Welcome from the Program Director
Welcome to VCU's Advanced Heart Failure and Transplantation Fellowship training program. We have had an ACGME accredited fellowship program since 2011. I have been the program director since 2017, and we are excited for your interest. VCU has a long history of excellence in heart transplantation with Dr. Richard Lower performing VCU's first heart transplant in 1968. This was the first heart transplant in Virginia and the 16th in the world. VCU has the oldest heart transplant program on the East Coast and the second oldest program in the country.
In the fall of 2025, we will be looking for one fellow to start in July 2026. We have a robust program with 5 full-time board-certified heart failure cardiologist and 5 cardiothoracic surgeons. We performed 43 heart transplants in 2023 and implanted 9 durable mechanical support devices. We implant HM3 left ventricular support devices plus the total artificial heart for biventricular failure. We still follow a variety of LVADs including HMII, HM3, and HVAD devices. We have a Hep C+/NAT+ heart transplant program. We perform dual organ transplants with heart/kidney and heart/liver and work in close contact with our abdominal transplant team. We are working to start a DCD (donation after cardiac death) program.
Richmond is an amazing place to live. We are known for our James River Park system and exciting outdoor sports. Richmond has great restaurants and breweries and is frequently listed as one of the top regions for food, beer and relaxation. Richmond is located in the heart of Virginia with mountains, lakes, rivers and beaches within a short drive.