key to our excellent patient outcomes.
We are a longtime partner of the international non-profit Marfan Foundation, dedicated to addressing genetic aortic and vascular conditions, including Marfan, LoeysDietz, and Vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndromes. Frankel CVC co-hosts local community walks and supports international educational symposiums alongside the Marfan Foundation, to educate providers, patients and families, and drive cures for genetic aortic and vascular conditions
• We offer genetic counseling and testing to help patients and their families understand their risk for aortic disease and collaborate with international research consortiums focused on identifying and understanding genetic mutations that contribute to aortic disease.
• U-M pioneered a new technique for precise 3D measurements of aortic growth in aneurysm and dissection which holds promise to dramatically improve the understanding of patient risk and cause of disease.
• Collaboration with U-M Biomedical Engineering on “flow modeling” provides computational flow patterns using supercomputer capabilities, analyses that can only be done at a few institutions.
• U-M researchers developed the first thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) model using patient-induced pluripotent stem cells to uncover the mechanism of TAA and develop novel medical therapy for prevention of aortic aneurysm.
• Our researchers are using genetic sequencing to identify new genes associated with or causing aortic aneurysm.
3D computer models of TAA repair for two different patients built from CTA data (left). Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analyses (right) show a volume-rendering of blood velocity for each model. The top model represents a “virtual” repair of a proximal descending TAA. The bottom model represents an actual repair of a descending TAA.
TREATMENTS
From medical management to minimally invasive endovascular and open surgical procedures, our specialists treat the full spectrum of aortic disease. AORTIC ANNULUS
We have expertise in complex redo aortic root and aortic arch procedures for failed prior operations.
Our Ross procedure specialists treat young patients with aortic valve disease who want lifelong valve correction without anticoagulation medications.
ASCENDING AORTA AORTIC ARCH
SINOTUBULAR JUNCTION
AORTIC ROOT SINUSES OF VALSALVA
The Y-incision aortic annular/root enlargement, developed here at U-M, treats patients with aortic valve disease, providing optimal blood flow and improving long-term survival.
We are leading experts in aortic valve repair for aortic insufficiency in bicuspid or tricuspid valve disease and valve sparing aortic root repair for aortic root aneurysm.
We use novel 3D printing to treat complex aortic aneurysms enabling physician-modified endografts.
NOVEL CLINICAL TRIALS
DESCENDING AORTA
Our aortic specialists were the first in the U.S. to implant the FDA-approved GORE® TAG® single side branch thoracic stent endograft.
Our world-renowned researchers, funded by the NIH and other entities, are advancing the science of aortic disease evolution and progression, resulting in critical breakthroughs in understanding the pathophysiology that may lead to treatments without the need for surgery. Participation in clinical trials gives patients access to leading-edge care which would not otherwise be an option.
19 aortic- or aortic valve-related clinical trials, including:
• Novel stent graft trials:
⚪ GORE ARISE II – Ascending stent
⚪ ZFEN+ – Complex abdominal/thoracoabdominal
⚪ IMPROVE-AD – Acute type B dissections
⚪ TRIOMPHE – Branched arch stent graft trial
• Avalus Ultra Trial – A study to evaluate the performance of a bioprosthetic valve with novel design to prepare for future valve-in-valve TAVR.
For information about our many active clinical trials, visit UMHealthResearch.org
Our experts salvage failing endografts through management of endoleaks and extension of endografts through the aortic branches.
Novel laser fenestration of aortic dissections developed at U-M allows the least invasive TEVAR approaches to treat chronic aortic dissection, yielding mortality rates among the lowest in the country
High performance recognition for ABDOMINAL AORTIC ANEURYSM REPAIR
EXCELLENT OUTCOMES of open repair of thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm
TYPE A AORTIC DISSECTION OPERATIVE MORTALITY
Significantly lower than national benchmark: 8.6% vs 14.8%
>1,300 AORTIC AND AORTIC VALVE PROCEDURES EACH YEAR
High volume of innovative treatments translates to excellent outcomes.
U-M developed novel aortic annular/root enlargement techniques to provide larger valves for BETTER BLOOD FLOW AND LIFETIME MANAGEMENT IN 60–70% OF PATIENTS compared to only 3–5% across the nation.
THORACIC AORTA
ABDOMINAL AORTA
DIAPHRAM
SUPRARENAL INFRARENAL
ARRHYTHMIA Management & Devices
Our cardiac electrophysiology service is a high-volume referral center for the management of complex cardiac arrhythmias complemented by a robust research program.
THE FRANKEL CVC DIFFERENCE
With 18 faculty members, our large cardiac electrophysiology team works in close collaboration with heart and vascular surgeons, anesthesiologists, neurologists, and radiologists for comprehensive multidisciplinary care
We have been at the forefront of treating complex arrhythmias for more than 40 years. The Frankel CVC has been an international leader in complex arrhythmia ablation and implantation and management of cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs).
Continuous investment in people, infrastructure and the latest technology, with new labs opening in 2025 and 2026, to deliver the best patient care.
Repeatedly, in the top 1% in the U.S. for “Best Overall Patient Experience and Care” by Press Ganey.
2,000 2,200 2,400 2,600 2,800 3,000 FY20
>30% GROWTH in EP procedural volume over the last five years
CATHETER ABLATIONS
1,400 catheter ablations per year using the latest novel technology, including 3D and 4D navigation and mapping systems, radiofrequency, cryoablation and, more recently, pulsed field ablation (PFA), a nonthermal ablation with minimal risk of collateral tissue injury that specifically targets abnormal heart cells. Frankel CVC was one of the first in the nation to adopt PFA.
We are dedicated to delivering the right treatment for the right patient.
• For patients with persistent atrial fibrillation and recurrent atrial arrhythmias, we also offer targeted approaches such as ethanol ablation of the vein of Marshall to eliminate residual mechanisms of atrial fibrillation.
• Our cardiac surgeons perform atrial ablation (MAZE procedure) at the time of other heart surgery, as well as through minimally invasive approaches in patients with lone atrial fibrillation.
