A Letter From Our Chairs

Allan Schwartz, MD, Chief, Division of Cardiology; and Craig R. Smith, MD, Chairman, Department of Surgery. — Allan Schwartz, MD, Chief, Division of Cardiology; and Craig R. Smith, MD, Chairman, Department of Surgery

We would like to introduce you to Columbia HeartSource, a management service organization established by physician leadership at Columbia University in 1997. Since inception, HeartSource has worked with more than 35 hospitals of varying sizes to establish cardiovascular centers of excellence. Our team is comprised of senior healthcare providers, administrators, and professionals whose expertise in evaluating and implementing quality improvement programs is second to none with demonstrated patient and quality outcome improvement.

In today’s aggressive healthcare environment, Columbia has taken a proactive approach to creating successful integrated, multi-disciplinary teams to treat cardiovascular disease. HeartSource affiliate members have the advantage of staying ahead of the curve in adopting these models. Our affiliates have and continue to benefit from our knowledge and experience and are successfully building their own programs, whereas others across the nation are declining in the current competitive environment of cardiac and cardiac surgical programs.

Columbia HeartSource has exhibited success in building programs from the ground up, saving programs at risk of closing, and enhancing existing programs needing support to expand into areas where they had little or no program development. We provide a full spectrum of program evaluation, implementation, faculty recruitment when necessary, and ongoing support. We offer a robust real-time database that is capable of reporting directly to agencies, such as the ACC-NCDR and STS, as well as provide information for physicians and administrators looking to monitor day-to-day operations and clinical quality. Our database is customizable to meet the specific needs of affiliated hospitals and is supported by clinicians who have expertise in data collection, as well as clinical medicine – marrying the two most important aspects of outcomes measurement.

Columbia HeartSource prides itself in building and maintaining relationships with hospitals looking to enhance their own programs. Our primary mission is to collaborate with our clients, supporting them as they confront the challenges of the ever-evolving healthcare environment. Accessing research opportunities, physician education, and innovative therapies enable our affiliates to provide the highest level of patient-centered care while navigating quality-focused reimbursement requirements.

Sincerely,

Allan Schwartz, MD
Chief, Division of Cardiology
Physician-In-Chief, Vivian & Seymour Milstein Family Heart Center
Vice Chair, Department of Medicine
Seymour Milstein and Harold Ames Hatch Professor of Clinical Medicine

Craig R. Smith, MD
Chairman, Department of Surgery
Surgeon-in-Chief, Vivian & Seymour Milstein Family Heart Center
Johnson & Johnson Distinguished Professor
Valentine Mott Professor of Surgery