Some of Our Firsts and Awards

Fostering an environment of advanced cardiac care.

Borgess Heart Institute is where medical breakthroughs often happen — and where followthrough goes on every day.

We have achieved more cardiac “firsts” than any other hospital in southwest Michigan. More important, we have built on these innovations to foster better connection with cardiac patients — and better outcomes.

We are devoted to advancing the science of cardiac medicine and shaping the future of heart care. But most of all devoted to using this expertise to connect with patients and their families throughout southwest Michigan.

Cardiac Firsts

Borgess Heart Institute remains first in the hearts of southwest Michigan — treating more than 15,000 heart patients each year. Here are a few of the innovations we have introduced to the region:

• First open-heart surgery program
• First carotid artery stenting program in southwest Michigan
• One of the nation’s first hospitals to receive Joint Commission certification for our heart failure program
• First and only hospital in southwest Michigan to have a comprehensive OR monitoring program for surgeries of the brain, spinal cord and carotid endarterectomies
• First Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO) closure procedure
• First catheter-based gene therapy study in Michigan
• First and only HDL mimetic (Esperion) trial site in southwest Michigan
• First to perform an alcohol septal ablation cardiac procedure for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
• First inpatient and outpatient heart failure program in southwest Michigan
• First accredited fourth year interventional cardiology fellowship program in southwest Michigan
• First Radiation Center for the treatment of in-stent restenosis
• First Enhanced External Counterpulsation (EECP) for treatment of angina in Michigan
• First stents in cardiac angioplasty in southwest Michigan
• First implant radioactive isotope stent in the world
• First transmyocardial revascularization [TMR]
• First to implant Heparin and Sirolumus coated stents for clinical trials
• First community-hospital based Cardiac Rehabilitation & Exercise Testing Center
• First nuclear pacemaker implantation in Michigan
• First accredited Cycle III Chest Pain Center with Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (Society of Chest Pain Centers)
• First computerized EKG readout and evaluation system in Michigan
• Design and patent of BX Velocity Stent
• Cardiac radiation therapy research
• First freestanding cardiac rehabilitation center

Recent Recognitions and Awards

• 100 Top Hospitals® for Cardiovascular Care in the United States (four times since 1999)
• Gold Plus achievement in Get with the Guidelines®, American Heart Association and American Stroke Association (2010-2012)
• Aetna Institute of Quality® Cardiac Care Facility (2011)
• American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR) Certification (2011)
• SDI Integrated Health Network Nationally recognition for health care network performance and integration (eight times since 2002)
• Cycle III Chest Pain Center with Percutaneous Coronary Intervention — accredited by the Society of Chest Pain Centers (2010)
• Gold Standard Recognition and certification for Advanced Stroke Care, Advanced Heart Failure Care by the Joint Commission. (2010)
• Nine Borgess Health physician practices designated Patient-centered Medical Homes by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (2010)
• Platinum Start! Fit Friendly Award by the American Heart Association (2010)