U-M VENTRICULAR ARRHYTHMIA
ABLATIONS TICKER
>3,000
3,000+ ABLATION PROCEDURES FOR VENTRICULAR ARRHYTHMIAS to date
• We have expertise in high-risk epicardial ablation to treat complex ventricular arrhythmias and noninvasive stereotactic ablation in patients for whom catheter ablation is too risky or not feasible.
• We also perform ablations in patients with LVADs and difficult-to-treat ventricular arrhythmias.
The Frankel CVC is a major referral center for complex device extractions. In close partnership with cardiac surgery, we minimize the risk of complications and intervene immediately if necessary, leading to excellent outcomes.
We were one of the first in the nation to implant the world’s smallest — dual chamber — leadless pacemaker. Novel dual and single chamber leadless pacemakers and extravascular implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (EV ICDs) are used in patients with vascular access and recurrent infection concerns.
We offer physiologic conduction system pacing, a new cardiac pacing approach used to preserve and restore physiologic cardiac synchrony for better patient outcomes.
>1,000
CIED IMPLANTS
EACH YEAR
We offer the latest technology tailored for each patient.
Leadless pacemaker makes the difference
When traditional pacemakers weren’t up to par with Irwin Futernick’s active lifestyle, he finally found his alternate answer at the Frankel CVC six years after his heart journey began.
LEFT ATRIAL APPENDAGE OCCLUSION (LAAO)
For patients with atrial fibrillation who cannot tolerate the use of anticoagulants to minimize the risk of stroke, our team offers LAAO after a comprehensive evaluation with electrophysiology, vascular neurology, radiology, and cardiac surgery.
Treatment options include devices, like the WATCHMAN FLX™ Pro and Amplatzer™ Amulet, ™ and surgical options, like an AtriClip often with an accompanying MAZE procedure to eliminate atrial fibrillation, usually through video-assisted thoracoscopy.
NOVEL CLINICAL TRIALS
For decades, we have conducted many investigatorinitiated clinical trials and participated in numerous multicenter clinical trials. Our experts have helped to improve and offer novel treatment approaches for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias. Current clinical trials include:
• AVANT GUARD – This multicenter, global study aims to establish the safety and effectiveness of pulsed field ablation as a first-line ablation treatment for subjects with persistent atrial fibrillation as compared to subjects who received an initial treatment with antiarrhythmic drugs.
• LAAOS-4 – A multicenter study using the WATCHMAN FLX™ device aiming to determine if catheter-based endovascular LAAO prevents ischemic stroke or systemic embolism in participants with atrial fibrillation, who remain at high risk of stroke, despite receiving ongoing treatment with oral anticoagulation.
For information about our many active clinical trials, visit UMHealthResearch.org
Cardiovascular IMAGING
State-of-the-art imaging services are at the heart of the Frankel CVC’s heart and vascular programs and research enterprise. Imaging specialists with specialized training and the highest level of credentialing use advanced techniques to provide unparalleled levels of detail, including imaging of the most complex cardiac diseases. Strong interdisciplinary collaboration with specialists
THE FRANKEL CVC DIFFERENCE
NUCLEAR CARDIOLOGY AND PET IMAGING CENTER
• The center is equipped with the latest SPECT/CT and PET/CT imaging systems that enable the most precise measurement of blood flow to heart muscle. Frankel CVC specialists employ novel approaches to detect and quantify blood flow abnormalities due to coronary artery disease as well as inflammation in the heart muscle due to cardiac sarcoidosis, myocarditis and cardiac infection.
• Our fully digital PET/CT imaging system offers double the resolution with 50% lower radiation exposure than prior technologies. The digital PET/CT is also faster than traditional SPECT/CT, reducing stress testing time from three hours to approximately 30 minutes.
• With over 15 years of cardiac PET experience, the Frankel CVC is the largest PET program in Michigan.
50% LOWER RADIATION EXPOSURES
with PET-CT Scanner
CARDIAC MRI
• Frankel CVC’s magnetic resonance scanners are equipped with the latest technology to improve image quality and reduce blurring of images due to pacemakers/ICDs, difficulty with breath holding, and abnormal heart rhythms. We are experienced in safely performing MRI imaging in patients with pacemakers and ICDs, regardless of whether the device is MRI conditional.
• Our team is comprised entirely of fellowship-trained cardiothoracic radiologists and cardiologists with deep experience in a wide variety of cardiac diseases. Our cardiac MRI physicians and technologists are dedicated to detailed assessment of cardiovascular anatomy; accurate measurement of cardiac function,
throughout the Cardiovascular Center and U-M Health ensures effective diagnosis, analysis, and treatment for patients.
Cardiovascular images can be transferred electronically to promote provider-to-provider and patient-to-provider communication with Frankel CVC clinical cardiologists.
shunt quantification and stress perfusion; assessment of valvular pathologies; and identification of areas of cardiac scarring — all critical steps in planning advanced cardiac interventions.
PROCEDURE CATEGORY
ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY
• U-M is a nationally recognized leader in cardiac imaging
• We are a highly trained team of board-certified interpreting cardiologists, cardiac sonographers, exercise physiologists, and nurses.
• Frankel CVC’s state-of-the-art imaging center offers the most advanced echo imaging modalities available Services include transthoracic, transesophageal, stress (exercise and pharmacologic) echocardiography, 3D echocardiography, and strain analysis.
Transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) performed for a patient with severe, symptomatic tricuspid regurgitation. 3D multi-planar reconstruction is used for detailed assessment of tricuspid valve anatomy to plan minimally invasive treatment approaches for the tricuspid valve.
• Expert 3D echocardiography is the preferred imaging modality for measuring heart pumping function and evaluating patients being considered for minimally invasive structural heart procedures.
• We currently support 80 clinical trials, including 40 clinical trials involving novel treatments of structural heart disease.
