Our Leadership Team

Wilson S. Colucci, M.D.	Eric Awtry, M.D.	Frederick L. Ruberg, MD

The Cardiovascular Center’s (CVC’s) nationally recognized leadership team is committed to providing clinical excellence, innovation and compassionate patient care. Fully integrating cardiovascular medicine, cardiac surgery, interventional radiology and vascular surgery, the Center’s executive leadership committee includes: Wilson Colucci, MD, Chief of Cardiovascular Medicine; Eric Awtry, MD, Associate Chief for Clinical Affairs and Director, Outpatient Services;  Frederick Ruberg, MD, Director, Cardiovascular Medicine Fellowship Program; and Alik Farber, MD, Chief of Vascular Surgery.

A few facts about the Cardiovascular Center

• Comprehensive, state-of-the-art Arrhythmia Center, with magnetic navigation system, opened in early 2009. Offering ablation to cure abnormal heart rhythms, including atrial fibrillation, and supraventricular and ventricular tachycardias; implantation of pacemakers and cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) to treat slow heart rates, reverse heart failure and protect against sudden cardiac death; and consultation and evaluation of syncope and palpitations with one-stop, cutting-edge care.
• New 12-bed coronary care unit designed to care for critically ill cardiovascular patients, including those with acute coronary syndromes, decompensated heart failure, severe valvular disease, and uncontrolled arrhythmias, as well as those suffering from acute cerebrovascular disease or following cerebrovascular procedures, opened in July 2009.
• CVC physicians are consistently ranked among the nation’s top doctors by leading consumer publications.
• More than 8,000 cardiac and vascular procedures performed in fiscal year 2008.
• Ranked second in the country for its rapid treatment of heart attack patients with blocked arteries by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Hospital Quality Alliance.
• Certified by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts as a Blue Distinction Center^SM for Cardiac Care.

Innovation
Boston Medical Center has a long history of offering its patients leading-edge cardiovascular care and has been a pioneer in the use of new cardiac and vascular surgical techniques for the past 60 years. The CVC continues to expand its range of innovative procedures. The da Vinci? Surgical System allows a BMC surgeon to use three dime-sized incisions to treat coronary artery disease. Abdominal aortic aneurysms can be repaired without surgical incisions and, instead, be accessed through a small puncture site. Now physicians can fix defects within the heart’s inner structures that previously required open heart surgery. Individuals suffering from recurrent strokes can be treated without entering a BMC operating room.

 Coordinated patient care
The CVC is large enough to offer clinical excellence but small enough for team members to get to know each patient and family. CVC attending physicians, physician assistants and dedicated CVC nurse practitioners take a multidisciplinary, collaborative approach to managing patient care. The CVC developed and uses multidisciplinary clinical pathways for cardiovascular diagnoses and procedures that the American Heart Association has recognized as providing high-quality best practices, based on cost-effective care for patients.

Our commitment to collaborative patient care goes beyond the walls of Boston Medical Center, however. CVC clinicians are committed to physician-to-physician communication and referring and primary care physicians participate in all decisions regarding their patients’ care. The CVC physician communicates with the referring physician to discuss any significant events that develop during the hospital stay and to consult about discharge planning. CVC nurse practitioners provide personalized care management and are available by telephone to patients and their families after discharge.

Full spectrum of care for the heart
The CVC takes a comprehensive approach, providing patients with expert medical management and a full range of cardiac and vascular therapies, procedures and operations. All of our physicians hold academic appointments at Boston University School of Medicine. As part of our academic mission, the CVC offers patients access to the newest treatments through clinical research, before such treatments become available to the public. The CVC currently participates in numerous clinical trials for state-of-the-art therapies that focus on all aspects of cardiac and vascular care. Our dedication to the prevention, treatment and cure of cardiovascular disease has lead to innovations in care and better quality of life for our patients.