Surgery Professor Receives Mitral Valve Repair Reference Center Award

Award recognizes Richard Shemin’s commitment to best practices, quality for mitral valve repair

UCLA Health has received the Mitral Valve Repair Reference Center Award from the American Heart Association and the Mitral Foundation for a demonstrated record of superior clinical outcomes resulting from evidence-based, guideline-directed care and high volume in mitral valve repair for degenerative mitral valve regurgitation.  

The Mitral Valve Repair Reference Center Award was developed to identify, recognize and promote the nation’s recognized medical centers for mitral valve repair surgery. “Those Centers which perform a sufficient number of repairs and qualify to apply for recognition must meet rigorous outcomes criteria for repair rates, mortality and durability,” says David H. Adams, MD, Professor and Chair of Cardiovascular Surgery at Mount Sinai Health System and President of the Mitral Foundation. UCLA Health earned the award for demonstrating adherence to evidence-based treatment guidelines as well as an ongoing commitment to reporting and measuring quality and outcome metrics specific to mitral valve repairs. 

The recommended treatment for degenerative mitral valve disease is mitral valve reconstruction, as opposed to valve replacement with a bioprosthetic or mechanical valve since valve repair is associated with improved survival and fewer long-term complications. Many patients who would benefit from repair receive replacement valves, with higher rates of death or complications within five years after surgery.   

“We are pleased to recognize UCLA Health for their commitment to patients who need mitral valve repair,” said Robert O. Bonow, MD, professor of cardiology at Northwestern University and past president of the American Heart Association. “Choosing the right hospital for heart surgery is one of the most important healthcare decisions that patients and their referring physicians must make to ensure the best outcomes. The Mitral Valve Repair Reference Center award identifies hospitals with excellent processes and outcomes and gives patients and cardiologists the information necessary to make these important decisions when mitral valve surgery is required.”  

“This recognition of our expertise and superior results in mitral valve repair for degenerative mitral valve disease is confirmation of the success and dedication of our nurses, doctors and data managers who are always in the pursuit of excellence,” said Dr. Richard J. Shemin, who is the Co-Director of the UCLA Cardiovascular Center and Professor of Surgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

This is the 2nd consecutive year that UCLA Health has achieved this recognition since the program launched in November of 2019. Congratulations to Dr. Richard J. Shemin for being recognized as the mitral valve reference repair surgeon.

More information about the American Heart Association and Mitral Foundation Mitral Valve Repair Reference Center Award is available at on www.heart.org.

Original Source: "UCLA Health receives recognition as a Mitral Valve Repair Reference Center from the American Heart Association and the Mitral Foundation"