2018 State of the Heart

Welcome to the 2018 State of the Heart, the UK Gill Heart & Vascular Institute annual report.

We at Gill are extremely proud to be leading the fight against cardiovascular disease Kentucky, where these problems plague many of our communities.

Our expert team includes physicians and scientists who draw from disciplines of cardiovascular medicine, cardiac and vascular surgery, radiology, anesthesiology, pharmacy, physiology, pharmacology, biomedical engineering, and more. We are well on our way to becoming a fully integrated service line with constant collaboration/communication between cardiology, vascular, and CT. This multidisciplinary approach facilitates more effective patient care, better outcomes and new and better discoveries.

As the region’s top teaching and research center, supported by the NIH-funded UK Center for Clinical and Translational Science, our bench-to-bedside approach ensures that patients benefit from scientific advances nearly as fast as they happen.

The 2018 State of the Heart highlights our services and showcases some of our accomplishments of the past year, all of which are a demonstration of our commitment to improving the future of heart health in Kentucky and beyond.

We invite you to take a look.

Grant recipients

UK researchers receive prestigious grant to investigate vascular disease. Read about this award from the American Heart Association.

Dr. Apostolos Psychogios

The Cardiovascular Genetics and Precision Medicine Program at the UK Gill Heart & Vascular Institute specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of hereditary cardiovascular diseases, and in researching new approaches to preventing and treating those diseases.

Jonathan Wenk and Kenneth Campbell

Virtual Heart Could Lead to Better Long-Term Outcomes. Read about Jonathan Wenk and Kenneth Campbells' project.

 

Advancements in Clinical Care

Dr. John Gurley

The UK Gill Heart & Vascular Institute is one of only five facilities in Kentucky to offer the WATCHMAN implant. Read more about this procedure.

UK ECMO Transport team

Currently, UK is the only medical center in Kentucky to provide an adult ECMO transport service. Read more about our ECMO transport team.

Doctor looking at cardiac imaging scans

The contribution of excellent imaging to the patient’s outcome is often overlooked, but the right test at the right time can make all the difference. Read about UK Cardiac Imaging.

 
Priscilla Riley

Experimental heart valve turns life around for Manchester woman. Read Priscilla's story.

Doctors looking at a computer screen

The UK Gill Heart & Vascular Institute has taken a lead role regionally in a national study that has shown when EMS and hospitals use a standardized procedure. Find out how this can help heart attack patients.

Dr. Michael Sekela

In 2017, the UK Cardiac Surgery team performed more than 700 cardiac surgical procedures, more impressive than this record number, however, was the observed-to-expected mortality ratio of 0.66. Read about our quality initiatives.

 
Dr. Sekela and Dr. Raj holding a sign that reads over 400 hearts

In 2017, the UK Transplant Center performed its 400th heart transplant, marking a major milestone for a heart transplant program. Read more about this milestone.

cardiovascular system illustration

The Gill Heart & Vascular Institute is delving into two cutting-edge technologies that have the potential to provide a better quality of life for a population of advanced heart failure patients. Read about this study.

Dr. David Booth

The UK Gill Heart & Vascular Institute provides the region’s only expertise in the management of pulmonary hypertension. Learn more about our team.

 
Dr. Orr and Dr. Stone

It’s no secret that Supervised Exercise Training benefits patients who present with symptoms of PAD, or peripheral artery disease.

UK's Vascular surgeons

UK Vascular & Endovascular Surgery is dedicated to treating all aspects of vascular disease for the people of Kentucky and surrounding areas. Click here for more data.

Whitney Stevenson

Whitney Stevenson knew she was atypical for heart disease, but she also knew something was physically wrong despite what doctors were telling her. Read Whitney's story.