MedStar Washington Hospital Center has been perfecting ways to perform complex cervical spine surgery, and recently performed the first MySpine® Cervical surgery in the country.
MedStar Washington Hospital Center is now offering an advanced, non-invasive treatment for men with early-stage prostate cancer that has not spread outside of the prostate gland.
MedStar Washington Hospital Center is one of a select few institutions nationwide now offering patients with abnormally slow heart rates breakthrough technology that delivers treatment by two tiny leadless pacemakers implanted within the heart. The Aveir™ DR Leadless Pacemaker System, each smaller than a AAA battery, are implanted with the upper and lower chambers of the heart, to normalize its rhythm.
A multi-site, five-year study led by a MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute cardiologist and fellow researchers from across the country have demonstrated the benefits of routine genetic testing for patients with advanced disease from dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), a disease of the heart muscle and their at-risk family members.
MedStar Washington Hospital Center has again been recognized as one of the top 50 cardiovascular centers in the country by U.S. News & World Report's Best Hospitals" list. MedStar Washington's Cardiology, Heart & Vascular Surgery program is tied for the No. 33 spot nationwide in this year’s rankings. It is the only nationally recognized heart and vascular program of its kind in the Washington region. MedStar Washington was also rated as high performing in two adult specialties: Gastroenterology & GI Surgery and Geriatrics and 15 common procedures or conditions.
MedStar Washington Hospital Center is the most socially responsible hospital in Washington, D.C. and is among the top in the nation, according to the Lown Institute. The 2023-24 Lown Institute Hospitals Index evaluated more than 3,600 hospitals nationwide, and MedStar Washington ranked #1 in D.C. and is among 54 U.S. hospitals to earn Honor Roll status with “A” grades in all top categories: Social Responsibility, Health Equity, Value of Care, and Patient Outcomes. It also named MedStar Washington the most racially inclusive hospital in the District.
MedStar Washington Hospital Center became first in the world to use the RevCore thrombectomy catheter for treatment of deep vein thrombosis. In March, vascular surgeon Steven Abramowitz, MD, used the RevCore deep venous ‘stent cleaner,’ on 10 patients where he successfully dislodged and removed old, rigid clots and debris from the deep veins and stents, all in a single session and restored blood flow.
Thomas MacGillivray, MD, has been elected President of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Dr. MacGillivray is the physician executive director of Cardiac Surgery at MedStar Health and chairman of Cardiac Surgery at MedStar Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C.
MedStar Washington Hospital Center has opened a new state-of-the-art Biocontainment Unit (BCU) to care for patients who contract highly infectious diseases. Located near the Emergency Room, the new multi-purpose 15-bed unit will be used primarily for observation and flexed for respiratory isolation and further flexed to care for patients with highly contagious conditions, such as Ebola.
The Burn Center at MedStar Washington Hospital Center has performed its 1,000th laser scar revision procedure. As the Washington region’s only Burn Center, it is the only facility in the Washington, D.C., area with the specialized laser equipment and expertise to treat hypertrophic scars caused by burns.
The Vizient/AACN™ Nurse Residency Program (NRP) at MedStar Washington Hospital Center has once again earned accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). It is the only CCNE-accredited NRP in the nation’s capital.
Keki R. Balsara, MD, MBA, has been appointed surgical director of Heart Failure and Transplantation at MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute. Dr. Balsara, a renowned cardiothoracic surgeon, will lead the heart transplantation and mechanical circulatory support programs based at MedStar Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C.
All too often, patients go to the ER complaining of unexplained chest pain. After a battery of tests show no evidence of blocked heart arteries, the patients are sent home. Then, they return to the ER with the same symptoms. Until now. MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute is one of the few programs in the nation to have the innovative tool to find the culprit: coronary microvascular dysfunction, or CMD, a condition in which the heart’s tiniest arteries don’t dilate properly.
The Burn Center at MedStar Washington Hospital Center admitted its first patient on July 13, 1972. And for a half-century, the Burn Center has provided groundbreaking surgical, critical, and rehabilitative care that has benefited many individuals across the Washington metropolitan region, including firefighters, members of law enforcement, and 10 people injured during the terrorist attacks on the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001.
MedStar Washington Hospital Center has again achieved national ranking for Cardiology & Heart Surgery in the 2022-23 U.S. News & World Report “Best Hospitals” rankings. It moved up to No. 28, from No. 30 last year. It is the only nationally recognized heart program of its kind in the Washington metropolitan area. MedStar Washington also earned "high performing" ratings in cancer, gastroenterology & GI surgery, Urology, and in 12 common procedures and conditions.
