When it comes to matters of the heart, access to advanced, high-quality care close to home can make all the difference. At St. Clair Health, that level of care is not only available—it’s nationally recognized. The health system has earned Transcatheter Valve Certification from the American College of Cardiology (ACC), a distinction that recognizes excellence in treating complex heart valve disease.
This certification places St. Clair among an elite group of hospitals nationwide—notably, the only hospital in Western Pennsylvania and just the third in the state to achieve this recognition. It reflects not just a single milestone, but years of commitment to delivering advanced cardiac care with precision, safety, and a deeply personal approach.
At the center of this achievement is St. Clair’s Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) program, a minimally invasive treatment for severe aortic stenosis, a condition in which the heart’s aortic valve becomes narrowed and restricts blood flow. Left untreated, aortic stenosis can significantly impact quality of life and become life-threatening.
Traditionally, valve replacement required open-heart surgery. Today, TAVR offers a less invasive alternative. Using a catheter—most often inserted through a small incision in the leg—physicians can implant a new valve within the diseased one, restoring proper blood flow without the need for major surgery. For many patients, this means shorter hospital stays, faster recovery, and a quicker return to daily life.
Since launching the program in 2019, St. Clair’s cardiology team has performed more than 500 TAVR procedures, bringing this advanced therapy closer to home for hundreds of patients.
But what truly sets the program apart—and what the ACC certification validates—is how care is delivered.
TAVR at St. Clair is guided by a collaborative “heart team” approach, bringing together interventional cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, imaging specialists, and support staff to evaluate each patient and determine the best course of treatment. This model ensures that every decision is grounded in clinical expertise, evidence-based practice, and—most importantly—the individual needs and goals of the patient.
The ACC’s rigorous certification process evaluates not only clinical outcomes, but also the systems and processes behind them. Hospitals must demonstrate excellence in areas such as multidisciplinary collaboration, formalized training, participation in national registries, and a commitment to continuous quality improvement.
For patients, that translates into something meaningful: confidence. Confidence that their care team is meeting the highest national standards. Confidence that decisions are guided by data and best practices. And confidence that they don’t have to leave their community to receive leading-edge cardiac care.
“This achievement represents not only a milestone for our TAVR program, but also a meaningful step forward for patients seeking advanced cardiac care in our community,” notes Kyle Buchanan, MD, Interventional Cardiologist at St. Clair Health. “Our team is deeply committed to providing exceptional outcomes and ensuring each patient receives personalized, comprehensive care throughout their valve treatment journey.”
That combination—clinical excellence paired with a more individualized patient experience—is a defining strength of St. Clair Health. As one of the region’s few remaining independent health systems, it continues to invest in advanced technologies and specialized programs while maintaining a focus on treating patients as people, not numbers.
For those facing heart valve disease, that can make all the difference. From diagnosis through recovery, patients benefit from a seamless, coordinated experience—one that keeps them close to their support systems while delivering the highest level of care.
With ACC Transcatheter Valve Certification now in place, St. Clair Health is not just keeping pace with the future of cardiovascular care—it is helping lead it, right here in the community it serves.
To learn more about St. Clair Health’s cardiovascular services or to schedule an appointment, visit stclair.org/heart.