CARDIAC AND VASCULAR CT
• Next-generation CT scanners image with lower radiation doses and can capture the entire heart in a single heartbeat. Advanced computer processing helps reduce artifact and improve image quality.
• Advanced image processing specialists in our 3D imaging lab are dedicated to sophisticated postprocessing of CT and MRI datasets to gain accurate dimensions and create 3D printed models of vascular anatomy. These models can inform planning of aortic and structural heart interventions and aid in patient education.
• We offer advanced imaging techniques such as dual energy CT for patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.
• Frankel CVC researchers are pioneering new techniques that use machine learning and high-resolution CT scanning to calculate 3D changes in the aortic wall — with each heartbeat and over time — that may help clinicians better estimate risk of complications in aortic aneurysms when they are more easily treatable.
• Our recently installed cutting-edge photon-counting CT scanner permits ultra high-resolution imaging of the heart and coronary arteries and minimizes image blurring due to calcium in the arteries.
• Advanced 4D CT imaging is opening new doors for researchers to create “digital twins” to plan heart valve procedures (TAVR and surgical aortic and mitral valve repair/replacement).
DIAGNOSTIC VASCULAR ULTRASOUND (DVU)
• Our DVU certified sonographers perform a full spectrum of approximately 30,000 arterial, venous, cerebrovascular, and abdominal studies annually
• The Frankel CVC has earned continuous accreditation by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission since 1993.
• We have expertise in advanced diagnostic imaging not offered at many other centers, including air plethysmography, transcranial doppler monitoring, transcutaneous oxygen measurement, specialized pelvic venous studies, specialized temporal artery duplex for diagnosis of giant cell arteritis, arterial perforator mapping prior to fibular flap surgery, and pediatric studies.
Representative 3D model of the heart from Michigan Medicine’s cuttingedge cardiac CT scanners in a patient with multiple valve replacements including tricuspid valve replacement (red), transcatheter mitral valve-invalve replacement (green) and patent foramen ovale closure (purple).
Accredited by the INTERSOCIETAL ACCREDITATION COMMISSION since 1993
PULMONARY VASCULAR Disease
PULMONARY ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION (PAH) AND MEDICALLY TREATED PULMONARY HYPERTENSION
• Our Pulmonary Hypertension Program is the largest and most experienced program in the state, and one of the largest in the country.
• U-M Health was pivotal in the clinical trials for PAH that led to the first drug in a decade approved for use in the spring of 2024. We also offer multiple Phase 2 and Phase 3 clinical trials of novel therapies for PAH and pulmonary hypertension associated with interstitial lung disease
• We are a comprehensive, single resource for the care and treatment of patients who live with PAH.
First in Michigan to be accredited as a CENTER OF COMPREHENSIVE CARE by the Pulmonary Hypertension Association
Her baby brother died of a rare disease. Years later, she was diagnosed with the same thing.
Heather Kauffman’s brother died of a rare lung disease called pulmonary arterial hypertension. When she developed symptoms, she joined a clinical trial to help others. READ HEATHER’S STORY FEATURED ON TODAY.COM:
• The Frankel CVC is a center of excellence with specific expertise in pulmonary endarterectomy and balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA). As the only center in Michigan to offer these procedures, we are a regional referral center for CTEPH.
• To deliver optimally integrated care across health systems, we host monthly virtual care coordination conferences with our statewide referring physician community. Patients who are not eligible for the complex, open-heart endarterectomy procedure are treated with minimally invasive BPA. Our highly trained specialists routinely perform pulmonary angiogram and BPA.
• We staff a dedicated, multidisciplinary, 24-hour oncall pulmonary vascular disease service available to referring physicians. This service is a gateway to our pulmonary embolism response team (PERT) as well as our inpatient and outpatient specialized care teams, providing seamless coordination of medical, interventional, and open surgical management.
Complex procedure saves man on life support, reverses organ failure
Mark Powers remembers waking up in a hospital room with no memory of how he got there. His family then filled him in on the extensive blood clots in his lungs and the life-saving surgery that took place after more than three weeks on ECMO.
PREVENTIVE Cardiology
THE FRANKEL CVC DIFFERENCE
We use genetic and advanced lipid testing along with cardiovascular imaging to provide personalized risk evaluation to our patients, and we are regional experts in diagnosing and treating genetic lipid disorders such as familial hypercholesterolemia, high triglycerides, lipoprotein(a), and abnormal HDL cholesterol levels.
The core of our lipid program is built around coupling lifestyle management with the latest breakthrough therapies. This includes providing individualized lifestyle counseling with ideal medical therapies, such as the twice-yearly, LDL-lowering “cholesterol vaccine” inclisiran, and other novel therapeutics, such as lipid apheresis, for rare genetic disorders. All referred patients see a nutritionist prior to the first visit with a lipid specialist to begin dietary modifications.
Lifestyle changes implemented in our virtual MetFit program help patients reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease, prevent or delay onset of diabetes and chronic liver disease, and reduce the consequences of obesity.
The Frankel CVC is the only Comprehensive Center of Excellence for Hypertension in the state of Michigan, and among only 20 in the nation. Our center offers expert diagnosis and control of both common and rare forms of hypertension, including resistant and refractory hypertension.
Our center is a nationally recognized site of expertise and a future site of a pivotal clinical trial at the forefront of preventive cardiology.
Key Service AREAS OF EXCELLENCE
Frankel CVC specialists in all areas of cardiovascular care work collaboratively across U-M Health and the greater medical community to provide the most advanced treatment options for patients. Here are a few more of the many innovative services we offer. For every one of our programs, our goal is to interact closely with referring physicians as we provide specialty treatment options and services for your patients, with a seamless transition back to your care.
ADULT CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE
The Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ACHD) Program is accredited as a Comprehensive Care Center by the Adult Congenital Heart Association — the first program in Michigan to earn this distinction. Accreditation recognizes the program as a leader in the field and a provider of the highest quality care for ACHD patients.
Our dedicated team includes four adult congenital cardiologists, with over 30 years of combined clinical expertise, coupled with specially trained advanced practice providers and nurse clinicians.