MedStar Washington Hospital Center successfully implanted the first dual-chamber leadless pacemaker system in the Baltimore-Washington region this week. Known as the Aveir™ DR Leadless Pacemaker System, this breakthrough technology is being clinically evaluated as part of a worldwide clinical trial sponsored by Abbott, and MedStar Washington Hospital Center was the only hospital in the region selected to participate.
MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute has named Thomas E. MacGillivray, MD, as its physician executive director of Cardiac Surgery at MedStar Health, and chairman of Cardiac Surgery at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, effective September 1, 2022.
The Washington area’s first robotic heart surgery was performed at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. Cardiac surgeon Yuji Kawano, MD, repaired a mitral valve through very tiny incisions in the chest using the da Vinci® surgical robot. Robotic cardiac surgery is the latest example of the ongoing tradition of clinical innovation and excellence at MedStar Washington Hospital Center.
The newly opened Ob/Gyn Specialty Care Center at MedStar Washington Hospital Center brings to birthing individuals, babies, and their families the first and only comprehensive maternal-infant program in the District of Columbia that provides a full scope of services from healthcare to legal, behavioral health, and social services, in one location. The mission of the Ob/Gyn Specialty Care Center is to bring sustainable, healthy change to families in the District, where the maternal-infant mortality rate is poor.
MedStar Washington Hospital Center has been named “LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader,” scoring a perfect 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Healthcare Equality Index (HEI). The HEI is the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey of healthcare facilities on policies and practices dedicated to the equitable treatment and inclusion of their LGBTQ+ patients, visitors, and associates.
MedStar Washington Hospital Center has achieved Pathway to Excellence® redesignation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). The coveted national designation recognizes hospitals committed to creating a positive nursing practice environment where nurses can flourish and feel empowered. The designation identifies MedStar Washington Hospital Center as a best place for nurses to work and thrive.
MMedStar Health physicians have performed the 700th implant of the WATCHMAN device to reduce stroke risk in patients with atrial fibrillation. MedStar Health is the first healthcare system in the Greater Washington-Baltimore region to achieve this milestone. The device reduces AFib-related stroke without the need to use long-term blood thinning medications.
MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute physicians at MedStar Washington Hospital Center have completed their 300th implant of the HeartMate 3 Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD), which treats patients with advanced heart failure. MedStar Washington is among the first four LVAD programs nationwide to reach this historic milestone.
Two MedStar Health hospitals are now offering an FDA-approved treatment for patients who have had persistent atrial fibrillation for more than a year. The Hybrid AF™ Convergent Therapy is available both at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and MedStar Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore.
MedStar Washington Hospital Center has been named among the nation’s top heart hospitals by U.S. News and World Report. Its Cardiology and Heart Surgery program climbed to #30, up seven from last year’s “Best Hospitals” rankings. It is the only nationally recognized heart program of its kind in the Washington region.
A generous philanthropic gift has made it possible to establish a new Cardio-Oncology Fellowship Program at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. The J.D. Murphy Jr. Cardio-Oncology Fellowship program will be funded with a $500,000 gift from philanthropist Genevieve Murphy. The post-graduate training program is one of only a handful nationwide designed to train the next generation of cardio-oncology leaders.
MedStar Washington Hospital Center has been named the most racially inclusive hospital in Washington, D.C., and ranked 18th among the top 50 most racially inclusive U.S. hospitals by the Lown Institute, a nonpartisan healthcare think tank.
MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute is pleased to announce that Abeel A. Mangi, MD, has joined its leadership team as the MedStar Health System Chair of Cardiac Surgery.
MedStar Washington Hospital Center became first in Washington, D.C. and central Maryland to adopt the HeartFlow® Analysis, a first-of-its-kind non-invasive technology to help physicians diagnosis heart disease and determine the next steps in treatment for each patient.
MedStar Health announces a generous gift of $4 million from philanthropists Amy and Alan Meltzer. Mr. Meltzer is CEO and Founder of the NFP | The Meltzer Group, a Bethesda, Md.-based insurance brokerage firm. The gift will support research, training and new technology acquisition for the Comprehensive Stroke Center at MedStar Washington Hospital Center.
Two MedStar Health hospitals now offer an innovative technology that improves accuracy and speeds recovery time for patients who undergo spine surgery. MedStar Washington Hospital Center became first in the U.S. to use the Cirq® robotic arm. MedStar Georgetown University Hospital started using the Cirq in September.
