Cleveland: Pioneer in Cardiac Care

A History of Success and Innovation

Cleveland has had a history of success and innovation when it comes to heart health. Though most people associate heart care with the Cleveland Clinic, other area hospitals, doctors, and researchers were instrumental in the 1950s for making the city a "Mecca" for heart care. St. Vincent Charity Hospital and the Cleveland Clinic were among the first hospitals in the world to open wards dedicated solely to the care of cardiac patients. Surgical procedures that could be reliably reproduced in hospitals throughout the nation and world were pioneered in Cleveland. 

Many surgeons and researchers from the city were nationally recognized and many more unsung experts in the city contributed to the tremendous advancements in cardiac care and research. The city contributed to the advancement of cardiac care in three major areas: