Cardiovascular Medicine

Leading-Edge Cardiovascular Medicine

MarinHealth provides the full spectrum of heart and vascular care, from education and prevention to state-of-the-art testing and diagnostics, minimally invasive interventional procedures, heart surgery, and cardiac rehabilitation. Founded in 2009 by long-time donors Bill and Reta Haynes, our Haynes Cardiovascular Institute is a leading-edge program that covers all of the essential elements of cardiovascular care at MarinHealth.

An Exceptional Team of Cardiovascular Experts

Leaders in their fields, our cardiologists and interventional cardiologists trained at some of the finest medical schools in the country. Their support teams include registered nurses, technologists, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners who have worked together for many years. The resulting level of collaboration and coordination translates into superior patient outcomes in and out of the hospital. We also excel in vascular medicine.

Accredited Chest Pain Center

MarinHealth has earned accreditation as a Chest Pain Center. Our teams rapidly and efficiently assess patients experiencing chest pain using evidence-based strategies and treatments. With a door-to-treatment time of half the national average, our clinical outcomes in treating victims of acute heart attack and cardiac arrest consistently exceed national benchmarks. We utilize the latest techniques and protocols to treat victims of sudden cardiac arrest and shock, including innovative resuscitation tools to rapidly induce hypothermia and save brain function.

Interventional Cardiology

Our interventional cardiology procedures are done in a state-of-the-art multi-platform procedure suite in our new Oak Pavilion. We have the only “cath lab” facilities in Marin offering the full spectrum of advanced devices to support a failing heart, including extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), hypothermia induction, and the Impella® left ventricular assist device. Our team’s rapid response for those with heart attacks significantly beats national standards—our median door-to-treatment time is twice as fast as the national average, resulting in saved lives.

Electrophysiology

MarinHealth provides the North Bay with world-class electrophysiology care. The field of clinical cardiac electrophysiology, now well over four decades old, was born out of a need to correct arrhythmias, or abnormalities in the heart’s electrical system. The timing of the heartbeat is regulated by a complex network of electricity which starts in the heart’s natural pacemaker (the sinus node), and spreads through special biological “wiring” through the heart muscle to coordinate its pumping function.

The services provided by the electrophysiology team include the full spectrum of heart rhythm care:

  • Wellness promotion and lifestyle modification for heart health
  • Noninvasive testing for arrhythmia
  • Arrhythmia management
  • Atrial fibrillation detection and stroke prevention
  • Catheter ablation for rhythm disorders, including supraventricular tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, and ventricular tachycardia, all with world-class outcomes
  • Implantation and management of cardiac devices, including pacemakers, defibrillators, and loop recorders
  • Lead extractions
  • Remote cardiac monitoring
  • Consultation and second-opinion service

Structural Heart Program

Our Structural Heart Program focuses on minimally invasive procedures to repair or replace damaged heart valves and treat other common heart defects. Our multidisciplinary heart team provides multiple catheter-based solutions such as transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) for patients with severe aortic stenosis, and transcatheter mitral valve repair with the Mitraclip™ procedure. We also collaborate with our MarinHealth electrophysiology colleagues on atrial appendage closure (WATCHMAN™ Implant), a procedure that reduces stroke risk in AFib patients.

Heart Surgery

Our dedicated cardiac surgery team includes cardiac surgeons and their assisting surgeons, cardiac anesthesiologists, cardiac perfusionists, cardiovascular nurse practitioners, and surgical nurses who operate in a specially equipped “heart room.”

Rehabilitation

We are one of the first programs in the country to introduce intensive cardiac rehabilitation as a preventive, comprehensive lifestyle management program. To that end, we offer two tracks for cardiac rehabilitation. The traditional track has been proven effective for many. For patients willing to make a more pronounced lifestyle change, we also offer the Ornish Lifestyle Medicine ProgramTM for reversing heart disease.

Cardiovascular Performance Center

Our innovative Cardiovascular Performance Center puts us on the leading edge of the emerging field of sports cardiology, a medical specialty that focuses on heart health and athletic performance. Our team is uniquely qualified to help you enhance your fitness and performance, prevent heart disease, and extend your athletic career without compromise. The Center offers a thorough, personalized Cardiovascular Fitness & Nutrition Assessment, only program of its kind in the Bay Area.

Women's Heart Health

When it comes to women’s heart disease, all of us at the Haynes Cardiovascular Institute believe that lack of awareness of risk factors is a risk in itself. This is why we formed the Women’s Heart Health Program, the first program in the North Bay dedicated to the prevention and early identification of heart health concerns for women. Led by Dr. Ines Sherifi, the program includes a personalized care pathway for female patients with timely access to care.

Special Recognition

  • Three-year echocardiography accreditation in the areas of Adult Transesophageal, Adult Transthoracic, and Adult Stress by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (2018 - 2021, four years in a row)
  • Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award for Stroke Care from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (2011 - 2020, ten years in a row)
  • Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Heart Failure (2019-2020, two years in a row)

Conditions We Treat

Some cardiovascular conditions can be treated by an Interventional Cardiologist or a Vascular Surgeon. Learn more about Vascular Medicine.