The Comprehensive Stroke Center at MedStar Washington Hospital Center again has been recognized by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association with its 2020
2020 Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award and Target: Stroke SM Honor Roll Elite, Target: Stroke Honor Roll Advanced Therapy and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll Awards.
MedStar Washington Hospital Center has again been recognized as one of the top 50 cardiovascular centers in the country. The Hospital Center’s Cardiology and Heart Surgery program moved up four spots from last year’s survey, to No. 37, in the 2020-21 U.S. News & World Report “Best Hospitals” rankings. It also received the highest rating possible in aortic valve surgery, congestive heart failure, heart bypass surgery, and transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).
While some hospitals paused or reduced organ transplants, MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute at MedStar Washington Hospital Center performed a record number of heart transplants during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Between March and May, 13 patients received new hearts–-more than double MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute’s typical volumes.
MedStar Washington Hospital Center physicians are using a new innovation designed to help diagnose small peripheral lung nodules with greater precision and accuracy. Auris Health’s Monarch™ Platform offers a flexible robotic endoscope that doctors use to navigate deep into the lungs and obtain tissue samples for biopsy to determine if lung disease or cancer is present.
MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute has enrolled its first patient to a clinical trial to determine whether cardiac stem cells reduce inflammation enough to improve heart function in patients with heart failure severe enough to require a left ventricular assist device, or LVAD.
The 5E Medical Oncology/Hematology Unit at MedStar Washington Hospital Center has received the prestigious AMSN PRISM Award®, an honor recognizing exceptional nursing practice, leadership, and outcomes in hospital medical-surgical units. The award, which stands for “Premier Recognition In the Specialty of Med-Surg,” is the first of its kind honoring med-surg nursing units in the United States and internationally.
MedStar Washington Hospital Center has again been recognized as one of the leading cardiovascular centers in the country. The Hospital Center’s Cardiology and Heart Surgery program moved up eight spots to #41 in the 2019-20 U.S. News & World Report “Best Hospitals” rankings from last year’s survey.
In recognition of National Heart Valve Disease Awareness Day on Feb.22, MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute hosted a flagship event at MedStar Washington Hospital Center to raise awareness about heart valve disease, which affects thousands of people in the Washington, D.C. area and millions nationwide.
The FDA has approved an investigational new drug clinical trial that will start shortly at MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute, to determine whether stem cell therapy improves myocardial function in patients with severe heart failure—severe enough to require the implantation of a left ventricular assist device, or LVAD.
Results of a clinical trial led by MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute using transcatheter aortic valve replacement provided a “strong signal” that it is safe for patients with low surgical risk, potentially helping to open the way for broader use of the minimally invasive procedure, also known as TAVR.
MedStar Washington Hospital Center is the first hospital in Washington, D.C., to use Brainlab Airo® Mobile Intraoperative CT, an advanced imaging scanner that gives surgeons a real-time look at the brain or spine during surgery in order to make immediate decisions when it counts the most.
Physicians at MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute participating in a clinical trial have become the first in the Mid-Atlantic region to implant the WATCHMAN FLX™, the next generation of a potentially life-changing device proven to reduce the risk of stroke in certain patients with atrial fibrillation.
MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute is pleased to announce that William O. Suddath, MD, is the new chairman of Cardiology and medical director of the cardiac catheterization laboratory at MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center.
MedStar Health has announced plans to transition the leadership of MedStar Washington Hospital Center to Gregory J. Argyros, MD, MACP, FCCP, who will become the hospital’s President and a Senior Vice President of MedStar Health effective July 1, 2018.
Today’s nurses have to keep track of so much more for patients than they did just 30 years ago. Millennials are used to having information at their fingertips, and nurses today have to manage an enormous amount of data simultaneously.
Clinical trial planning is underway at MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute to determine whether a novel stem cell therapy will improve heart function for patients with heart failure.
MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute’s cardiac surgery program at MedStar Washington Hospital Center has earned the highest quality rating of three stars from the prestigious Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS), placing it once again among the top surgical heart programs in the nation.
Midwives at MedStar Washington Hospital Center can now remotely monitor their pregnant patients’ progress and health using the Babyscripts app. It’s the first mobile clinical tool that allows the midwives to elevate the prenatal care experience for their maternity patients.
MedStar Washington Hospital Center is the first acute care hospital in Washington, D.C. to achieve the prestigious Pathway to Excellence® designation by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association.