Message from the Chair

Welcome to the Department of Cardiovascular Sciences at the East Carolina Heart Institute at East Carolina University. We are a collaborative group of surgeons and cardiologists working together to treat patients with cardiac, vascular, and thoracic diseases in a more integrated manner than is possible under the traditional academic organizational structure of cardiovascular medicine, cardiothoracic surgery, and vascular surgery.

We stand out as the source of exceptionally-focused, patient-centered care for people throughout eastern North Carolina and beyond. We provide the highest quality therapeutic care for patients with cardiovascular conditions, and we are leaders in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and the rehabilitation back to health of patients with those same disease processes. We also provide cutting edge lung and esophageal care in our multidisciplinary thoracic surgery program.

As a Department of the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, we are dedicated to research and education. We offer fellowships in clinical cardiology, interventional cardiology, vascular surgery, cardiothoracic surgery, which enables us to spread these advanced practices to other physicians and surgeons.

Our department comprises cardiology, cardiothoracic surgery, vascular surgery, cardiovascular imaging and pediatric cardiac care. Within our department, we are organized into the following domains, which affords us the opportunity to bring medical, surgical, and behavioral treatments together in highly individual treatment plans:

Our shared mission with the East Carolina Heart Institute at ECU Health Medical Center means our patients benefit from a 120-bed specialty hospital, dedicated operating rooms, 13 interventional labs and other exceptional technology resources, including robotic-assisted surgery.

We are committed to making sure those who suffer from cardiovascular and thoracic disease receive the best, most appropriate individualized care. Because our cardiovascular physicians collaborate on these decisions, patients, especially those with chronic disease, benefit from a team approach that creates substantial efficiencies on an ongoing basis.

Because we are an academic center, we are actively engaged in a broad range of clinical and basic sciences research. We are a site-based clinical trials organization, which includes participation in multiple national and international clinical trials in cardiovascular medicine, and cardiothoracic and vascular surgery. We also participate in basic science research collaborations with the human performance lab, and with the university’s metabolic institute to improve the care and opportunities for the health and well-being of our patients.

I invite you to spend time reviewing this site as well as our clinical site to learn more about our programs.

Mark D. Iannettoni, MD, MBA
Chair, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences
Professor, Division of Thoracic and Foregut Surgery
Associate Program Director, Thoracic Surgery Residency