Consistent with the mission of HIC to provide high quality cardiovascular care in Jamaica and the English speaking Caribbean, we have leveraged our reputation to build strategic partnerships with International Centers of Excellence for cardiovascular care. One of such partnerships is with the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. This partnership supports continuing medical education and ensures that we are up-to-date with current cardiovasular care procedures and knowledge. Facilitated by Drs. Marietta Ambrose and Joyce W. Wald for Penn Cardiology International (PCIL), and Drs. Madu and Nunura for HIC, a monthly series of continuing medical education (CME) teleconferences is conducted jointly with physicians at HIC and Penn focused on heart failure.
These teleconference enhance HIC’s delivery of heart failure care, with a long-term goal to create an advanced heart failure program. Teleconferences are held on every second Thursday of the month using an internet based conference media. During this teleconference, doctors from the Heart Institute of the Caribbean and Penn Medicine jointly perform case reviews and make determination of best care standards based on current medical evidence. In the future, the partnership hopes to engage in exchange of Fellows and Faculty between the two Institutions and also engage in joint clinical research efforts to address the needs of cardiovascular patients in the Caribbean.
Marietta Ambrose, MD, MPH, FACC
Asociate Professor of Clinical MedicinePerelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
Joyce W. Wald, DO, FACC
Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine, Associate Medical Director of Mechanical Circulatory Support, Director, Practice Development Heart Failure, Transplant and MCS Programs – University of Pennsylvania
A COLLABORATION FOCUSED ON THE STUDY OF UNEXPLAINED CARDIOMYOPATHY IN POPULATIONS OF AFRICAN DESCENT IN THE CARIBBEAN, AFRICA, USA AND EUROPE TO DEFINE PREVALENCE, GENETIC SUSCEPTIBILITIES, AND PHENOTYPES
Over the years Cardiac Amyloidosis (stiff heart syndrome) has been recognized as a leading cause of heart failure and cardiomyopathy and has an unusually high prevalence in communities of African descent. Core to the mission of the Heart Institute of the Caribbean is providing relevant and quality cardiovascular care as well as advancing knowledge of cardiovascular diseases and treatments within the Caribbean region. To further our efforts, HIC is collaborating with the Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, to explore the Transthyretin (V142I) gene that is believed to increase the risk of hereditary cardiac Amyloidosis and thought to be more prevalent in black populations. This joint investigative program is aimed at documenting the prevalence of V142I gene in the Jamaican population, defining the characteristics of heart failure associated with the V142I genetic profile in our population and ultimately defining best therapeutic options and strategies for this disease in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean.
This initiative is facilitated by Dr. Ernest Madu, CEO of HIC and Dr. Edward J. Miller, Director, Cardiology Fellowship Program at the Yale University School of Medicine. The primary goal is to work towards implementing rapid diagnosis of Transthyretin (V142I) Cardiac Amyloidosis by performing world wide screenings for the particular gene in Jamaica, the USA and potentially Nigeria. The hope here is to compare results to find commonalities and ascertain the prevalence of the gene causing heart muscle issues or heart failure in patients of African descent. The Heart Institute of the Caribbean is the only cardiovascular center of excellence in the English-Speaking Caribbean. As such, we have access the the demography, facilities and data needed to make the Yale/HIC partnership viable and fruitful.
Edward J. Miller, MD PhD, FASNC, FACC
Associate Professor of Medicine, Radiology & Biomedical Imaging; Director, Nuclear Cardiology; Director, Cardiology Fellowship Program,Yale University School of Medicine
Ernest C. Madu MD, FACC
Founder & CEO, Heart Institute of the Caribbean
Felix Nunura MBBS, FACC
Consultant Cardiologist and Co-Program Director, Heart Institute of the Caribbean Mandeville
Over the years Cardiac Amyloidosis (stiff heart syndrome) has been recognized as a leading cause of heart failure; and cardiomyopathy and has an unusually high prevalence in communities of African descent. The Heart Institute of the Caribbean is dedicated to providing quality care regardless of socio-econimic background for developing regions and members of the African diaspora as well as advancing knowledge of cardiovascular diseases and treatments within the Caribbean region.
To further our efforts, the HIC is collaborating with the Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, to explore the Transthyretin (V142I) gene that is believed to cause heart muscle disease and heart failure. This collaboration is facilitated by Dr. Ernest Madu, CEO of HIC and Edward J. Miller, MD PhD, FASNC, FACC, Director, Cardiology Fellowship Program at the Yale University School of Medicine.
The primary goal is to work towards implementing rapid diagnosis of Transthyretin (V142I) Cardiac Amyloidosis by performing world wide screenings for the particular gene in Jamaica, the USA and potentially Nigeria. The hope here is to compare results to find commonalities and ascertain the prevalence of the gene causing heart muscle issues or heart failure in patients of African descent.The Heart Institute of the Caribbean is the only cardiovascular center of excellence in the English-Speaking Caribbean. As such, we have access the the demographic, facilities and raw data needed to make the Yale/HIC partnership viable and fruitful.