Cincinnati (April 21, 2022) – The Christ Hospital Heart & Vascular Institute (TCHHVI) is proud to welcome Santiago Garcia, MD, structural and interventional cardiologist and clinical researcher, to its world-class team of cardiology physicians and cardiac surgeons. Dr. Garcia will serve at The Christ Hospital Heart & Vascular Institute as Director of the Structural Heart Program and Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Lab.
As a young man, Dr. Garcia developed a passion for medicine working with underserved communities in his birthplace of Argentina. During medical school, he chose to specialize in cardiovascular care. “I was naturally drawn into an environment where patients come in very, very sick and you can turn things around quickly,” he explained. “There’s almost instant gratification for the patient, their family, and the team. There's extra training and a commitment to be on call 24/7, but it’s very rewarding, and I enjoy what I do every day.”
“We are delighted to welcome Dr. Santiago Garcia to The Christ Hospital and to Cincinnati,” said Dean Kereiakes, MD, FACC, FSCAI, President of The Christ Hospital Heart & Vascular Institute, and Medical Director, The Christ Hospital Research Institute. "His experience, skill set, and compassionate nature align perfectly with the quality of care The Heart & Vascular Institute provides, and his dedication to clinical research makes him an incredible asset.”
This appointment includes an endowed chair, underwritten by the Harold C. Schott Foundation, which recognizes The Christ Hospital as one of the top heart hospitals in the country for evaluation and treatment of heart disease. This prestigious endowment will enable Dr. Garcia to conduct structural heart research, including new clinical trials, as well as to develop and enhance clinical programs for care in valvular and structural heart disorders. Dr. Garcia is grateful for the commitment to his research and is looking forward to working at TCHHVI.
"I’m extremely excited to join the ‘dream team’ that Dr. Kereiakes put together,” he said. "The team has a reputation throughout the country for innovation and for being pioneers in cardiology. I’m also impressed with TCHHVI’s portfolio of research studies, which lead to improved heart valve treatments delivered through minimally invasive surgery or catheter-based approaches in the Cath Lab. This is an exciting, emerging field, and since my position is supported by an endowed chair, I will have dedicated time for research.”
Timothy Henry, MD, Medical Director of the Carl and Edyth Lindner Center for Research and Education at The Christ Hospital, also extends a warm welcome to Dr. Garcia.
“Dr. Garcia is an experienced interventional structural cardiologist with a passion to heal patients and an extensive history of research in vascular heart disease and heart valve replacement innovations,” said Dr. Henry. "We are thrilled to include him in our group.”
The two doctors met 10 years ago, when Dr. Garcia trained under Dr. Henry as an interventional cardiologist, and they maintained their connection. They teamed up again for a two-year study on the mortality of STEMI heart attack patients who also had COVID-19, which they recently presented at the Annual American College of Cardiology Meeting in Atlanta.
Dr. Garcia joins The Christ Hospital after practicing cardiology in Minneapolis, MN, and although new to the Tristate area, Dr. Garcia is comfortable in an urban setting and looks forward to exploring the region. His resume includes a decade at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center, where he established the center’s first structural heart program followed by serving as Medical Director of the Transcatheter Aortic and Congenital Structural Program at the Minneapolis Heart Institute. He looks forward to treating patients in the Tristate, contributing to improving the health of the community, and values having time to research and investigate innovative techniques and technologies to improve outcomes for patients needing heart valve repair or replacement.
“We are investigating new catheter-based solutions for high-risk patients with mitral valve disease who are not candidates for surgery,” he said. “The Heart & Vascular Institute’s clinical trial portfolio includes all four heart valves—aortic, mitral, tricuspid, and pulmonary—and this was absolutely a main consideration of joining the Heart & Vascular group at The Christ Hospital. I’m so happy to be working with this wonderful team.”
The Christ Hospital Heart & Vascular Institute, often the first choice for a second opinion, offers the latest treatments in heart valve repair and replacement with solutions not found at other regional hospitals and is frequently one of only a few hospitals in the nation offering these services. This team of experts includes specialists, like Dr. Garcia, skilled in innovative catheter-based and minimally invasive treatments. For thousands of patients from Cincinnati and beyond, the Heart & Vascular Institute is the difference between simply being treated and receiving the best care.