The ACHD team partners with specialists in congenital heart imaging, electrophysiology, minimally invasive catheterization, and cardiothoracic congenital surgery to ensure seamless, wrap-around care.
Our program also works closely with the U-M Health Cardio-Obstetrics Program to care for pregnant patients with congenital heart disease.
Rare congenital heart disease no match for one mother
For Amanda Allen, who was diagnosed at age 12 with a congenital heart disease known as congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries (or CCTGA), getting to the right team of specialists saved her life, and her chance to have children.
FRANKEL CVC ACHD PROGRAM
COVERS THE STATE OF MICHIGAN with locations in Ann Arbor, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Marquette, Petoskey, Traverse City, and Grand Rapids
We are highly experienced in multiple heart valve replacements using a transcatheter approach in the majority of patients, including those who have not previously had a valve replacement. Our multidisciplinary cardiac valve team excels at surgical valve repair and replacement for patients who are not candidates for interventional procedures.
Our program is one of few across the country to offer an ACGME-accredited University of Michigan Adult Congenital Heart Disease Fellowship to train the next generation of board-certified ACHD specialists. The two-year fellowship program is a collaboration between U-M Health Frankel CVC and U-M Health C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital.
“The strength and grace” of one mom with severe heart disease
Katy Conners’ balancing act between her severe aortic stenosis and the care of her son, born at just 26 weeks, and six other children, exemplifies the strengths of moms.
CARDIO-OBSTETRICS
The Cardio-Obstetrics Program is a leading referral center, caring for high-risk patients throughout Michigan.
The team specializes in the full spectrum of cardiovascular conditions and partners with patients and referring providers to create personalized plans for care during pregnancy, labor and birth, and during the postpartum period.
With expertise in all forms of heart disease including adult congenital heart disease, a combined clinical space for both obstetrics and cardiology appointments, and a Level III NICU, U-M Health delivers top-tier care for the entire spectrum of heart disease to mothers and babies
THE FRANKEL CVC DIFFERENCE
• Preconception and contraception counseling for patients with heart disease who want to understand the risks associated with pregnancy.
• Preconception and postpartum remote, virtual blood pressure monitoring program for patients with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.
• Treatment for mothers who develop heart disease during pregnancy, including peripartum cardiomyopathy and preeclampsia. Care for these women involves both in-person care and remote blood pressure monitoring during pregnancy (Mi-Birth) and after birth (Mi-Heart).
Expertise of cardiologists, maternal-fetal medicine specialists, and anesthesiologists provides WRAP-AROUND CARE to achieve optimal birth outcomes with NO LIMIT IN THE TYPES OF HEART DISEASE to treat in expectant mothers
• Our program offers patients access to a number of clinical trials. We are also studying the impact of breast feeding on long-term outcomes.
CARDIO-ONCOLOGY
The Frankel CVC’s Cardio-Oncology Clinic was one of the first in the country to provide comprehensive, coordinated care for cancer patients and cancer survivors. Our team of cardiologists and oncologists work together to optimize patients’ pre-existing heart disease and minimize risk from cancer therapy.
We have expertise in the full spectrum of heart and vascular complications related to cancer treatment, including:
• cardiac amyloidosis
• carcinoid heart disease
• cardiac tumors
• all forms of cardiotoxicity arising from cancer therapeutics
Our goal is to improve the quality of life for cancer patients and eliminate barriers to effective treatment as we support them from diagnosis through survivorship and monitor for late effects.
Our clinic is specially recognized for:
• Our pre-bone marrow transplant cardiovascular evaluation, ensuring the safety of patients about to undergo therapy.
• Our rare expertise in the management of immunecheckpoint inhibitor myocarditis
Cancer patients suspected of having symptoms related to cardiac issues or those with abnormal cardiac imaging should be seen by an experienced subspecialty team for evaluation.
Our specialists are at the forefront of translational and clinical research studying the most effective ways to prevent and predict cardiotoxicity.
PERIPHERAL ARTERY DISEASE
The Peripheral Artery Disease Program is a multidisciplinary team of specialists in interventional cardiology, interventional radiology, cardiovascular medicine, and vascular surgery housed within a comprehensive health system that can best support the care needed to treat and manage PAD. The PAD Program also collaborates with the U-M Health podiatry and wound care clinic teams.
MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM OF PROVIDERS
reviews challenging cases for best treatment recommendations
From mild to the most complex cases, our patient-driven program focuses on improving each individual’s quality of life with the most appropriate treatment plan and regular check-ins over time.
Several specialists of our team have participated in the writing group for the national PAD guidelines and currently participate in the American Heart Association PVD Council and PAD Summit as well as the American College of Cardiology PAD Committee.
Specialists take an evidence-based approach to patient care, with recommendations for medical therapy before surgical procedures, when appropriate.
96.8%
PATIENT SATISFACTION
QUALITY IN PATIENT CARE
The Frankel CVC is committed to achieving superior, highly reliable patient care.
Our clinicians have led the Blue Cross Blue Shield Cardiovascular Consortium (BMC2) Percutaneous Coronary Intervention quality improvement initiative since its inception in 1997, making it the longest running value partnership in Michigan
Our clinicians are also integral leaders for all other BCBS cardiovascular collaborative quality initiatives, including:
• on guideline-directed medication therapy (aspirin, direct oral anticoagulants, and statins)
• offered smoking cessation assistance and medications
• offered participation in a supervised exercise program
We seek to follow guideline-based strategies for revascularization using the newest available devices, such as:
• intravascular lithotripsy
• the DETOUR system
• transradial catheters and devices
• atherectomy
• drug-eluting balloons
• drug-eluting or covered stents
When necessary, patients are treated with a hybrid revascularization approach involving both open surgical and percutaneous revascularization.
All patients with PAD who have received interventions are referred to structured, supervised exercise therapy in an outpatient setting, which is covered by most insurance companies, to optimize patient outcomes.
