FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO) – The Parkview Heart Institute announced that they are now affiliates with the Cleveland Clinic in a press conference at 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday.

Officials say this will now bring the nation’s leading cardiovascular care to patients in this region.  Parkview Heart Institute will have access to the best practices that have helped the Cleveland Clinic achieve top ranking for cardiology and heart surgery for U.S. News & World Report for the last 25 years.

Roy Robertson, MD, FACC, president of Parkview Heart Institute said “The people we serve in this region rely on us to continually improve.  By affiliating with the Cleveland Clinic Heart & Vascular Institute, we’re advancing the quality of care that’s available close to home.  Parkview’s world-class teamwork extends beyond the walls of our facilities, and we look forward to our collaboration with Cleveland Clinic to offer our community access to their world-renowned care.”

Lars Svensson, MD, Ph.D., chairman of Cleveland Clinic’s Heart & Vascular Institute said “Our affiliation with Parkview will enable sharing of best practices while working together to ensure the highest quality care to patients. Heart disease is complex, and programs like these advance the treatment of cardiovascular disease to benefit the communities we serve.”

This is the third affiliation of this type within the last year that has been launched by Parkview.  The goal is to advance care and provide local access to nationally recognized expertise.

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital for pediatric care was the first affiliation that was formalized in September.  In May, the Parkview Cancer Institute became a certified member of the MD Anderson Cancer Network which is a program of the MD Anderson Cancer Center.

For more information on the Cleveland Clinic Heart & Vascular Institute, click here.