Ascension Saint Thomas Heart Earns Top National Honors for Quality and Innovation in Cardiovascular Care

Ascension Saint Thomas Heart continues to strengthen its position as a national leader in cardiovascular care, earning multiple recognitions and achieving clinical milestones that reflect its commitment to quality, innovation and patient outcomes.

Most recently, Ascension Saint Thomas Heart earned the highest possible three-star rating from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons for coronary artery bypass grafting, combined aortic valve replacement and coronary artery bypass procedures, and multiprocedural cardiac surgery. The rating places the program among the top cardiovascular centers in the United States and Canada and recognizes strong performance in patient survival, complication prevention and surgical quality.

The Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association also recognized Ascension Saint Thomas Heart as one of only 58 Centers of Excellence in the nation for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy care. The designation recognizes the program's expertise, research, patient education and commitment to advancing treatment for complex heart conditions.

"These recognitions reflect the extraordinary dedication of our physicians, nurses and clinical teams who work every day to deliver the highest quality cardiovascular care to patients across Tennessee and beyond," said Dr. Evelio Rodriguez, chief of cardiac surgery for Ascension Saint Thomas Heart. "Our focus remains on combining exceptional outcomes with the latest innovations so patients can receive high-quality care close to home."

The Mitral Foundation recognized Ascension Saint Thomas Heart as a Mitral Valve Repair Reference Center. The designation is awarded to programs that follow evidence-based treatment guidelines and consistently achieve strong outcomes in mitral valve repair surgery.

Ascension Saint Thomas Heart has earned this recognition for five consecutive years and remains the only program in Tennessee recognized by The Mitral Foundation. The designation recognizes programs that maintain rigorous quality oversight and reporting standards while delivering care for patients with degenerative mitral valve disease.

Ascension Saint Thomas Heart also continues to advance structural heart care. Earlier this year, physicians performed Tennessee's first commercial transcatheter M3 mitral valve replacement procedure. The minimally invasive treatment offers a new option for patients with complex mitral valve disease who may not qualify for traditional open-heart surgery.

The procedure followed years of participation in clinical research and reflects the organization's commitment to bringing emerging technologies and therapies to patients throughout the region.

The program has also gained national attention for its leadership in robotic cardiac surgery. Becker's Cardiology recently highlighted Ascension Saint Thomas Heart as one of the nation's leading robotic heart surgery programs, noting that approximately 35% of coronary artery bypass procedures at the hospital are now performed robotically. The program was among the first in the world to use the da Vinci 5 robotic platform for cardiac surgery and serves as a training center for physicians from around the world.

"Our team continues to advance cardiovascular medicine through innovation, research and clinical excellence," Rodriguez said. "Whether through robotic surgery, structural heart procedures, complex valve repair or nationally recognized outcomes, we remain committed to providing advanced care for our patients."

These achievements highlight Ascension Saint Thomas Heart's investment in innovation, research and quality and reinforce its role as a leading destination for cardiovascular care in Tennessee and across the nation.