» Piedmont Heart Institute

Piedmont Heart Institute

Two major announcements made recently by Piedmont Healthcare will reshape cardiovascular services in the metro Atlanta market.

In October 2007, Piedmont President and CEO R. Timothy Stack announced the launch of the Piedmont Heart Institute (PHI). With a long history of innovation and cardiovascular experience at Piedmont Hospital, the new Heart Institute will bring together prominent cardiovascular physician groups with one of the leading cardiac centers in the region. The Institute’s goal is to provide a new and innovative model to facilitate and enhance the quality of cardiovascular care for the community.

The Piedmont Heart Institute, the first integrated cardiovascular healthcare delivery program affiliated with a community health system in greater Atlanta, combines renowned cardiologists and the Fuqua Heart Center of Atlanta at Piedmont Hospital to propel new programs in cardiovascular research, education and excellence in prevention, arrhythmias, coronary and vascular intervention, stroke and cardiac imaging. This novel approach offers a continuum of care for patients from primary and secondary prevention, to outpatient and inpatient cardiovascular care, and appropriate quality measures and metrics to demonstrate enhanced outcomes.

Piedmont tapped Michele M. Molden, former executive vice president and chief administrative officer for Piedmont, to become chief executive officer of the PHI.

“Michele is a natural for this organization,” said Stack. “She brings enthusiasm and skill to PHI. Her years of experience with healthcare strategy, business development and hospital and physician relations make her an ideal person for this new role.”

Piedmont is well known for its collaboration between physicians and the hospitals. The collaboration provides the best approach to high quality care for patients, according to R. Stephen Taylor, M.D., chief medical officer for Piedmont Healthcare. He described the integrated healthcare delivery system as the model of the future for patient care.

Just weeks after the PHI announcement, The Atlanta Cardiology Group (ACG), announced its affiliation with the Piedmont Heart Institute. Over the past decade, ACG has succeeded in becoming one of the largest groups of cardiovascular specialists in the Southeast. ACG will perform hospital-based services at Piedmont Hospital, including cardiac catheterization and percutaneous coronary intervention, cardiac electrophysiology studies and ablation, ICD and pacemaker implantation, advanced heart failure management, and advanced cardiac imaging such as MRI/CTA.

William S. Knapp, M.D., managing partner of ACG, said, “This is an excellent affiliation for us. Since ACG’s beginning 40 years ago, we have added physicians and expanded to new communities to deliver the best quality care. The relationship with Piedmont continues this legacy.” ACG has 25 physicians in 16 offices in greater Atlanta and surrounding communities, from north Atlanta to Greensboro to Hiawassee and Douglasville.

Knapp also said that ACG physicians were particularly eager about the opportunity to become part of the Piedmont Heart Institute creating a platform through which physicians can provide enhanced care and services for their patients.