New cardiac institute to take shape at St. David's

A new institute created by St. David's HealthCare and the physician group Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia will bring more research, specialized treatment and physician training to Central Texas -- and potentially also draw millions of dollars in research grants and spur medical device development in the region.

The Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute, born out of a years-long relationship the St. David's system has had with Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia and its parent group Texas Cardiovascular Consultants PA, was formalized on May 1. The institute will serve as an international treatment, training and research center specializing in heart rhythm disorders, says St. David's CEO Jon Foster.

St. David's has lured from the Cleveland Clinic one of the world's most active and visible cardiac electrophysiologists to head the institute, Dr. Andrea Natale.

Content Continues Below

The institute has been taking shape in St. David's Medical Center, where physicians have started conducting training events -- in some cases broadcasting live symposia around the nation and the world. Additional plans call for the construction of a $22 million tower, still in the planning stages, to house more critical care beds on the medical center campus. Renovation of existing inpatient bed space and additional lab equipment and space also are planned. All in all, St. David's is investing $36 million in the new institute, Foster says.

In the long run, the institute will conduct research and clinical trials on the subspecialty that deals with heart rhythm disturbance, run educational programs for cardiac physicians and nurses and treat patients. The institute hopes to draw patients, physicians and researchers from all over the world to tackle what is the fastest-growing area in cardiology, says Dr. Robert Canby, a cardiac electrophysiologist with Texas Cardiovascular Consultants.

For more on this story, see the Austin Business Journal's print edition May 2.