We strive to be One, diverse academic health enterprise where people come to receive the highest quality heart and vascular care in their community while also enabling relentless innovation that fuels better health for Indiana and beyond. Read on to learn about recent advances in realizing this vision.
Welcome to our Team
Kevin Sumption, MD joined IU Health Southern Indiana Physicians in October 2020 as a general cardiologist. He earned his BA from the University of Virginia, MS from George Mason University and MD from Virginia Commonwealth University. Dr. Sumption completed his post-graduate training in the United States Navy, serving for 17 years as a Commander. He then spent 10 years as an Assistant Professor and Staff Cardiologist at both Virginia Commonwealth University and the Richmond, Virginia, VA Medical Center. He retired from those positions last summer and is now happy to be affiliated with IU Health. Dr. Sumption is board certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease, Nuclear Cardiology, and Vascular Disease. He has a special interest in Cardiac Imaging including echocardiography, nuclear imaging, vascular ultrasound and cardiac MRI.
Rana Zouveenoor Tariq, MD joined IU Health Southern Indiana Physicians in August 2020 as a general cardiologist. He completed his Internal Medicine Residency at Rush University Medical Center in July 2017 and his Cardiovascular Medicine Fellowship at Lahey Hospital and Medical Center in Burlington, Massachusetts in July 2020. Dr. Tariq is board certified in Internal Medicine, Echocardiography, Nuclear Cardiology, Cardiovascular Computed Tomography, and Cardiovascular Medicine. He has special interests in Cardiac Imaging, Preventive Cardiology, Critical Care Cardiology, and physician training/mentorship.
Top News
Invasive CPET Soon to be Offered
In the world of heart failure, both with preserved and reduced ejection fraction, as well as in the patients with cardiomyopathies, adult congenital heart disease, and valvular defects, patients may be asymptomatic at rest, and therefore all tests done in resting condition are not too informative. Stress testing is a great tool, which helps to bring up symptoms and reveal a true condition. Through a multidisciplinary collaboration, the cardiovascular service line at the AHC is moving the stress testing up to the next level, expanding on the already existing cardio-pulmonary exercise program (CPET). Starting February 17th, invasive CPET will be offered. We will place the Swan-Ganz catheter in the cath lab, bring the patient to a testing area, and do the bicycle VO2 stress test. In addition to the already reported data on CPET, this test will allow for invasive hemodynamic assessment of cardiac chambers filling pressure and compliance during exercise. We will also supplement our "traditional" non-invasive CPET with echocardiography for the purpose of evaluating cardiac filling pressure, diastolic dysfunction, and pulmonary pressure with exercise. Both modalities will provide incremental important data and a comprehensive evaluation of cardiopulmonary reserve to assist in the diagnosis and management of a variety of patients including but not limited to unexplained dyspnea, fatigue, dizziness, etc.
We hope this is a new direction which will provide a great clinical benefit as well as a wealth of knowledge for potential research. Because only limited number of institutions in the country carry this modality, we can pioneer important initiatives and hopefully attract referrals.
Kareem Ballut, MD, from the heart failure faculty, will lead this effort. To schedule a patient for clinical evaluation, please contact him via diagnotes, email, or cerner
Launch of the CVI Website
The CVI Website is close to launch - we want to highlight your team. Please send a selfie of your team to OneIUCV@iu.edu with a short caption of how you help achieve our Vision so we can share with the world! 
February is American Heart Month
Did you know that President Lyndon B. Johnson issued the first proclamation in 1964, making February American Heart Month?
Heart disease continues to be the greatest health threat to Americans and is still the leading cause of death worldwide. About 80% of cardiac events can be prevented through education and lifestyle changes.
This February we ask that the survivors and supporters Go Red to help ensure a healthy, positive significant future for themselves and those they care for.
For more information on the American Heart Association or to donate, click:
Please give what you can today
KUDOS
Honors and Recognitions
Dr. Subha Raman has been elected President of the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance. This international group includes cardiologists, radiologists, technologists, physicists, engineers, and many others seeking to deliver high value, mission-aligned advances in cardiovascular health.
Biomedical journals play an important role in critically evaluating advances that, after careful peer review, impact how we provide cardiovascular care. The Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography (JASE) vets such advances related to cardiovascular ultrasound submitted from various parts of the world, read by ~17,000 members of the Society and many others. Kudos to #OneIUCV Cardiologist, Dr. Stephen Sawada , who was recently recognized by JASE for his ongoing service to the journal in various capacities including Associate Editor, Senior Consulting Editor, Editorial Board Member, and author.
Congratulations to our Interventional Cardiology Fellow, Dr. Ryan Mallory, on being named to the ACC Fellow in Training Section Leadership Council. This position is a testament to his leadership potential.
Awards
The Indiana CTSI via its Collaboration in Translational Research (CTR) Award is catalyzing work to tackle the cardiovascular and psychiatric consequences of COVID-19. Spanning IUPUI's School of Science, Department of Psychology as well as IU School of Medicine's Departments of Internal Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases and Cardiology) and Emergency Medicine, this new collaborative team will be delving into inflammatory and coagulation mechanisms underlying heart muscle damage, blood clots, anxiety and other complications that have been described after infection with the pandemic-causing virus. Stay tuned for this group's advances.
Publications
Dr. Thomas Everett's, recent manuscript was published in Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology. This paper demonstrates that nerve activity can be recorded with high-density mapping from the epicardial surface of the heart specifically in the region of the sinoatrial node. Nerve activity was observed before each atrial beat during heart rate acceleration induced by stimulation of the right stellate ganglion.
Dr. Suparna Clasen's, recent manuscript was published in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics. Radiation is often used in the treatment of breast cancer. Historically, there has been an increased risk of short and long term cardiovascular disease with inadvertent radiation exposure to the heart. With modern radiation planning techniques and decreasing heart dose exposure, Dr. Clasen has shown there are very minimal short term changes in the heart in breast cancer patients receiving radiation therapy. This study offers reassurance to patients receiving potentially life-saving, modern radiation therapy, while working to minimize any longer-term heart risks.
Early rhythm-control therapy was associated with a lower risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes than usual care among patients with early atrial fibrillation and cardiovascular conditions in the EAST-AFNET 4 Trial. It is a very important study in the EP field and Dr. Takeki Suzuki, wrote a letter to the Editor of the New England Journal of Medicine asking if there is any difference in the number of clinic visits between the groups (early rhythm-control strategy group vs. control).
Check out more publications in recent months from across OneIUCV
Vascular Surgery
Cardiac Surgery
In the Media
33 years on, IU Health's oldest living heart transplant recipient defies the odds. Read on to learn about another incredible story of our heart team.
Rachael Chisom, BSN, RN, was recently featured in the Indianapolis Business Journal for volunteering at the IU Heath COVID vaccine clinic where she personally vaccinated some of our very own CV providers, team members, and patients.
Keeping Hoosier hearts healthy after COVID-19
While our team is working to keep all heart healthy every day, we have recognized that the infection responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic can cause cardiovascular problems that deserve special attention. Read more about how we are keeping Hoosier hearts healthy post-COVID in this recent issue of the Indianapolis Business Journal
Do your patients have questions about the COVID-19 vaccine?
Check out the American College of Cardiology's Health Policy Statement on Cardiovascular Disease Considerations for COVID-19 Vaccine Prioritization.
Do you have a story that reflects the strength of our
statewide system for cardiovascular care?
Please email OneIUCV@iu.edu so we can share with the team!
