Letter from the Chairman

Friends and Supporters,

Welcome to the winter edition of The Beat. We recently celebrated American Heart Month, a special time when we work to raise awareness in the community on the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease. In this issue, you can learn about the special events that took place during American Heart Month, and some of the research and programs we are undertaking to improve the lives of our patients.

Our cover story is especially fitting, as it provides a glimpse of our long and storied history in heart transplantation—from the days of Dr. Richard Lower to the outstanding physicians and scientists who are carrying on his pioneering legacy today. Heart transplantation is an incredible gift of life for many patients, truly one of the miracles in medicine.

One of my favorite stories is the trip to India made by Dr. Jay Koneru and nurse practitioner Cha Roberts. These two concerned providers worked long hours caring for the needs of some very ill patients with complex cardiac conditions. At the same time, they provided training to local doctors and nurses to ensure their impact would be lasting.

Sarcoidosis and amyloidosis are two rare but often life-threatening diseases that are often underreported by healthcare providers. In this issue, you’ll learn how Dr. Jordana Kron and Dr. Keyur Shah are working to help identify these patients earlier and connect them with some very impressive treatments and therapies through their comprehensive, multidisciplinary clinics.

Finally, I want to thank the incredible members of our Pauley Heart Center community. The gifts made to support innovative research through the new Pauley Heart Pilot Research Grants and the Christine B. and David E. Cottrell Surgical Innovation Laboratory are truly transformative. Thank you for allowing us to stay at the forefront in the fight against heart disease.

Sincerely,

Dr. Kenneth A. Ellenbogen
Chairman, Division of Cardiology