Cardiovascular Experts from RWJBarnabas Healthcare Visited Xiamen Cardiovascular Hospital Xiamen University

On February 7, a delegation of five cardiovascular experts from Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Barnabas Healthcare System (RWJBH), including former Chairman of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery Professor Craig Saunders, visited Xiamen Cardiovascular Hospital Xiamen University (hereinafter referred to as "XMCH"), for an academic exchange.

RWJBH is the largest integrated healthcare system and academic medical research institution in New Jersey, USA. It consists of multiple medical schools, specialty hospitals, medical centers, and healthcare groups and has a strong partnership with Rutgers University. RWJBH provides medical services to over three million patients annually, covering multiple disciplines, including cardiology, internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, and oncology. Its cardiovascular specialty is among the leading programs in the United States.

Professor Wang Yan, President of XMCH, accompanied the visiting U.S. experts on a tour of the hospital, including the outpatient hall, medical technology examination area, intervention lab, surgical operating rooms, patient wards, helipad, and chest pain center. At each stop, President Wang introduced the hospital's medical services, facility layout, and humanistic care philosophy. The U.S. experts frequently paused to observe and express their admiration. "Unbelievable!" Professor Craig Saunders exclaimed. "I have never seen a hospital like this in the U.S.!"

China-U.S. Cardiovascular Treatment Progress Seminar

President Wang Yan led the hospital's interventional and surgical teams, along with Heart Sapling Program visiting scholars, in an in-depth academic exchange seminar with the RWJBH experts. He opened the seminar by warmly welcoming the guests from RWJBH. Director Chen Lianglong from the Department of Cardiology at Fujian Medical University Union Hospital and Director Chen Chunguang from the Cardiac Imaging Department at RWJBH Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center also delivered speeches. Senior professors from XMCH, including Director Liao Chongxian and Director Su Maolong, participated in the discussion.

At 81 years old, Professor Craig Saunders shared his career experiences and insights in a presentation titled "Lifelong Experiences and Lessons," encouraging young physicians to pursue excellence and innovation.

Following this, Professor Sardari Frederic, Vice Chair of Cardiothoracic Surgery at RWJBH, discussed the latest advancements in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), incorporating clinical case studies to illustrate recent developments in surgical revascularization in the U.S.

Professor Chen Chunguang and Professor Darshan Godkar from Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center presented clinical strategies, research data, and future outlooks for mitral and tricuspid valve interventions. Additionally, Professor Richard Kovach, Director of the Deborah Heart and Lung Center, introduced the innovative DETOUR system for treating complex and recurrent occlusive SFA disease, highlighting its clinical research progress.

At the end of the seminar, President Wang Yan shared seven recent valve intervention cases performed at XMCH. These cases featured transcatheter valve repair/replacement and robotic-assisted interventional procedures, showcasing China's advancements in cardiac interventions. He also highlighted the outstanding performance of domestically developed innovative medical devices in complex valve interventions, receiving unanimous praise from the U.S. experts.

Showcasing China's Medical Progress and Innovations

During their visit, RWJBH experts also entered the intervention lab and surgical operating rooms, engaging with Chinese physicians and Heart Sapling Program scholars. In front of the large screen in the catheterization lab, President Wang introduced the hospital’s overall development, industrialization efforts, and internationalization achievements to the U.S. guests.

As the only public tertiary cardiovascular specialty hospital in Fujian Province, XMCH serves as a sub-center of the National Clinical Research Center for Cardiovascular Diseases and a designated National Regional Medical Center for Cardiovascular Diseases. After more than 20 years of innovative development, it has become the leading center for diagnosing and treating complex cardiovascular diseases in the region. As one of China's first officially designated interventional centers for valvular heart disease, the hospital routinely performs complex interventional procedures, ranking among the top in China in terms of technical difficulty and surgical volume. Additionally, the hospital actively promotes domestic medical innovation by collaborating with enterprises to develop advanced medical devices, with some technologies being the first of their kind both in China and globally.

XMCH continues to explore a dual approach of "bringing in" and "going global" in its internationalization strategy. The hospital initiated the Heart Sapling Visiting Scholar Program, inviting international young cardiovascular doctors for training in Xiamen. This program was officially introduced at the United Nations headquarters by the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) and has been included in CIDCA’s Global Development Initiative project pool. To date, the program has trained 16 scholars from nine countries. Since 2024, XMCH has been invited to El Salvador, Brazil, Azerbaijan, Indonesia, Russia, and Canada for surgical guidance, successfully completing the first local implantations of Chinese innovative medical devices in several countries. In June 2024, the hospital established an International Medical Center, pioneering international medical services.

This visit facilitated an in-depth exchange of knowledge and expertise between China and the U.S. in the field of cardiovascular medicine, fostering innovation and laying a solid foundation for further academic collaboration and international medical cooperation.