A Humble Beginning
David Gordon, M.D., who came to Des Moines as central Iowa's first board-certified cardiologist, founded
what is now known as Iowa Heart Center in 1970. Originally called Cardiology
Associates, Dr. Gordon's modest vision was to build a cardiology practice of
three physicians.
But as technology exploded and more options for
treating heart disease became available, he realized Iowa Heart Center could
make even a bigger impact on the lives of Iowans. Within 10 years, three other
cardiologists had joined him - Drs. L.A. Iannone, Thomas Brown and William
Wickemeyer.
Iowa Heart Center made history on November 29, 1979, when Dr.
Iannone performed the state's first balloon procedure to clear a patient's
clogged coronary artery, known today as percutaneous transluminal coronary
angioplasty (PTCA). Dr. Gordon scored a first for Iowa Heart Center in January of
1980 by being the first cardiologist to administer the drug streptokinase on a
patient who had suffered a heart attack. The drug dissolved a life-threatening
clot, allowing the patient to go home without surgery.
In the next decade, the number of Iowa Heart Center physicians quadrupled, with each new
physician bringing special interests and expertise to the practice. Dr. Iannone
continued to make Iowa medical history, and in 1990, became the first
cardiologist to perform a directional coronary arthrectomy. This procedure uses
a catheter equipped with a small rotary cutting tool to shave through a blocked
artery, removing the clogging plaque.
Today, Iowa Heart Center has grown to more than 60 cardiologists and surgeons who specialize in the care of the
heart. Iowa Heart Center physicians perform more than 10,000 cardiac
interventions annually and are respected for their aggressive treatment and
prevention of heart and vascular problems.
The experience of the physicians coupled with their wide array of knowledge gives Iowa Heart Center
patients the comfort of knowing they are receiving the best care currently
available. In fact, research has shown that in complex heart disease cases, the
more experience a doctor has, the better the outcomes.
A Growing Presence
Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States, killing nearly one million men and women yearly and affecting 68 million Americans. Iowa is no different, with more Iowans dying annually of heart disease than any other illness.
To better serve its patients, Iowa Heart Center has opened offices and clinics throughout central, northern and southern Iowa. In Des Moines, Iowa Heart Center has offices at the three major hospitals - Mercy Hospital Medical Center, Iowa Methodist Medical Center and Iowa Lutheran Hospital as well as the Mercy West Office Building in the western suburbs - to give patients a choice of where they want to be treated.
In addition, Iowa Heart Center operates offices in Ames, Carroll, Council Bluffs and Fort Dodge, and holds clinics in 30 communities on a regular basis. These outreach efforts give patients the ability to receive the best cardiology care available without having to travel far from home.
Research Leads The Way
Iowa Heart Center helps pave the way in finding new, better and more cost-effective ways to deliver heart care by being active in research. Currently, Iowa Heart Center physicians are participating in more than 50 clinical research studies.
These studies involve trying new devices such as pacemakers and stents to testing new drugs to looking at new and different ways to treat and prevent heart disease. Often drug companies and equipment manufacturers seek out advice from Iowa Heart Center physicians when developing improvements in treating heart disease.
In addition, Iowa Heart Center physicians have received patents on several devices that improve how heart disease is treated.
By being at the forefront of research, Iowa Heart Center patients can receive the latest care available - often resulting in better outcomes and quicker recoveries.
Dedicated To Being The Best
As healthcare continues to evolve, Iowa Heart Center is proud to be a leader in treating cardiovascular disease throughout the state of Iowa. Through its various programs that help prevent heart disease to being the first in the state to try new procedures, the Center's physicians and staff remain dedicated to providing quality, leading-edge and compassionate care to patients and their families.
