Holston Valley chosen as one of two demonstration sites in the United States for prestigious international cardiovascular conference
When thousands of the world’s leading vascular specialists convened at the Leipzig Interventional Course (LINC) 2020 conference on Wednesday, Jan. 29, their eyes focused on one place: the cardiac and endovascular labs at Holston Valley Medical Center.
The hospital was selected as one of only two medical facilities in the United States – along with Mount Sinai Hospital in New York – as a demonstration site for the international conference. Chris Metzger, MD, director of Holston Valley’s diagnostic catheterization and interventional labs, performed multiple procedures for the event. His work was transmitted via live satellite to the audience in Leipzig, Germany, where a moderator and panelists discussed the cases with Dr. Metzger as they were performed.
“When the world’s top cardiovascular specialists want to expand their knowledge and skillsets, they look to Holston Valley and Dr. Metzger,” said Lindy White, the hospital’s president and CEO of Ballad Health’s Northwest Market. “This is a remarkable honor for our hospital, Kingsport and Ballad Health, and it’s only possible because of Dr. Metzger’s reputation as a worldwide leader in heart and vascular care and the consistent high performance of all our cath lab team members.
“Our participation in this event reflects the esteem in which Dr. Metzger is held by his peers, and it is a testament to the quality and advancement of healthcare in the Appalachian Highlands.”
LINC is an interdisciplinary live course designed to provide a global platform that facilitates discussion of vascular patients by integrating colleagues of different specialties who are performing endovascular interventions.
“This is a beautiful, collaborative environment, where we can share our expertise while also improving the quality of our patients’ lives,” said Dr. Metzger, who also serves as Ballad Health’s system chair of clinical research. “It’s a tremendous privilege to participate in LINC and come together with some of the best and brightest minds in this industry.
“This is also an excellent opportunity to put Holston Valley’s cath lab team in the spotlight and show the world what we can do – what Kingsport can do.”
The cardiovascular program at Holston Valley has earned significant accolades over the last decade, including a No. 1 ranking in 2016, 2017 and 2018 for medical excellence in interventional carotid care by CareChex®, a division of Comparion®, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Quantros®. Holston Valley was also recognized this year as one of the nation’s 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals by IBM Watson Health™ – and it was the only hospital in Tennessee to achieve the honor.
Additionally, under Dr. Metzger’s leadership, the cardiology program at Holston Valley has performed as the No. 1 or No. 2 enroller in the United States and globally in at least 29 top research trials, including being the current leading enroller in four major trials.
“Holston Valley has always been extremely proud of its cardiovascular services, and we’re exceptionally grateful to Dr. Metzger for continuing to show the world that some of the finest cardiovascular care is available in our region,” said Herbert Ladley, MD, a cardiologist and chief medical officer of Ballad Health’s Northwest Market. “The rest of the country and world are learning what we already know: The people of Kingsport and our surrounding region have access to some of the finest, most advanced cardiovascular care on the planet. Advancements made through the work of Dr. Metzger and our cardiovascular team not only further care for patients nationwide, but also give our communities first access to leading-edge treatments and therapies.
“Dr. Metzger makes a difference in our patients’ lives every day, and he is also extremely gracious in sharing what he knows with other physicians and being a marvelous ambassador for our hospital and health system.”
In addition to the LINC conference, Dr. Metzger regularly participates in livestreamed procedures for medical conferences across the country and globe. These include New Cardiovascular Horizons, International Symposium of Endovascular Therapy, AMP and Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) and Vascular Interventional Advances conferences.
“It’s exciting to collaborate with internationally-recognized teams and physicians, but at the end of the day, I’m grateful that I can practice at Holston Valley with the people I know – I’d take this team over any team,” Dr. Metzger said. “Our hospital and team members are outstanding, and I love celebrating them on the world stage at the LINC conference.”
More information about LINC is available at www.leipzig-interventional-course.com.