Patients have a strong voice in quality of life research at the Frankel CVC. Patient advisors are actively involved in all clinical trials to ensure they are patient centered.
Second opinions that EMPOWER PATIENTS FACING HIGH-RISK PROCEDURES ensuring every option is explored
• Michigan Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons (MSTCVS) Quality Collaborative
• Michigan Structural Heart Consortium (MISHC)
These CQIs are informed by their associated regional and national registries and create an environment where data transparency facilitates the development of statewide best practices in safety, appropriateness, and clinical care quality.
VENOUS HEALTH
The Venous Health Program is a multidisciplinary, high-volume clinic that offers expert care for the entire spectrum of venous disease provided by vascular surgeons, interventional radiologists, and vascular medicine specialists.
Our highly trained experts treat patients with conditions ranging from superficial to the most complex venous disease.
Specialists meet regularly in a multidisciplinary venous case conference to discuss cases, providing a more efficient delivery of health care. This provides one consensus statement of care for patients rather than having to see 5–6 different specialists individually.
We offer personalized therapies comprising lifestyle changes, compression, medications, and massage in addition to interventional therapies.
With over 30 years of experience, we are a national tertiary referral site for patients requiring recanalization, reconstruction, or stenting of central vein occlusions and other complex procedures.
Our diagnostic vascular laboratory provides state-ofthe-art noninvasive venous diagnostic studies including DVT scans, venous reflux scans with perforators for patients with venous ulcerations, and pelvic ultrasound for patients with pelvic venous disease.
15 YEARS
of organized multidisciplinary care through our Venous Health Program
READ KENNY’S STORY
From no longer working to cycling 14 miles
Venous disease caused debilitating symptoms for Kenny Busch, until he found the right team and treatment.
We strive to provide patient-centered access to our multidisciplinary expertise closer to home through virtual visits, educational programs for our referring physicians, and services available at locations throughout the region.
Efficiencies within the U-M Health system:
• For patients seen in the emergency room for a pulmonary embolism (PE), a new low-risk PE clinic is available to avoid being admitted to the hospital and to be seen by a specialist in the clinic quickly without PCPs needing to do follow up.
• An e-consult program with the wound care clinic fast tracks patients with venous ulcers to receive treatment.
The Frankel CVC is commonly a clinical trial site for new devices and stents, putting us at the forefront of adopting new technologies to treat venous disease. Recently, our team performed a first-in-human compassionate use of a device.
MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM OF PROVIDERS
reviews challenging cases for best treatment recommendations
awards for high-quality stroke care:
☑ Stroke Get With the Guidelines® Gold Plus, for more than 10 consecutive years of 85% or higher adherence on all achievement measures applicable and 75% or higher adherence with additional select quality measures in stroke.
☑ Target: Stroke™ Elite Plus Honor Roll, for treating 75% or more of eligible stroke patients in 45 minutes or less* and 50% of eligible stroke patients in 30 minutes or less*, in addition to our current Gold Plus Get With the Guidelines-Stroke status.
*Door to treatment time
☑ Target: Stroke™ Advanced Therapy Honor Roll, for door-to-device times in at least 50% of applicable patients within 90 minutes for direct arriving and within 60 minutes for transfers.
The Comprehensive Stroke Center has been a Joint Commission Certified Comprehensive Stroke Center since 2014, and its physicians have participated in the development of national guidelines for the treatment of stroke. Frankel CVC faculty lead research across race, ethnic, social, and gender health disparities in stroke care.
FY24
The center has earned Comprehensive Stroke Center certification by the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association in collaboration with the Joint Commission and is consistently recognized for High Performance for Stroke by U.S. News & World Report in its annual rankings.
Our faculty lead clinical trials that seek to optimize acute stroke intervention and secondary stroke prevention, and U-M Health serves as a Regional Coordinating Center for NIH StrokeNet — a nationwide hospital network conducting leading stroke clinical trials.
GENETIC COUNSELING AND TESTING
The Genetic Counseling and Testing Program is the only program in the state with a dedicated cardiovascular genetics team offering genetic counseling and testing for individuals diagnosed with inherited cardiovascular conditions and their families.
Our counselors care for all aspects of cardiovascular disease at all ages, including extended family branches. We are available to see adult patients at the Frankel CVC and pediatric patients at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital. This may also include referrals for family members living out of state who can ultimately be connected to specialists in their areas.
The program works hand-in-hand with a multidisciplinary team of specialists in:
• Cardiomyopathy
• Arrhythmia
• Aortic disease
• Heart failure
• Early-onset coronary artery disease
• Pulmonary arterial hypertension
• Adult congenital heart disease
• Other vascular and arterial diseases
Any individual with a family history of cardiovascular disease, early-onset heart disease or a close relative who experienced a sudden, unexplained death is
RELATED PATIENT STORY: Getting ahead of aortic disease
encouraged to meet with a genetic counselor experienced in inherited cardiovascular conditions.
We coordinate molecular autopsies across the state of Michigan and beyond on individuals who experienced sudden death or died of a potentially inherited cardiac disease to gather information to help protect surviving members of the family.
As leaders in clinical research, we are working to translate our findings into useful clinical information for patients and their families. Our board-certified, licensed genetic counselors are available to assist clinicians and to prepare individuals with familial cardiovascular disease for genetic testing, including how testing might impact the patient and family.
Our team is constantly re-evaluating genetic information to stay up to date on what’s new and different in the field, re-connecting with patients and their family members as information evolves.
INHERITED CARDIOMYOPATHIES AND ARRHYTHMIAS
The Inherited Cardiomyopathies and Arrhythmias Program is one of few comprehensive programs in the country for the evaluation and treatment of all inherited heart muscle (cardiomyopathies) and rhythm (arrhythmias) conditions.
Our multidisciplinary team cares for both adult and pediatric patients and includes cardiologists, electrophysiologists, advanced heart failure specialists, genetic counselors, cardiac surgeons, cardiac imaging specialists, exercise physiologists, nutritionists, nurses, and advanced practice providers. This approach allows seamless transition of care from pediatric to adult stages and efficient, patient-centered communication.
