Elkhart General Hospital TAVR program earns top national designation

Three stars are a big deal when it comes to this heart procedure. And that’s what Elkhart General Hospital’s transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) program has earned – the highest rating possible – from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons and the American College of Cardiology.

Walter Halloran, MD, Troy Weirick, MD, Amjad Syed, MD, and Adil Wani, MD, lead the TAVR program at Elkhart General.

“Congratulations to our amazing team on this accomplishment as it is a true testament to the dedication and commitment they have to ensuring that we are providing high-quality care to our community,” said Carl Risk, President, Elkhart General Hospital. “Thank you to all of our team members involved.”

Risk also highlighted the program’s critical involvement by the radiologists at Radiology, Inc.

“Our colleagues at Radiology, Inc. played a critical role in our TAVR program success, representing hundreds of hours in research, set-up, preparation, monitoring, follow-up, feedback and follow through. High-quality imaging is a critical component of our program’s high-quality clinical outcomes,” Risk said.

TAVR may help those with severe aortic stenosis, a condition that decreases blood flow from the heart out into the body. The procedure involves placing a new valve in the aortic valve through a tiny incision in the leg or between the ribs or chest. Elkhart General established its TAVR program in 2014 and has served over 400 individuals in our community.

Hospitals must meet certain criteria to be eligible for the star rating. Only 7% of the eligible sites received a three-star rating, placing the Elkhart General TAVR program in an elite group.

Learn more about TAVR at Beacon Health System.