UH Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute at UH Portage Medical Center Study Shows Improved Patient Cardiovascular Outcomes
March 24, 2025
RAVENNA, Ohio – University Hospitals Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute at UH Portage Medical Center announces a significant reduction in cardiovascular mortality trends since a $2.5 million dollar investment to establish a local catheterization lab and preventive screening programs.
Ischemic heart disease (IHD) remains a leading cause of death, with a disproportionately higher rate in underserved regions, where access to specialty care is limited. In rural areas including Portage County Ohio, geographic isolation has historically led to delayed treatment.
The UH Portage cath lab, alongside comprehensive cardiovascular screening, and prevention programs, were introduced at UH Portage Medical Center, the only hospital in Portage County, in 2016 to help reduce mortality and morbidity from cardiovascular disease within the county. Since opening, early results show reduced IHD mortality in the region.
From 2016 to 2019, more than 3,000 catheterizations were performed. During this period, a general decline in the crude death rate, a measure that indicates the number of deaths occurring in a population over a given period, was observed across all age groups, especially in people of advanced age. In the 65-74 age group, rates dropped by 36% (294.2 in 2015 to 188.1 in 2019), while the 75-84 and 85+ age groups saw declines of 21% (817.1 to 648.6) and 28% (3715.6 to 2657.8), respectively.
“These encouraging results show our expert caregivers are saving the lives of patients in Portage County,” said Dr. Anjan Gupta, the Heisler-Tsai Master Clinician in Cardiology and interventional cardiologist at University Hospitals Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute at UH Portage Medical Center. “This is significant because Portage County has one of the highest cardiovascular disease and mortality rates in Northeast Ohio.”
This retrospective study analyzed CDRs for IHD (reported per 100,000) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention WONDER (Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research) from 2000 to 2019, stratified by age group. Hospital records provided data on angiograms performed from 2016 to 2022. Linear regression and interrupted time series analysis was used to evaluate correlation between the intervention and CDR trends.
“University Hospitals Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute serves as a critical lifeline for patients in urban as well as rural communities,” said Dr. Mehdi H. Shishehbor, President, University Hospitals Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute, and Angela and James Hambrick Chair in Innovation. “We are proud to share this news with the communities we serve and demonstrate how our expertise delivers on our promise to provide high quality healthcare close to home.”
The UH Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute team of experts at UH Portage Medical Center provides local access to nationally recognized care for any heart or vascular condition. The team is integrated throughout the health system to collaboratively coordinate care to provide the best patient outcomes.