World-Class Heart Care is Now in Tulsa

By Poorya Fazel, M.D.
System Medical Director
Saint Francis Heart and Vascular Institute

A decade ago, patients with certain heart conditions were told there was nothing more that could be done. Today, those same patients are leaving Saint Francis Heart and Vascular Institute with restored function, renewed quality of life and more years ahead of them. That's not a remarkable exception — it's becoming the standard.

A National Designation, Right Here in Tulsa

In November, DNV Healthcare designated Saint Francis Heart and Vascular Institute (HVI) as a Cardiac Center of Excellence — with certifications in advanced heart failure, extracorporeal life support (ECMO) and ventricular assist device (VAD) therapy. Only six hospitals in the entire country hold this combination of accreditations.

For patients in eastern Oklahoma, that means access to a nationally recognized level of cardiovascular care without leaving home.

A Program That Has Grown to Meet the Need

In just three years, HVI has doubled in size. The institute now includes 35 cardiologists, four cardiovascular surgeons, three vascular surgeons, five cardiac hospitalists and 38 advanced practice providers — a team built not just for volume, but for complexity. The goal has always been to offer the full spectrum of cardiovascular care, including cases that once required patients to travel out of state.

Recent milestones include:

• A comprehensive heart failure service, including a growing program for durable heart pump (LVAD) implantation
• An ECMO program — advanced heart-lung life support — that has treated more than 100 cases in the past year
• The busiest catheter ablation program in Oklahoma, supported by a team that has grown from one to four electrophysiologists
• A structural heart program offering every FDA-approved structural heart device currently available
• A state-leading cardiac surgery program
• A full-spectrum vascular surgery service addressing peripheral vascular and venous disease
• National recognition in the prevention and treatment of blood clots
• Active clinical trials in heart failure, structural heart disease and peripheral vascular disease — bringing cutting-edge therapies to Oklahoma patients close to home

What This Means for You

The breadth of this program has real, tangible consequences for patients. Conditions that were once considered untreatable — certain valve diseases, advanced heart failure, complex arrhythmias — now have options. Transcatheter procedures that didn't exist a generation ago are now routine at HVI, routinely restoring quality of life for patients who once had none.

HVI currently operates at Saint Francis Heart Hospital and 10 satellite locations across the region, with an ongoing commitment to expanding access to underserved communities throughout eastern Oklahoma.

Training the Next Generation

In partnership with the OSU Center for Health Sciences, Saint Francis HVI serves as a primary training site for cardiology and interventional cardiology fellowships — ensuring that the expertise being built here today continues to grow and serve this region for years to come.
If you or a loved one is living with a heart condition — or wants to understand your options — talk to your provider about a referral to Saint Francis Heart and Vascular Institute. The care you need may be closer, and more advanced, than you realized.