Recent gifts from the Antonucci Family Foundation, James and Angela Hambrick Foundation and other generous supporters will further strengthen UH Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute’s commitment to excellence and innovation. Led by Mehdi Shishehbor, DO, MPH, PhD, President, UH Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute; Director, Lorraine and Bill Dodero Limb Preservation Center; and Angela and James Hambrick Distinguished Chair in Innovation, the institute has an incredible 19 endowed positions, helping UH recruit and retain some of the best in cardiovascular care.

Among the newest of these positions is the Mehdi Shishehbor, DO, MPH, PhD, Chair in Cardiovascular Innovation, held by Michael Zacharias, DO, Associate Chief, Cardiovascular Medicine for Academic Affairs, UH Cleveland Medical Center. Along with the elevation of the Angela and James Hambrick Distinguished Chair in Innovation, the recognition makes institute president Dr. Shishehbor just the third caregiver in UH history to both hold a distinguished chair and have a chair established in their name.

In addition, the recent support elevated the John R. Antonucci Chair in Cardiovascular Innovation and created the McCamon Family Chair in Cardiovascular Excellence.

Rewriting the Rules of Heart Rhythm Care

Atrial fibrillation can turn a steady heartbeat chaotic, raising stroke risk fivefold. It affects more than five million Americans and the American Heart Association projects that number will more than double by 2030.

Mauricio Arruda, MD, Director, Electrophysiology Center and Atrial Fibrillation Center, holds the recently elevated John R. Antonucci Chair in Cardiovascular Innovation. He has pioneered advanced ablation techniques to treat arrhythmias like AFib, often using remote magnetic navigation systems to steer a magnetic‑tipped catheter. Compared with traditional methods, the procedure can stop errant electrical signals with less risk for major complications and minimal X‑ray exposure.

Through such techniques, Dr. Arruda and his team have achieved a same-day discharge rate of nearly 95 percent. “Innovation means giving our patients safer, more effective options,” said Dr. Arruda.

Turning Data Into Lifesaving Prevention

Millions live with silent cardiometabolic risks – high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes – that can damage arteries until they have a heart attack or stroke. Preventing these conditions before they escalate is one of medicine’s toughest challenges.

It’s also the mission of UH CINEMA, the Center for Integrated and Novel Approaches in Vascular-Metabolic Disease, co-directed by Ian Neeland, MD, FAHA, FACC, Director, UH Center for Cardiovascular Prevention and the inaugural McCamon Family Chair in Cardiovascular Excellence. Dr. Neeland has reduced hundreds of patients' cardiometabolic risks through evidence-based strategies. For this work, he and his team have drawn national attention, including NIH funding and more than 110 published studies.

Transforming Vascular Care Through Discovery

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) impacts more than 10 million Americans older than 40. Around 150,000 lower-limb amputations in the U.S. each year are linked to PAD – more than 400 per day. Even when they don’t lose a limb, patients with severe PAD can endure painful leg wounds that can refuse to heal.

Named a Modern Healthcare Innovator in 2024, Mehdi Shishehbor, DO, MPH, PhD, President, UH Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute; Director, Lorraine and Bill Dodero Limb Preservation Center; and Angela and James Hambrick Distinguished Chair in Innovation, is regarded as a trailblazer in complex vascular interventions. His work has earned national awards for clinical research and improving outcomes for patients with limb-threatening conditions. His LimFlow™ technology has helped more than 3 of 4 patients who would have faced major amputation avoid it and experience healing wounds.

Last year’s creation of the Lorraine and Bill Dodero Limb Preservation Center aims to further lessen the burden of amputation by creating a national destination for limb preservation care. “Every patient deserves hope,” said Dr. Shishehbor. “Innovation is how we deliver it.”

Providing Options for Heart Patients

An outstanding teacher and mentor to tomorrow’s cardiologists, Michael Zacharias, DO, is the inaugural Mehdi Shishehbor, DO, MPH, PhD, Chair in Cardiovascular Innovation. He treats advanced heart failure for patients without standard treatment options, from managing heart transplants and mechanical pumps to protecting cancer patients from cardiac toxicity sometimes caused by chemotherapy. Dr. Zacharias was among the first in the U.S. to use Cardiac Contractility Modulation (CCM), an FDA-approved system that delivers timed electrical pulses to improve the heart’s contraction efficiency. For patients who suffer from chronic fatigue and repeated hospitalizations, CCM can provide a middle ground between a major procedure and medication.

Join UH Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute in shaping the future of heart health.