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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.
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.
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
• 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 immune checkpoint 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.
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.
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.
Approximately 90% of patients are:
• 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.
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 tvirtertiary referral site for patients requiring recanalization, reconstruction, or stenting of central vein occlusions and other complex procedures.
Our diagnostic vascular laboratory provides state-of-the-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.
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.
The U-M Health Comprehensive Stroke Center provides timely, evidence-based and effective acute stroke management 24/7 as well as secondary stroke prevention and recovery.
The multidisciplinary team includes specially trained experts in emergency medicine, neurology, neurosurgery, neuro-interventional radiology, neurocritical care, vascular surgery, cardiology, anesthesiology, internal medicine, and physical medicine and rehabilitation.
In 2024, the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association presented the U-M Health Stroke Program with the following 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.
136 ANEURYSMS TREATED 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 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. 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.
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
CARDIOVASCULAR ANESTHESIA
At the Frankel CVC, cardiac and critical care anesthesiologists provide care in procedural areas and the intensive care unit. Our fellowship-trained cardiac anesthesiologists with board certification in perioperative echocardiography are a vital part of the team for all interventional and surgical procedures.
With the highest degree of training and expertise in critical care anesthesiology, the team of intensivists provide 24-hour in-house coverage in the cardiovascular surgical ICU.
Cardiac anesthesiologists provide care in the following settings:
• Complex cardiac surgery, including structural heart
• Vascular surgery
• Thoracic surgery
• Transesophageal echocardiograms in collaboration with the echocardiography lab
• Cardio-Obstetrics Program, high-risk birth deliveries in collaboration with maternal fetal medicine specialists and cardiac surgery
Members of the Frankel CVC anesthesiology program lead statewide quality improvement efforts as members of the Multi-center Perioperative Outcomes Group (MPOG) and its peer-review subgroup ASPIRE, a BCBS of Michigan Collaborative Quality Initiative.
CARDIAC NURSING
The Frankel CVC nursing team is dedicated to delivering compassionate care, evidence-based practice, and clinical expertise based on the unique needs of every patient served.
U-M Health nurses have achieved 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 professional nursing practice.
Several of our nursing units have earned the Beacon Award for Excellence, recognizing caregivers whose systematic approach to evidence-based care optimizes patient outcomes.
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.
