Leading Through Teaching

The UK Gill Heart & Vascular Institute is making a difference for cardiovascular healthcare in Kentucky by teaching the latest advances, tools and techniques in medicine to providers throughout the state and beyond. The support and training we offer helps practitioners of the Commonwealth provide patients with higher quality care and more treatment options. 

“Part of our charge is making sure we’re educating the providers across our region who don’t have the time and the access to the information we have,” said Dr. Susan Smyth, director of the Gill Heart & Vascular Institute and chief of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine.  

The power of conferences

Attendees at Gill Cardiovascular Research Day
Attendees at Gill Cardiovascular Research Day

In addition to standard offerings like grand rounds, our educational opportunities for providers include: 

  • The annual Gill Heart & Vascular Institute Cardiovascular Research Day: Held for more than 20 years, the conference features regional and national speakers, trainee presentations, poster sessions, networking and more.  
  • The Dr. Nancy C. Flowers and Dr. Leo G. Horan Lectureship in Cardiology: This endowed lectureship brings high-profile cardiologists to the UK campus, including Nanette Wenger, MD, professor of medicine (emeritus) at Emory University School of Medicine and a pioneer in the field of women’s heart disease. 
  • An annual CV Symposium: This forum on innovations in cardiovascular medicine and surgical management covers topics ranging from advances in the medical management of atrial fibrillation to the latest in cardiac device management.  
  • National conferences: We host conferences including the Midwest Platelet Conference, the Southeast Lipid Research Conference and the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT) TAVR workshop.  
  • Gill Heart members also organize a prestigious international Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology summer research conference on lysophospholipids. Conferences at Gill often bring in 100 or more attendees from Kentucky, neighboring states and beyond. 

Hands-on learning

In addition to lectures, many of our programs give participants a hands-on, collaborative experience. A recent TAVR program included presentations that were reinforced with educational activities, including a live simulation and the chance for participants to dissect an animal heart and implant a TAVR valve. A regional conference on extracorporeal life support (ECLS) gave attendees an opportunity to try out simulation-based training on multiple ECLS systems in UK’s new advanced simulation training center.    

Doctors, nurses, physician assistants and other clinicians are welcome to attend our programs, where they may receive CME credits or credits for board certifications. 

“We view Gill as the home for expertise. We shouldn’t just understand the latest innovations. As an academic medical center, we should drive the latest advances in the field.” – Susan Smyth, MD, Director, Gill Heart & Vascular Institute