UH Awarded Once Again for Exceptional Cardiovascular Care of Patients Undergoing Cancer Treatment

UH Seidman Cancer Center patient Mia Pruzin with her daughter, Vivienne.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The International Cardio-Oncology Society has awarded University Hospitals with a Center of Excellence designation in recognition of its ongoing support of patients with cancer. This Gold Status certification, the society’s highest designation, recognizes the institute for its commitment to cardiology services for patients with cancer for whom life-saving treatments may cause cardiac problems.

This innovative cardio-oncology program, founded in 2013, is a collaboration between UH Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute and UH Seidman Cancer Center. This is the second consecutive time UH has received this award and it applies from 2025 through 2028. The program is currently under the leadership of cardiologists Michael Zacharias, DO and Robert Montgomery, MD.

The society awards this Gold Status Center of Excellence designation to programs with excellence in quality of care, standards of care, quality metrics, and program improvements. The designation is intended to not only acknowledge exceptional programs in cardio-oncology patient care, but to also award programs that contribute to local, regional, state, and national level education in cardio-oncology.

While cancer therapy has improved dramatically over the past several decades with a notable increase in survival rates, some cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation can potentially cause heart issues. The development of unexpected heart issues can cause interruption and even discontinuation of cancer treatments. Therefore, keeping the heart healthy is essential to delivering optimal patient care and achieving good outcomes. Cardio-oncologists are devoted to screening, monitoring, and treating heart problems before, during, or after cancer therapy.

Mia Pruzin of Shaker Heights, Ohio was diagnosed with stage 3 Hodgkin lymphoma while 20 weeks pregnant. A golf ball-sized lump developed on the side of her neck, right above her collarbone and an MRI found the cancer had spread. A month after diagnosis, Pruzin began chemotherapy for several months until her baby girl’s delivery at 36 weeks. Treatment resumed three weeks after the birth.

“I needed to go through this to be a healthy mom,” Pruzin said about her first child she named Vivienne. “All of my doctors have been so supportive, reassuring and confident. Thankfully we found the cancer when we did. I’m so grateful for the specialized care I received through my unique case.”

Pruzin’s care was truly multidisciplinary including oncology, cardio-oncology, and maternal fetal medicine. Simultaneous chemotherapy and pregnancy increased her risk for cardiovascular complications so she was monitored closely. Thankfully, Pruzin never developed any heart issues through her delivery and the end of her cancer treatments.

“A successful cardio-oncology program ensures that oncologists can safely care for people facing cancer, eliminate interruptions to life-saving cancer treatments, and improve patients’ long-term survival and quality of life,” said Ted Teknos, MD, President and Scientific Director of UH Seidman Cancer Center and the Jane and Lee Seidman Chair in Cancer Innovation. “Mia’s story is an example of how our program can address issues when they arise and give our patients peace of mind when they don’t, letting them focus on healing.”

“Receiving recognition for cardio-oncology shows our caregivers’ ability to work well with our counterparts in oncology behind-the-scenes, resulting in the best quality care for patients,” said Mehdi Shishehbor, DO, MPH, PhD, President of UH Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute, and Angela and James Hambrick Chair in Innovation. “Awards are wonderful to receive, but helping patients like Mia is the real reward.”

The cardio-oncology program at UH provides comprehensive cardiovascular care for all cancer patients; more than 1,500 patients annually and between 60 to 100 new patients every month. The program strives to provide high quality and accessible care in a variety of ways including same day appointment capability and an average time to appointment of less than one week. The program also features dedicated cardio-oncology nurse navigators to streamline patient triage and improve care coordination. It currently features two satellite clinics at UH St. John Medical Center in Westlake and UH Minoff Health Center at Chagrin Highlands in Orange, in addition to the main location at UH Cleveland Medical Center.