Our specialists encourage timely referral to a center of excellence to identify and monitor inherited heart conditions in early stages to optimize outcomes.
As the only site in Michigan with a high volume of experience in a vast array of clinical trials for both obstructive and non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathies (the most common form of inherited cardiomyopathies), our specialists have been at the forefront of practice-changing advances for managing this disease and developing new drugs that delay their progression
Our specialists are international leaders in arrythmogenic cardiomyopathies and THE ONLY SITE REGIONALLY FOR GENE THERAPY TRIALS in this space.
Recognized as a CENTER OF EXCELLENCE BY THE HYPERTROPHIC CARDIOMYOPATHY ASSOCIATION since 2007
TRANSITIONS OF CARE
Because a patient’s health is most vulnerable in the short term following discharge, Frankel CVC has a number of follow-up options or Bridge Clinics to help patients stay healthy and reduce their risk of readmission
• Within 14 days post-discharge, patients are seen by an advanced practice provider in one of our Bridge Clinics for a thorough medical assessment. This ensures patients are on the correct medications, have access to the necessary cardiovascular resources, fully understand their role in their own care, and have a follow-up appointment scheduled with their cardiologist.
• After a heart event or procedure, our nationally recognized cardiac rehabilitation program provides a center-based program consisting of monitored exercise and comprehensive lifestyle modification under the supervision of board-certified exercise physiologists. Cardiac rehabilitation reduces patients’ risk of having a second cardiovascular event or hospitalization.
• General cardiology — Patients on medical management receive a call from a LPN three days post-discharge to reconcile medications and ensure follow-up appointments have been scheduled.
• Heart failure patients may receive blood pressure cuffs and scales that enable them to check vital signs, weights and fill out a daily symptom survey on a tablet enabled with cell service. Others may be enrolled in a digital platform that assists in streamlining patient monitoring. Results are reviewed by a nurse. Postacute care physicians and advanced practice providers triage patient concerns, manage acute problems, and coordinate with the patient’s cardiologist or primary care provider for 30 days after hospital discharge.
Our data has shown that patients who participate in Bridge Clinics are less at risk for readmission to the hospital or Emergency Department visits over six months than those who do not participate.
Bridge Clinic patients often experience LOWER READMISSION RATES
collaboration with maternal fetal medicine specialists and cardiac surgery
Among the first four institutions in the country TO EARN ACCREDITATION IN PERIOPERATIVE TRANSESOPHAGEAL ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC)
The Frankel CVC nursing team is dedicated to delivering compassionate care, evidence-based practice, and based on the unique needs of every
MAGNET AWARD OF EXCELLENCE FOR TWO CONSECUTIVE CYCLES
Magnet designation for two consecutive cycles, a prestigious distinction that recognizes health care organizations for quality patient care and outcomes, nursing excellence, and innovation in
RECOGNITION
FOR IN EVIDENCE-BASED CARE THAT BENEFITS PATIENTS
Several of our nursing units have earned the Beacon , recognizing caregivers whose systematic approach to evidence-based care optimizes
RECOGNITION FOR EXCELLENCE
IN COMPASSIONATE PATIENT ADVOCACY AND PROFESSIONAL
STANDARDS
Many Frankel CVC nurses have been honored with the Daisy Award, which recognizes extraordinary nurses who exemplify excellence through compassionate and persistent patient advocacy and consistent adherence to the highest clinical and ethical standards of the nursing profession.
Our RN Answer Line call center provides patients access to expedited care and the ability to be triaged by a nurse for urgent symptom management. Virtual platforms such as MPOTA (MiChart Patient Outreach Texting Application) and Conversa, a mobile app-based virtual care and triage platform, keep patients connected to our nurses electronically.
Frankel CVC advanced practice nurses practice at the top of their license, both independently and paired with cardiologists and surgeons through our cardiovascular programs. We have found that utilizing advanced practice providers has enabled the teams to provide more timely and effective care to our patient population.
RESEARCH
The Frankel Cardiovascular Center has a vast research enterprise reliant on sound strategy to maximize efficiencies, quality, and research opportunities. The commitment to excellence through teamwork, innovation, caring, inclusion, and integrity is the basis for success for Frankel CVC Research Programs. Our goal is to generate new knowledge and make significant advances in cardiovascular research to lead the fight against cardiovascular disease.
Our commitment to basic science, translational and clinical research keeps us at the forefront of scientific discovery, demonstrates our leadership in the fight against cardiovascular disease and ensures patients have access to the expansive range of clinical research studies that are currently enrolling at the Frankel CVC.
There are currently 482 active research studies across 41 diverse divisions, departments, schools, and institutions at the University of Michigan.
RESEARCHERS AND CLINICIANS
The Frankel Cardiovascular Center recruits and retains promising scientists and clinicians who are not only successful in their fields, but who represent the Center’s mission, vision and values. Visit our digital timeline (med.umich.edu/ cvc/timeline/) to view the contributions of U-M cardiovascular researchers over the past 150+ years.
