Heart & Vascular

If you or a loved one is experiencing signs of a heart attack or stroke, call 911.

Your heart holds everything that matters to you. And to us. That’s why you’ll find a comprehensive, compassionate approach to cardiovascular care at UNC Medical Center. Our expert physicians work together across disciplines to provide personalized service focused on prevention, detection and proactive treatment so you can live better, longer and stronger.

Comprehensive Cardiovascular Services

At UNC Medical Center, you’ll benefit from a full range of expert care including prevention, diagnosis and treatment, as well as rehabilitation and recovery. Take advantage of:

• Heart health and prevention services, such as specialized clinics for lowering cholesterol, treating hypertension and managing women’s heart health
• Advanced diagnostic and screening technology with specialists who interpret and explain your test results in easy-to-understand terms
• Top-notch specialists who have the knowledge and experience of the entire UNC Medical Center heart and vascular team working collaboratively with them
• Arrhythmia specialists for diagnosis and treatment if you have an irregular heartbeat, including atrial fibrillation
• Individualized treatment plans that may include nutrition and exercise recommendations, prescription drug therapy, exceptional interventional cardiology and top-quality heart surgery
• Comprehensive care for structural heart and valve conditions, including transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)
• First-rate care for your veins and arteries, including minimally invasive treatments and vascular surgery
• Multidisciplinary treatment for adults with heart failure to improve quality of life and provide the aid of a ventricular assist device to support a failing heart
• Heart transplant care from a compassionate team of experts
• A comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation program that offers supportive programs to get you back on your feet
• Cardiac survivors support group and free health education classes at UNC Wellness Centers
• Coordinated, family-centered care for pediatric heart conditions

Nationally Recognized Cardiac Care

Whatever your condition, when you choose UNC Medical Center, you’ll enjoy some of the best heart and vascular care in the nation. You can trust our care because:

• We’re a Blue Distinction Center+ for cardiac care. This designation from Blue Cross Blue Shield means we have a proven track record for delivering better results—including fewer complications and readmissions. And you’ll receive that great care with cardiac procedures that are 20 percent more cost-efficient than they are at non-designated hospitals.
• Our heart failure specialists are recognized as “high performing”—meaning they’re among the top 25 percent in the country—by US News & World Report’s “America’s Best Hospitals” 2016 rankings.
• We hold a Mission: Lifeline® Gold Plus Receiving Quality Achievement Award from the American Heart Association in recognition of our fast, high-quality treatment of people experiencing severe heart attacks.
• Our ventricular assist device (VAD) destination therapy program has earned a Gold Seal of Approval™ from The Joint Commission, a sign of our commitment to the highest level of care.
• As an Accredited Chest Pain Center with Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI), we provide our rapid, effective treatment to those who arrive in our emergency room experiencing chest pain and other heart attack symptoms.
• The American Heart Association (AHA) acknowledges our efforts to eliminate treatment delays and improve outcomes for severe stroke patients with their Stroke Award Gold Plus and Target: Stroke Elite Honor Roll.
• As a designated AHA/ASA/TJC Comprehensive Stroke Center, our rapid-response team aims to reduce a stroke’s effects by providing prompt evaluation and treatment to those who arrive in our emergency room with signs of a stroke.
• Our medical center’s Magnet designation recognizes our high-quality nursing staff, excellent patient care, safety and satisfaction, along with advanced nursing standards and practices.

Developing Leading-Edge Treatments

When you get heart care at UNC Medical Center, you’ll appreciate receiving care at a hospital that’s widely recognized for our part in developing the best, most effective heart and vascular treatments. Our participation in clinical research trials means you have access to advanced therapies that otherwise might not be available for many years.

Participating in clinical trials can have financial benefits, too. If you’re eligible for a clinical trial and choose to participate, you may receive a new drug or device at no cost.