MISSION STATEMENT

The Division of Cardiology is committed to providing excellence in cardiovascular care for a broad range of patients with cardiovascular disease. This includes not only preventive medical service through tertiary and subspecialty care for patients with complex cardiac problems, but also for ongoing active treatment of ischemic heart disease, heart failure, and those with general vascular disease. In addition to this service mission, the Division of Cardiology is dedicated to research with active programs in investigator-initiated clinical studies, cardiovascular epidemiology, translational research, and clinical trials. The Cardiology Division is also committed to providing a high level of education for residents, cardiology fellows, and outside physicians in the inpatient, outpatient, and procedural settings.

UNC Cardiology is a team of physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, medical technical staff and nurses with expertise in cardiology, lipid management, and lifestyle modification. We strive to provide the best possible medical care to the residents of North Carolina and neighboring states while achieving international recognition for teaching and cardiovascular research.

ADVANCED PATIENT CARE

The Division of Cardiology accommodates patients in clinic settings based in Chapel Hill and Siler City. The primary cardiology clinic is located in the UNC Heart Center at Meadowmont. In this clinic, a broad range of diagnostic procedures are available including electrocardiogram, echocardiogram, stress EKG and stress ECHO. In addition to these procedures, risk factor modification, lipid clinic education, clinical research and hypertension management are offered. For patients with heart failure, stress testing along with oxygen consumption and other ancillary studies are available. Our team of health professionals educates patients on prevention and management of cardiovascular disease. The division also emphasizes the importance of rehabilitation through the Cardiac Rehabilitation Program at the UNC Wellness Center.

CLINICAL LEADERSHIP

Our faculty are leaders in cardiology in the United States. They participate in writing guidelines for general cardiology, interventional cardiology and chronic heart failure for the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association. The faculty have been recipients of numerous honors and awards from the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology, and other distinguished organizations.

RESEARCH

The UNC Division of Cardiology has nationally recognized research programs that focus on understanding the basic mechanisms underlying arteriosclerosis and sudden death. It also has research programs in basic electrophysiology, vascular biology, cardiac hypertrophy, and cardiovascular development, as well as a strong program in cardiovascular health disparities and women's health issues. The Division routinely participates in a variety of inpatient and outpatient clinical research trials and investigator-initiated clinical studies. Clinical trials are focused on heart failure management and all forms of ischemic heart disease and vascular medicine. Our research promises to deliver new insight into cardiovascular disease that will lead to more effective therapies.

The Division of Cardiology is closely affiliated with the Carolina Cardiovascular Biology Center, which was established in 2000. It is a multidisciplinary, multidepartmental facility that serves as a focal point for interaction among basic, translational, and clinical scientists studying all aspects of cardiovascular disease. Areas of specific interest include atherosclerosis and other vascular diseases, angiogenesis and cardiovascular development, cardiovascular physiology, and diseases of hemostasis. The mission of the Carolina Cardiovascular Biology Center is to advance the care of patients with diseases of the heart, blood, and circulation by encouraging basic, preclinical, and applied research to unravel the causes of cardiovascular disease and to provide new tools for diagnosis and treatment to promote the well-being of our patients.