Newswise — CLEVELAND – Heather Gornik, MD, has been named co-director of the Vascular Center at University Hospitals Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute.

Dr. Gornik, a cardiologist and vascular medicine specialist, completed medical school at the University of Chicago followed by internal medicine, cardiology, and vascular medicine training at Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School in Boston where she also served as chief medical resident. 

She is an internationally recognized expert in the care of complex vascular diseases, particularly fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD), an uncommon disease of the arteries that can lead to narrowing, aneurysm and dissection.

“Dr. Gornik’s reputation as a vascular specialist is extraordinary,” said Daniel I Simon, MD

President, Medical Centers & Chief Academic Officer University Hospitals Health System.

“Her body of work in vascular medicine, ultrasound imaging, fibromuscular dysplasia and complicated diseases is unparalleled.”

She currently serves as a member of the Medical Advisory Board of the FMD Society of America (FMDSA), and sits on the steering committee of the United States Registry for FMD. She collaborates with clinicians and investigators world-wide to advance the understanding of this potentially morbid disease.

Dr. Gornik previously worked at Cleveland Clinic for 13 years, where she was the Medical Director of the Non-Invasive Vascular Laboratories and Section Head of vascular medicine.

“Dr. Gornik joins our internationally renowned co-directors Drs. Mehdi Shishehbor, interventional cardiologist, and Vik Kashyap, vascular surgeon, to form the most integrated and collaborative vascular center in the nation,” said Marco A. Costa, MD, PhD, MBA, President, Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute. “She brings enormous experience and credibility that will undoubtedly accelerate our mission to provide best-in-class vascular care to our community and set new national standards.”

Dr. Gornik has led the development of National guidelines related to the diagnosis and clinical care pathways for patients with vascular disease. She is currently the President of the Society for Vascular Medicine and serves as Editor-in-Chief of its official journal Vascular Medicine.  She is also the President-Elect of the Vascular Testing Division of the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission.

Patients of Dr. Gornik can obtain more information about her transition or can set up their regular appointments by calling University Hospitals at 216-286-2354.

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About University Hospitals / Cleveland, Ohio

Founded in 1866, University Hospitals serves the needs of patients through an integrated network of 18 hospitals, more than 50 outpatient health centers and 200 physician offices in 15 counties throughout northern Ohio. The system’s flagship academic medical center, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, located on a 35-acre campus in Cleveland’s University Circle, is affiliated with Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. The main campus also includes University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, ranked among the top children’s hospitals in the nation; University Hospitals MacDonald Women's Hospital, Ohio's only hospital for women; and University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center, part of the NCI-designated Case Comprehensive Cancer Center. UH is home to some of the most prestigious clinical and research programs in the nation, including cancer, pediatrics, women's health, orthopedics, radiology, neuroscience, cardiology and cardiovascular surgery, digestive health, transplantation and urology. UH Cleveland Medical Center is perennially among the highest performers in national ranking surveys, including “America’s Best Hospitals” from U.S. News & World Report. UH is also home to Harrington Discovery Institute at University Hospitals – part of The Harrington Project for Discovery & Development. UH is one of the largest employers in Northeast Ohio with 26,000 employees.

UH’s vision is “Advancing the science of health and the art of compassion,” and its mission: “To Heal. To Teach. To Discover.”  Follow UH on Facebook @UniversityHospitals and Twitter @UHhospitals. For more information, go to UHhospitals.org.