Dozens of leading experts in heart and vascular care from around the country joined more than 730 professionals in Braselton last Friday and Saturday to share ideas on how to advance care for people with heart and vascular conditions. The third annual Georgia Heart & Vascular Symposium, hosted by Georgia Heart Institute at Chateau Elan Winery & Resort, featured seminars, case studies, debates, industry exhibits and three heart procedures live-streamed from Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) Gainesville.
“At Georgia Heart Institute, we talk about bringing the future of heart and vascular care to the communities we serve, and an educational event like this helps us achieve that goal and advance the field of cardiovascular medicine,” said Habib Samady, MD, president of Georgia Heart Institute. “We were delighted to welcome our largest audience yet to this year’s Symposium, and they were able not only to participate in lively discussions about the best ways to treat patients but also to make important connections with colleagues and industry partners.”
This year’s Symposium keynote speakers were Peter Fitzgerald, MD, a Stanford Medicine professor emeritus and tech entrepreneur who discussed artificial intelligence in health care, and Brian King, a flight paramedic and CEO of professional educational platform FOAMfrat who shared how small changes can drive dramatic improvements.
Attendees also got to observe three simultaneous cases — a robotic-assisted surgery, a complex coronary intervention and a structural heart procedure — live-streamed from the operating room and cardiac catheterization labs at NGMC Gainesville with commentary from the physicians as they worked.
“The live cases are one of the most beneficial and impactful parts of the Georgia Heart & Vascular Symposium,” said Stephane Rinfret, MD, director of complex coronary interventions at Georgia Heart Institute, who performed one of the live procedures. “Attendees get to hear discussion of various topics in the educational sessions and then see how we apply that knowledge in the clinical setting. It was also very gratifying to be able to provide updates on these patients to attendees the next day.”
To learn more about the Symposium and view the full program, go to georgiaheartinstitute.org/symposium.
About Georgia Heart Institute
Georgia Heart Institute is the most forward-thinking heart and vascular program in the state and includes one of the largest cardiology practices in the region, including more than 80 practitioners seeing patients at 14 locations. With a multi-disciplinary team of experts treating nearly every type of heart and vascular disease and participating in leading national research, we’re providing advanced care that ensures lasting heart health for generations. Request an appointment and learn more at georgiaheartinstitute.org.
The experts of Georgia Heart Institute also form the core of the cardiac care team at Northeast Georgia Medical Center’s five hospitals in Gainesville, Braselton, Winder, Dahlonega and Demorest. It’s all part of Northeast Georgia Health System, a non-profit which serves more than 1 million people across the region. Learn more at nghs.com.