Memorial Hermann Heart and Vascular Institute, Houston

Researchers and clinicians bringing groundbreaking discoveries from the laboratory to the bedside have made Memorial Hermann Heart & Vascular Institute-Texas Medical Center one of the world's leading cardiovascular hospitals. The Institute is known for its solid track record of innovation, outstanding outcomes and exceptional patient care. The Heart & Vascular Institute-Texas Medical Center is consistently ranked by national quality bench-marking organizations as a leader in clinical quality and patient safety.

In 2008, Memorial Hermann celebrated the grand opening of the Memorial Hermann Heart & Vascular Institute at Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Center, a state-of-the-art, 230,000 square-foot, eight-story facility situated at the gateway to the world-famous Texas Medical Center. Since then, it has grown to become one of the top heart and vascular programs in the country.

Before breaking ground on the Institute, Memorial Hermann-TMC administrators and affiliated physicians collaborated to create a shared vision for the program – to provide patients, including those with the most advanced, complex heart disease, with a complete, end-to-end continuum of care, in one place and with a strong focus on quality.

Fortunately, they had a solid foundation on which to build. The hospital’s aortic aneurysm mortality rate was one of the lowest in the country, and their door-to-balloon time, the time between when a patient enters the ER and the time a clogged vessel is opened, was also among the lowest.