Cleveland Clinic's Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute is one of the largest cardiovascular and thoracic specialty groups in the world, providing patients with expert medical management and a full range of therapies. Our areas of expertise combine research, education and clinical practice to provide innovative and scientifically based treatments for cardiac, vascular, esophageal, and thoracic disease.

The commitment of our physicians and scientists to the prevention and cure of cardiovascular disease has led to innovative care, better outcomes and improved quality of life for patients. Cleveland Clinic is nationally ranked and globally recognized as the world leader in cardiovascular care.

American Heart Association's Get With the Guidelines - Heart Failure GOLD Plus Award

Every year since 2011, Cleveland Clinic has received the American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines Heart Failure GOLD Plus Certification for improving the quality of care for patients hospitalized with heart failure decompensation.

Gold Plus distinction recognizes hospitals for their success in using Get With The Guidelines treatment interventions. This quality improvement program provides tools that follow proven, evidence-based guidelines and procedures in caring for patients with heart failure to prevent future hospitalizations.

Cleveland Clinic also received the Get With the Guidelines Stroke GOLD Plus Award.

Mitral Valve Repair Reference Center Award

Cleveland Clinic has received the Mitral Valve Repair Reference Center Award from the American Heart Association and the Mitral Foundation for its demonstrated record of superior clinical outcomes resulting from evidence-based, guideline-directed degenerative mitral valve repair. The Mitral Valve Repair Reference Center Award was developed to identify, award and promote the nation’s recognized medical centers for mitral valve repair surgery.

Beacon Award of Excellence - Heart Failure Intensive Care Unit

Cleveland Clinic’s Kaufman Center for Heart Failure Intensive Care Unit (ICU), recently received the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) Beacon Award of Excellence for continuing improvements in providing the highest quality of care for patients.

With more than 6,000 ICUs in the U.S., Cleveland Clinic’s Kaufman Center for Heart Failure ICU joins a distinguished group of just over 300 ICUs to receive the Beacon Award since the award's inception in 2003. The award recognizes individual critical care units that show the highest level of standards in patient safety and quality in acute and critical care.

Cleveland Clinic Gets Stellar Rating

As a participant in the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) public reporting initiative, Cleveland Clinic is proud to achieve a three-star rating (highest) in all five categories for adult cardiac surgery, both categories for General Thoracic Surgery and the newest rating for Transcatheter Aortic Heart Valve Replacement. These categories include:

  • Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (July 2021 - June 2024)
  • Aortic Valve Replacement (July 2021 - June 2024)
  • Aortic Valve Replacement + Coronary Artery Bypass (July 2021 - June 2024)
  • Mitral Valve Repair/Replacement (July 2021 - June 2024)
  • Mitral Valve Repair/Replacement + Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (July 2021 - June 2024)
  • Pulmonary Resection for Lung Cancer (July 2021 - June 2024)
  • Esophagectomy for Esophageal Cancer (July 2021 - June 2024)
  • Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (STS/ACC TVT Registry, October 2020 - September 2023)

Learn more about this comprehensive rating system

The Society for Vascular Surgery's Vascular Quality Initiative

The Society for Vascular Surgery's Vascular Quality Initiative (SVS VQI) has awarded Cleveland Clinic three out of three stars for its active participation in the Registry Participation Program. The mission of the SVS VQI is to improve patient safety and the quality of vascular care delivery by providing web-based collection, aggregation and analysis of clinical data submitted in registry format for all patients undergoing specific vascular treatments. The VQI operates 14 vascular registries.

For more information, visit the Vascular Quality Initiative.