Hospital executives marked the opening of the AdventHealth Heart & Vascular Institute in Littleton, a new facility designed to offer comprehensive heart care services on the AdventHealth Littleton campus. The center brings together a range of cardiac treatments, including minimally invasive electrophysiology procedures, open heart surgery, cardiac catheterization, and intensive care.
Rick Dodds, CEO of AdventHealth Littleton, said: “The AdventHealth Heart & Vascular Institute is more than a building. It’s a vision realized — a place where world-class expertise meets small-town compassion.”
The launch of the institute comes as Colorado faces significant challenges related to heart health. More than 8,000 people in the state die each year from heart disease, which remains one of the leading causes of death. Projections indicate that hospitalizations for cardiac issues could rise by 22% in the community by 2034. Additionally, data show that one in three residents may experience atrial fibrillation and one in five could develop severe aortic stenosis.
Dodds emphasized the personal impact of these statistics: “We all have someone close to us who has been impacted by heart disease. I hear and see these stories every single day,” he said. “The AdventHealth Heart & Vascular Institute is our way of making a real difference in the outcome of those stories. Our goal is to treat and hopefully prevent heart disease at the very start.”
Before this institute opened, patients needing hospital-based cardiac procedures often had to travel more than 30 minutes for care—a distance that can be critical during emergencies.
“By creating one of the best cardiac centers in the nation, my friends and neighbors won’t have to leave this community to get the care they need,” Dodds added. “We are planting our flag as the heart center of the Rocky Mountains.”
AdventHealth’s partnership with South Denver Cardiology will bring experienced specialists to staff the new facility.
Lee MacDonald, MD, president of South Denver Cardiology, stated: “The AdventHealth Heart & Vascular Institute will be a premier center for all cardiovascular services—not only in the Littleton community, but also throughout the entire Rocky Mountain Region. This center will impact countless lives and families.”
Spanning 143,489 square feet over five floors, features include three cardiovascular operating rooms (with space for expansion), three cardiac catheterization/electrophysiology labs (also expandable), 24 Cardiovascular ICU stepdown beds, advanced imaging technology, and teams comprising over 50 cardiology providers alongside 35 additional cardiac team members.
Other notable aspects include a hybrid operating room allowing surgeons from different specialties to collaborate on complex cases within one session and an ICU stepdown model enabling patients to remain in one room throughout their stay for continuity of care. The institute offers extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support; its ECMO program is among only two statewide recognized with Gold Level Center of Excellence status due to patient survival rates above national averages.
According to information about its parent organization AdventHealth Orlando, it was founded in 1908 and operates out of Orlando, Florida under current president Terry Shaw. The hospital includes pediatric facilities and serves as a training institution.
The institute aims not only to address physical health but also support emotional and spiritual well-being as part of its broader mission.
