A Heart for Innovation: Leading the Future of Heart Failure Care

Heart failure affects more than 6 million Americans and remains one of the most complex and deadly chronic conditions in the country. For those in the advanced stages, everyday activities can become nearly impossible, and traditional therapies no longer provide relief.

Together through an academic affiliation agreement aimed at improving education and retention of clinicians for Arizona, Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix and the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix are addressing heart failure care with precise diagnostics, personalized treatments, and a bold vision for recovery and innovation. 

“Our approach is about treating the full spectrum of heart failure,” said Radha Gopalan, MD, director of the Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Program at Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix. “We focus on continuity — from early diagnosis to transplant, mechanical circulatory support and beyond.”

A key part of that continuum is the Cardiomyopathy and Recovery Clinic, led by Ambar Andrade, MD. Specializing in rare and complex conditions like cardiac sarcoidosis, amyloidosis and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, the clinic is often the first point of clarity for patients who have spent months — even years — searching for answers.

“Many patients come to us with unexplained symptoms or prior misdiagnoses,” Dr. Andrade said. “We take the time to determine exactly what kind of cardiomyopathy they have. That allows us to match the right treatment and often delay or even prevent progression to transplant.” 

Roderick Tung, MD, chief of Cardiology at the U of A College of Medicine – Phoenix and director of Cardiovascular Clinical Research at Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix, added, “The goal is to create upstream clinics based on centers of excellence that can either prevent the next transplant or identify candidates earlier.”

For patients whose conditions do progress, the hospital offers life-extending therapies through its Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Program with key U of A College of Medicine – Phoenix faculty members. Seamless transitions are made possible by a highly integrated team of heart failure specialists and cardiac surgeons, including transplant cardiologists Marc Silver, MD; Anusha Sunkara, MD; Jamal Mahar, MD; and Gabrielle Rubin, DO. The program is strengthened by surgical partners at Phoenix Cardiac Surgery and the leadership of Francisco Arabia, MD, physician executive for the advanced heart program with Banner – University Medical Group.

“Recovery should be achievable for many patients with early-stage heart failure as medical therapy has made significant advances,” Dr. Tung explained. “All patients with heart failure should be on four essential medications, and specialists are often best equipped to initiate and titrate these therapies beyond what general cardiologists typically provide. The evidence shows that most patients who qualify for these therapies don’t receive them. Furthermore, integrating specialties within a heart institute allows for rapid identification of patients who may benefit from electrical therapies — with electrophysiology services next door.”

“We intentionally designed our program around true collaboration between cardiologists, surgeons and intensivists,” Dr. Gopalan said. “That integration directly improves outcomes.”

In 2024 alone, the team performed:

• Forty-one heart transplants.
• Twelve Left Ventricular Assist Device implants.
• Ten Total Artificial Heart implants.

“These numbers reflect our commitment to meeting the most urgent needs of patients across Arizona,” said Sarah Matushinec, RN, director of Banner’s heart failure, transplant and mechanical circulatory support services. “Behind every procedure is a multidisciplinary team working together to support patients and their families.”

That spirit of innovation drives the research mission as well. The heart failure team actively contributes to national clinical trials and helps train other institutions in complex mechanical circulatory support techniques. 

“We’re building a reputation as a center that not only delivers excellent care but also helps define the future of treatment,” Dr. Andrade said. “That includes participating in research and training the next generation of physicians.”

Education is embedded in every layer of the program. Medical students, residents and fellows rotate through every phase of care — from outpatient evaluation to transplant recovery to artificial heart implantation. 

“For learners, it’s transformational,” Dr. Andrade said. “They see firsthand how early diagnosis, team-based care and leading-edge therapies can save lives. It often inspires them to pursue heart failure as a career.”

That mission extends to expanding access across the state — especially in underserved areas.

“Our patients don’t have to leave Arizona to receive the best possible heart failure treatment,” Dr. Gopalan said. “We’re bringing top-tier care to the community, and we’re just getting started.”

Looking ahead, the college is laying the foundation for a research institute focused on organ regeneration, replacement and recovery — a visionary step beyond treating heart failure to restoring heart function entirely. 

“Our long-term vision is to go beyond treatment,” Dr. Gopalan said. “We want to regenerate heart tissue, extend recovery pathways and eliminate the need for transplant altogether.”

Whether diagnosing cardiomyopathy in its earliest stages or offering a second chance at life through artificial heart technology, Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix and the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix are leading the way in how academic medicine addresses heart failure — through early detection, advanced therapies and a deep commitment to research, education and patient-centered care.