412 FACULTY MEMBERS
113 JOINT APPOINTMENTS
46 DIVISIONS, DEPARTMENTS, SCHOOLS, INSTITUTES
COLLABORATIVE PROGRAMS WITH
LASER-FOCUSED RESEARCH GOALS
• M-BoCA* — work in understanding cardiovascular aging
• M-BRISC** — examining biological sex differences and their impact on cardiovascular health
• MI-AORTA*** — conducting aortic disease research in parallel with the clinical and educational aspects of this program
• MI-REACH**** — collaborative program in cardiovascular imaging
*Michigan Biology of Cardiovascular Aging Program
**Michigan Biological Research Initiative on Sex Differences in Cardiovascular Disease
***Multidisciplinary Aortic Program
**** Michigan Imaging – Research Education and Clinical Heart Program
RESEARCH EDUCATION
OPPORTUNITIES TO DISCUSS AND INSPIRE NEW DISCOVERIES
• Frontiers in Cardiovascular Science –Basic science content-focused seminar
• Cardiovascular and Cardiovascular Medicine Grand Rounds – Clinical science content-focused seminars
• C3RG* – Research staff education content-focused seminar
• SURF** – Basic science lab experience
• Frankel CVC Major Programs (MI-AORTA, M-BRISC, M-BoCA) – Monthly seminar series
*Cardiovascular Center Clinical Research Group
**Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship
SUPPORTING INNOVATION
The Frankel Cardiovascular Innovation Program fosters a culture of innovation through education, funding, and mentorship for Frankel CVC faculty, staff, trainees, patients, and families. This aim empowers those within our ecosystem to create new or different systems and products that fundamentally change the existing system. The program is comprised of:
• Aikens Innovation Academy – A free, 10-week, virtual course on innovation and commercialization concepts available to cardiovascular innovators.
• Innovation Challenge – Annual pitch competition for those with cardiovascular innovations in the form of changes to patient care or potential new products compete for funding. “Just Do It” Awards are also available for low-cost, low-complexity ideas.
• Innovation Webinars and other educational offerings.
For more information, visit michmed.org/fcvcinnovation-program
BROAD OFFERING OF CLINICAL TRIAL OPPORTUNITIES
Clinical Trials Open to Enrollment FY24
110 TOTAL ACTIVELY ENROLLING CLINICAL TRIALS
DEDICATED RESOURCES TO FACILITATE RESEARCH SUCCESS
• CHIP*
• FCVC Cores**
• Regeneration Core Lab
• Shared cutting-edge research equipment inventory available to all CVC faculty
• Internal funding opportunities to launch discovery (more than $10M invested since 2013)
*Cardiovascular Health Improvement Project **Frankel Cardiovascular Center Core Laboratories
TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER LEADERS
Licensing agreements for CVC members –2007–2024
824 FILINGS (90 IN FY24)
418 ACTIVE (52 IN FY24)
80 LICENSED (11 IN FY24)
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Please email CVCVolunteer@med.umich.edu or visit UMHealthResearch.org for answers to your questions and additional information about our research programs.
Patients and their families can sign up to be matched with research studies for specific health conditions through UMHealthResearch.org, the greater University’s research community website.
EDUCATION
One of the main pillars of the Frankel CVC mission is education. Expanding our understanding of cardiovascular disease across the lifespan is a collaborative effort among clinicians, scientists, patients and their families. Our focus on the exploration of improved treatments, disease mechanisms, genetics, and myriads of other factors impacting patient care supports our educational partnerships with our referring physicians to improve outcomes for all.
Visit michmed.org/css-video-series
GRAND ROUNDS AND VIDEO SERIES
Our Grand Rounds program features a series of talks presented by Frankel CVC faculty, guest faculty and medical students on the topics of Cardiovascular Medicine, Cardiac Surgery and Vascular Surgery. For more information or to register to view live Grand Rounds, email Erika Laszlo at physicianliaisons@ med.umich.edu. To view our playlists of grand rounds and other cardiovascularrelated videos, visit umcvc.org/physician-resources
HEALTH LAB BLOG
MichiganHealthLab.org is a daily online publication that features informative articles about cutting-edge research, medical breakthroughs, and related patient profiles.
ONGOING COMMUNICATION
Don’t miss our latest news. Sign up for our newsletter on clinical updates, research, and more from the Frankel CVC. Subscribe today at umcvc.org/cardio-news.
CONTINUING EDUCATION
Throughout the year, the U-M Frankel CVC offers physicians, mid-level and advanced practice providers a variety of continuing medical education courses and seminars taught by our faculty. For information on upcoming courses, visit michmed.org/intmed-cme.
PATIENTS, FAMILIES, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS
PATIENT AND FAMILY EDUCATION
The Frankel CVC’s Mardigian Wellness Resource Center provides information about cardiovascular health in patient-friendly language. Our goal is to help patients and families understand their health conditions, make informed decisions, and become active members of their health care team. Visit umcvc.org/mardigian-wellness-resource-center
FRANKEL CVC CARDIOVASCULAR CARE GUIDES
Our Cardiovascular Care Guides site is for patients, families, and the general public. The site includes cardiovascular patient education videos, websites, and handouts created or approved by our Frankel CVC clinicians. Visit michmed.org/cvc-care-guides
COMMUNITY HEALTH OUTREACH
The Frankel CVC is committed to providing education and services to improve the health and well-being of our surrounding community. The goal of the program is to increase the quality, diversity, availability, and effectiveness of community-based education to prevent cardiovascular disease, improve health, and enhance the quality of life for all. In the past year, events from clothing drives to hands-only CPR and AED awareness demonstrations were a collaborative effort engaging various groups, organizations, and Frankel CVC faculty and staff, all of whom have made a commitment to stewardship within our community. For more information, call 734-232-1866.
How to REFER & RESOURCES
3 WAYS TO REFER
TO THE FRANKEL CARDIOVASCULAR CENTER
eREFERRAL uofmhealth.org/provider/ emr-access
Three options:
1. Direct Messaging (non-EPIC EMR to U-M Health)
2. EPIC Care Everywhere to Michigan Medicine
3. Provider Portal CALL M-LINE, 800-962-3555
• Admissions/transfers
• Appointments
• Physician consultations
• Patient information FAX
Consult Request Form to 734-232-4480
PHYSICIAN LIAISON PROGRAM
Communication with our referring physicians is essential to coordinating patient care. To this end, our Physician Liaison Program offers personalized service to community-based physicians throughout the region.
Erika Laszlo, our Frankel CVC Outreach Manager, provides information about new cardiovascular services, treatment options, and clinical trials; assesses your needs and determines how we can best meet them; and shares outreach opportunities from our clinical faculty.
For additional information, call M-LINE at 800-962-3555 or email physicianliaisons@med.umich.edu.
