What's New at GWUMC

Washington, DC--Today, Vice President Richard Cheney and his wife Lynne participated in a ribbon cutting ceremony to inaugurate the Richard B. and Lynne V. Cheney Cardiovascular Institute at The George Washington University. They were joined by the Institute’s Board of Directors, medical professionals and faculty, administrative staff and by leaders of The George Washington University.  

The Institute’s mission is to promote clinical research, education, patient care and community service with the goal of accelerating the pace of scientific discovery, reducing mortality and improving the quality of life of Americans with cardiovascular disease. 

“The Richard B. and Lynne V. Cheney Cardiovascular Institute is an asset to the University. The Institute has enabled us to continue our research leading to improved treatment and prevention of cardiovascular disease. Providing the newest developments and highest quality of care to our patients is our ultimate goal,” said Dr. Richard J. Katz, director of the Institute, director of the Division of Cardiology and Bloedorn Professor of Cardiology. 

The Institute seeks to provide an interdisciplinary structure—including cardiology, radiology, cardiovascular surgery, biochemistry, molecular biology and pharmacology—by integrating basic and clinical investigators, clinicians, medical educators, health policy experts and community leaders.

"The cross-disciplinary collaborative approach within the Cheney Cardiovascular Institute facilitates meaningful research, education and community outreach,” said Dr. Jonathan S. Reiner, director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at The George Washington University Hospital and professor of Medicine at The George Washington University Medical Center.

For its initial community outreach effort, the Institute is funding a major project to empower patients to better control their blood pressure. People with high blood pressure, or hypertension, usually don’t have any initial symptoms, and may not realize they have a problem until it leads to a stroke or a heart attack. This is particularly problematic in low-income communities, where the incidence of cardiovascular disease tends to be higher and access to quality care is more limited. The project is based on the premise that home-based blood pressure monitors, combined with nurse telephone monitoring can improve compliance and ultimately outcomes in hypertensive patients.

“We're honored to be able to help an institution making significant progress in cardiology and grateful for the top-notch care GW hospital has provided our family.  We know that the discoveries of today will help many people tomorrow,” said Vice President Cheney.

About the Cheney Cardiovascular Institute:
The Richard B. and Lynne V. Cheney Cardiovascular Institute at The George Washington University was established in 2006. The Institute’s mission is to promote clinical research, education, patient care and community service with the goal of accelerating the pace of scientific discovery, reducing mortality and improving the quality of life of Americans with cardiovascular disease. To achieve these goals, the Institute seeks to provide an interdisciplinary structure to integrate basic and clinical investigators, clinicians, medical educators, health-policy experts, and community leaders. For more information, please visit: www.cheneycardioinstitute.org.