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UVA Health is launching the Heart and Vascular Institute (HVI), a new, integrated care model that brings together heart and vascular clinical faculty from the School of Medicine, the University Medical Center, UVA Community Health, and clinical partners across Virginia. Building on the foundation of the former Heart and Vascular Service Line, the institute represents a natural evolution designed to align care delivery, governance, and growth across the system. By unifying heart and vascular services within a single clinical structure and leadership model, the HVI will strengthen coordination, support shared accountability for quality and operations, and enable sustained growth focused on delivering an exceptional patient experience and outcomes.

For details on this important transition, please see below. Additional information on the new institute will be shared as details emerge over the coming months. 

What is the difference between a service line and an institute? 

While a service line typically focuses on streamlining clinical workflows and enhancing financial performance for a specific specialty, institutes focus on deeper integration of services across a system. More tailored operations, innovation, and the attraction of top talent to advance scientific knowledge are also hallmarks of an institute structure in academic medicine. 

What is the scope of services to be included in the HVI? 

• The HVI will focus on delivering adult clinical care in inpatient and ambulatory settings, with care delivered by School of Medicine faculty and community physicians and advanced practice providers within H&V specialties.
• Pediatric heart and vascular services will continue to be delivered through UVA Health Children’s. 
• Services that split time with heart and vascular such as anesthesia, imaging, etc., are not in scope for the HVI.

How will patients be impacted by this change? 

Under the institute model, UVA Health will enhance the patient experience by:

• Improving patient access.
• Forming a more streamlined care continuum.
• Expanding and adding new and innovative services more quickly. 
• Making clinical trials more accessible, especially to our patients in Northern Virginia.

What is the timeline for the HVI? 

Realizing the full vision for the UVA Health Heart and Vascular Institute will take time: however, we will see some components come online in the near future. As the creation of HVI is less about facilities and locations and more about operations and integration, it will be stood up in stages as key milestones are achieved, including but not limited to integrating Heart and Vascular finances under one reporting model, branding the new institute, and standardizing clinical pathways. Additionally, and over time, we will integrate all heart and vascular activity from across the system into one clinical structure.

Who will lead the HVI? 

The HVI governance structure will be grounded in the physician and administrator dyad leadership model.

• Operations leader: Laura Thielemann, MPA, Administrator, Heart and Vascular Institute
• Physician leader: A national search is being launched to recruit an executive chair for the physician role as Dr. Mike Valentine transitions from this position. 
• There will be a governance council inclusive of institute dyad leadership and representatives from the School of Medicine/clinical divisions, UVA Community Health, University Medical Center, health system leadership, and others.

Who will HVI leadership report to?

John Bennett, MPA, Chief Service Line and Ambulatory Officer, working closely with physician and administrative institute leadership, will have executive oversight of the institute, reporting to the Executive Vice President for Health Affairs.

What decision making authority will HVI leadership have?

HVI leadership primarily will be responsible for: 

• Determining key performance indicators and related goals.
• Leading decisions related to clinical provider recruitment, in partnership with the School of Medicine clinical department or UVA Community Health
• Overseeing operations, staff, quality and access in all HVI locations in partnership with local entity leadership
• Aligning with institutional priorities (quality reporting, etc.).
• Managing combined HVI financials.
• Leading improvement initiatives and reinvestments into HVI.

How will the creation of the HVI support integration of heart and vascular care between University Medical Center and UVA Community Health?

There are numerous opportunities to enhance integration among UVA Health entities, including streamlining care, improving patient access, and increasing access to clinical trials. In the coming months, UVA Health and Heart and Vascular Institute leadership will work closely with UVA Community Health providers and operational leaders to identify, prioritize, and accelerate integration across the system as part of the institute’s development.

Where will the HVI be located? 

While a facilities plan is one of the milestones to be completed as part of HVI planning, given our existing geographic footprint, we will continue to offer heart and vascular care in a host of locations across the Commonwealth, with key services concentrated in strategic locations, as they are currently.

What does this mean for our cardiothoracic surgery partnership with Riverside Health?

The institute model does not change the strategic alliance with Riverside Health for cardiothoracic surgery. The institute will enhance the partnership as we continue to work together to streamline care, improve patient access while providing care closer to home, and increase access to clinical trials. 

Will UVA Health move to an institute model for all service lines? 

UVA Health will apply the lessons learned from the development of the HVI to inform future work with other clinical areas and service lines.