Virginia Mason Franciscan Health Recognized for National Cardiovascular Care Excellence

Jan. 28, 2025

Virginia Mason Franciscan Health (VMFH) is excited to announce the Center for Cardiovascular Health’s hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) program has been designated a national Center of Excellence by the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association (HCMA). The prestigious designation is awarded to HCM centers that have an experienced multidisciplinary team, a longstanding reputation for patient-centered care, a focus on research and education, and advanced imaging facilities. VMFH is now one of only around 50 centers in the country, and the first in CommonSpirit, designated as a national Center of Excellence.

“The Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association is pleased to welcome Virginia Mason Franciscan Health Center for Cardiovascular Health’s hypertrophic HCM Program to our family of Center of Excellence programs. The HCMA has worked hard over the past 29 years to ensure HCM patients receive the highest quality care in high volume programs. HCMA Recognized Centers of Excellence programs provide the most time and cost effective care when compared to those seeking care in the general cardiology community,” said Lisa Salberg, Founder and CEO. “Patients and families benefit by having a team of highly skilled clinicians as well as the emotional support they need to manage living with a genetic heart condition that may impact many other members of the family.”

HCM is a genetic condition that causes a person’s heart muscle to thicken and block or reduce blood flow out of the heart. Over time, if left untreated, it can lead to serious complications, including stroke or sudden cardiac death. It is estimated that 1 in every 250 people worldwide have HCM, and it is the number one cause of sudden cardiac death in people under the age of 40. Diagnosing HCM can be challenging as many patients experience mild or no symptoms, which is one of the reasons it’s important to be seen by a comprehensive and specialized team. 

The HCM team at VMFH serves the Puget Sound region–from Seattle to Tacoma and Silverdale–promoting collaboration across specialties and always putting patients at the heart of its care. Cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, interventional cardiologists, anesthesiologists, radiologists, pharmacists, nurses and social workers work with patients to identify a tailored treatment plan, including minimally invasive options. The team also offers proactive genetic testing and counseling, as well as research options for patients hoping to advance HCM treatment and clinical care. 

“It is an incredible honor to be designated,” said Mariko Harper, MD, Medical Director of the HCM center. “We set out to fill a critical gap in the community, improving access to HCM care across the region and beyond. What we have achieved today is a true testament to the dedication and passion of our entire team.”

In 2021, a group of dedicated clinicians at VMFH saw a need in the community and embarked on a mission to develop a comprehensive HCM program to provide patients excellent care close to home. Today, only four years later, the HCM center is now recognized as a Center of Excellence. Prior to the inception of VMFH’s HCM center, there was no other center in the Pacific Northwest, which meant patients had to travel long distances for HCM care.

The HCM center offers a wide array of treatment options, including novel therapies and medications, a comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation program, cardiac implantable devices, minimally invasive procedures, heart surgery and advanced heart failure care. VMFH heart surgeons are leaders in septal myectomy, an open-heart procedure to treat HCM. The center’s partnership with Benaroya Research Institute (BRI) also provides patients access to unique clinical trials that are not available anywhere else in the greater Pacific Northwest and Alaska region. The partnership with BRI has also enabled grant-funded opportunities for the HCM team to expand their research footprint, with Dr. Harper and Jill Jesurum, PhD, Program Coordinator, leading the HCM COE's investigator-initiated research program. They and other members of the program, including VMFH residents, have presented their research at numerous national and international conferences over the past year.

"We strive to provide comprehensive care to patients with HCM and other genetic cardiomyopathies, further research in this space, and continue to advocate for this community at large,” said Dr. Harper. “Over the past several years, there has been so much advancement in HCM diagnosis and treatment. What was once considered a very morbid diagnosis is now treatable with FDA-approved medications, interventions and surgery.”

Learn more about the HCM Center of Excellence at VMFH. 

About the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association

The Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association, HCMA, was founded in 1996 as an international resource for patients, families and the medical community on matters of importance. HCM is a genetic heart muscle disorder affecting 1 in 250 people worldwide. The HCMA provides services to enhance understanding, provide support, foster research, ensure high-quality health care, and support public policies of importance. The HCMA is a 501c(3) with offices in Denville, NJ, and online at www.4hcm.org. 

About Virginia Mason Franciscan Health

Virginia Mason Franciscan Health is an integrated health system serving the Puget Sound region, offering access to some of the country’s most prestigious experts and hospitals that are internationally known for superior quality. With a team of 18,000 team members, including nearly 5,000 employed physicians and affiliated providers, we unite the brightest health care minds in the region to provide world-class clinical excellence at 10 hospitals and nearly 300 sites of care throughout the Puget Sound area. We are proud to be the home of Bailey-Boushay House, the first skilled nursing and outpatient chronic care management program in the United States designed specifically to meet the needs of people with HIV/AIDS, and Benaroya Research Institute, which is internationally recognized for autoimmune disease research. We embrace our community’s uniquely vibrant, active culture by providing holistic, personalized and patient-centered care. We are committed to caring for the most vulnerable in our communities, especially the poor and underserved, providing more than $300 million in community benefit – free, subsidized, and reduced cost health care and programs.