VCU Health Pauley Heart Center Consortium

The cardiology consortium started with an “exploratory” dinner meeting in 1997 to assess the interest in community support for a focused cardiology center at VCU Health. Bolstered by early support, including the Eric Lipman Research Professorship in Cardiology and the Kimmerling Chair, the Consortium represented a new opportunity to engage grateful patients and community leaders focused on supporting the cardiology program.

With a rich history in transplant and early pioneering work in cardiac surgery and coronary angioplasty, the program sought to use that recognition to expand opportunities. The Consortium focused on asking members to provide support in the form of advice, community support and philanthropy.

The program has been exceedingly successful, including two major campaigns culminating in the naming of VCU Health Pauley Heart Center with a donation from Dorothy and Stan Pauley. Steered by volunteer leaders James Roberts, James Sanderlin and Charles Thalhimer, hundreds of donors participated in these campaigns with philanthropic support to Pauley. Their impact has been extraordinary to the research, education and clinical efforts of the faculty and staff.

Pauley continues to provide new opportunities for recruitment of scientists, clinicians and teachers to expand the advancement of cardiac care regionally and nationally. In 2017, member gifts made possible the new Pauley Pilot Grants program, which funds early investigator-led pilot projects that test promising ideas. The grants enable researchers to collect data so that they may apply for major grants from the National Institute of Health and the American Heart Association.

To join the Consortium online, please visit vcuhealth.org/pauley and click on “Support Pauley Heart Center” to be directed to a page where you can fill out an online form. Or contact Carrie Mills, cmills@vcuhealth.org or (804) 828-0423.

FROM L TO R: DR. TIMOTHY WOLFGANG, DR. GLENN BARNHART, HARRY THALHIMER; DR. PETER BUCKLEY, DAVID AND CHRISTINE COTTRELL, DEBORAH DAVIS; DR. KENNETH ELLENBOGEN, VINCE RADLEY, DR. VIGNESHWAR KASIRAJAN