ELECTRONIC IMAGE TRANSFER PROCESS uofmhealth.org/uploadimages
M-LINE 800-962-3555
M-LINE is a 24-hour, toll-free number for our referring physicians and staff seeking access to clinical services and faculty at U-M Health. M-LINE staff work closely with personnel across U-M Health to provide efficient and personalized service.
To make a referral or speak with one of our specialists, contact M-LINE: 800-962-3555.
For additional referral information, visit the U-M Health Provider website: uofmhealth.org/provider.
DIRECT MESSAGING
EHR-TO-EHR COMMUNICATION
Direct messaging is a secure, standardized way that health care organizations can exchange patient health information and referrals directly between electronic health record (EHR) systems. This functionality allows practices to connect with U-M Health without having to use fax machines or mail services.
Direct messaging can be used to securely send:
• Outpatient referrals
• Physician-to-physician messages
• Continuity of Care documents
• Automatic discharge notices
• Summary of Care documents
• Other patient records and results
For more information, visit uofmhealth.org/provider/ direct-messaging or call M-LINE at 800-962-3555
PROVIDER PORTAL
The Provider Portal is a secure, webbased application that enables referring physicians and their staff to access patient medical information, including:
• Appointment notifications
• Admission notifications
• Emergency Department notes
• Laboratory and radiological test results
• Physician/clinic letters
• OR notes
• Progress notes
• Medication lists
• Problem lists
• Allergies
Visit uofmhealth.org/providerportal to download a User and Site Agreement form or call M-LINE at 800-962-3555.
SECURE IMAGE TRANSFERS
Secure, electronic patient image transfers can be made from any facility to U-M Health. A one-time upload feature allows hospitals and sites not currently connected to U-M Health to transfer images via LifeIMAGE, a third-party HIPAA-compliant image exchange network. Any site connected to the Internet can send DICOM images to U-M Health.
Visit uofmhealth.org/outsideimages for more information.
PATIENT ADVOCACY
PATIENT AND FAMILY CENTERED CARE (PFCC)
At the heart of the U-M Cardiovascular Center is the belief that providing the ideal care experience stems from a partnership between patients, their families, physicians, and staff. CVC has created a Patient and Family Centered Care program as a forum for patients and families to share their personal experiences and partner with the CVC faculty and staff to improve care.
U-M Health has also established numerous Patient and Family Advisory Councils (PFACs) throughout hospital departments, which are an integral part of our PFCC initiative.
For more information, call 734-232-4617, email cvc-pfcc-program@med.umich.edu or visit umcvc.org/patient-and-family-centered-care-program
DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION (DEI)
DEI is a priority at the Frankel CVC. The Center’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Well-being Steering Committee is a group that aims to educate and lead staff, faculty, students, and patients/families on issues concerning diversity, equity, inclusion, and well-being. The Steering Committee was established to design and implement innovative and practical ways to engage and emphasize inclusivity across the Frankel CVC.
Through participation, Frankel CVC staff, faculty, and students not only work to create an inclusive work environment, but also strive to create an inclusive space for our patients/families, and educate the Frankel CVC community about health inequities that directly affect patient health outcomes and their quality of life.
For more information about our program and our commitment to DEI, please email fcvcdei@med. umich.edu
LOCATIONS
From outpatient visits and tests to surgery and recovery, the Frankel Cardiovascular Center serves as a central location for coordinated, top-quality cardiovascular care from our highly skilled medical and surgical teams. Together with inpatient units at University of Michigan Health hospital system and outpatient clinics located throughout the local area, U-M Health’s nationally recognized heart and vascular program is more convenient and accessible to all. We also offer collaborative services with MyMichigan Health and University of Michigan Health-Sparrow in the MidMichigan region.
Patients: 888-287-1082
Providers: 800-962-3555
CARDIOVASCULAR NETWORK OF WEST MICHIGAN
CVNetworkWMI.org
The Cardiovascular Network of West Michigan is a joint operating agreement that leverages the clinical expertise of three existing heart programs in the region — cardiovascular and openheart surgery programs at Trinity Health Muskegon and University of Michigan Health-West, the cardiovascular program at Trinity Health Grand Rapids — and the nationally ranked expertise of U-M Health Frankel Cardiovascular Center in Ann Arbor.
A WYOMING University of Michigan Health-West Heart & Vascular, Cardiovascular and Cardiothoracic Surgery 2122 Health Drive SW Suite 133 Wyoming, MI 49519
616-252-5950
B MUSKEGON
Trinity Health Medical Group Cardiothoracic Surgery 1560 E. Sherman Boulevard Suite 309 Muskegon, MI 49444 231-672-8643
Trinity Health Medical Group Cardiology 1212 E. Sherman Boulevard Muskegon, MI 49444 231-672-3500
C GRAND RAPIDS
Trinity Health Medical Group Cardiovascular 1000 E. Paris SE, Suite 200 Grand Rapids, MI 49546 616-685-3450
Trinity Health Medical Group Cardiovascular 310 Lafayette Avenue SE Suite 301 Grand Rapids, MI 49503 616-685-7850
Sarah Hubbard, Denise Ilitch, Ron Weiser, Katherine E. White, Santa J. Ono (ex officio)
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN HEALTH EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
Marschall S. Runge, M.D., Ph.D., Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs, Dean; Steven L. Kunkel, Ph.D., Executive Vice Dean for Research; David C. Miller, M.D., M.P.H., Executive Vice Dean for Clinical Affairs; Debra F. Weinstein, M.D., Executive Vice Dean for Academic Affairs
NONDISCRIMINATION POLICY STATEMENT
The University of Michigan, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University of Michigan is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, height, weight, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. Inquiries or complaints may be addressed to the Senior Director for Institutional Equity, and Title IX/Section 504/ADA Coordinator, Office for Institutional Equity, 2072 Administrative Services Building, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1432, 734-7630235, TTY 734-647-1388, institutional.equity@umich.edu. For other University of Michigan information call 734-764-1817.
