VCU Health Pauley Heart Center

04/24/2026

Nominations are now open!

The Dr. Carolyn McCue Award for Woman Cardiologist of the Year honors outstanding women in cardiology making an impact through care, research, and leadership.

Click the link to apply or nominate a colleague by April 24. https://bit.ly/4e4OEaO

04/23/2026

Heart transplant surgeon by day, artist by passion. 🎨
Dr. Josh Chery sees surgery and art as deeply connected. Both require focus, precision, and practice. Painting isn’t just an outlet for him—it brings balance. VCU Health Hume-Lee Transplant Center

Click the link below to learn more.

Science and art are two fields that often get pitted against each other, with one often seen logical and the other as creative and emotional. But both coexist seamlessly within Josh, by the patience and precision of each movement of his hands. 

04/15/2026

Pauley's Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship program leaders Afshaan Burtram and Megan Blackwell were repping Pauley and Virginia Commonwealth University at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research, held at the Greater Richmond Convention Center this week! Thanks to Council on Undergraduate Research for having us, and thanks to Rodney the Ram for the celebrity cameo 💛🖤 Learn more about our summer undergrad research fellowship here: https://pauleyundergradfellowship.vcu.edu/

03/18/2026

Join us on Zoom tonight at 5:30 ET for a free virtual CME talk on diabetes and cardiovascular care with Dana Burns, DNP, director of practice innovation at the VCU School of Nursing and a member of the endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolism team at VCU Health. Click here to register: https://bit.ly/4r2oPLr

Physicians and advance practice providers can claim CME credit for attending this lecture, but any and all interested parties are welcome to attend!

1/21/26 – Cardiac Imaging 2/18/26 – Perimenopause/Menopause 3/18/26 – Diabetes & CVD 4/11/26 – In-Person Conference at Lewis-Ginter 5/20/26 – Pediatric/Adult Congenital Heart Disorders 6/17/26 – Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing 7/22/26 – MASLD & CVD Risk 8/19/26 – Nutrition & Food La...

02/24/2026

What exactly do we do all day at the Pauley Heart Center, and why does it matter? Listen to this excellent podcast with Pauley Director Greg Hundley, MD, to find out: https://bit.ly/4tSxUbZ

Dr. Hundley sat down with Carrie Miller of Heritage Wealth Advisors to discuss:

❤️ the essential role of preventative care in cardiovascular health
💛 the innovative treatments and preventive measures being employed at the Pauley Heart Center
❤️ the importance of community engagement in enhancing heart health awareness.
💛 Pauley initiatives and innovations, including education programs targeting youth to mitigate future heart disease risks
❤️ how anyone can get involved in Pauley's mission to improve cardiovascular care for all

Listen here! https://bit.ly/4tSxUbZ

02/23/2026

The Olympics may be over, but there are always champions walking among us. Kyle Dodd is a lifelong athlete, but he never imagined he’d be in a position to represent Team USA. Until last August. Two years after nearly losing his life to heart failure and undergoing a heart transplant VCU Health, the 40-year-old father of four stood on a global stage, competing alongside transplant recipients from around the world at the Official World Transplant Games.

Read Kyle's incredible story of resilience and triumph here: https://bit.ly/4rEc2iX

02/18/2026

Join us on Zoom tonight at 5:30 ET for a free virtual CME talk on menopause, perimenopause, and heart health with Saima Shikari, DO, director of the Women's Cardiovascular Care Clinic at the VCU Health Pauley Heart Center. Click here to register: https://bit.ly/4r2oPLr

Physicians and advance practice providers can claim CME credit for attending this lecture, but any and all interested parties are welcome to attend!

1/21/26 – Cardiac Imaging 2/18/26 – Perimenopause/Menopause 3/18/26 – Diabetes & CVD 4/11/26 – In-Person Conference at Lewis-Ginter 5/20/26 – Pediatric/Adult Congenital Heart Disorders 6/17/26 – Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing 7/22/26 – MASLD & CVD Risk 8/19/26 – Nutrition & Food La...

02/13/2026

A little coffee, a lot of heart and 20 years of unparalleled care! Each Heart Month, VCU Health Pauley Heart Center hosts a free coffee table to celebrate the people who power their mission and share how moderate coffee can support a healthy heart

It’s their favorite way to say thank you, fuel the day and raise a cup to heart-healthy moments together. ☕❤️ VCU Health Pauley Heart Center

02/12/2026

Born with a rare congenital heart defect at what is now VCU Health, Maria spent years searching for specialized care as an adult before finding a true medical home at the Pauley Heart Center. Today, she is not only a patient in the Adult Congenital Heart Disease program, but also an advocate and adviser helping shape the future of care for others like her. Her journey is a reminder of what’s possible when expertise, compassion, and community come together for life.

🔗 Read Maria’s full story by clicking the link below.
https://www.vcuhealth.org/news/a-lifelong-journey-with-virginias-top-heart-hospital/

02/11/2026

Did you know that heart defects are the most common form of birth defect? About 1 in 100 babies born in the United States each year has a heart defect — also known as congenital heart disease.

Advances in medicine have greatly improved CHD survival rates in recent decades. This means that today, there are twice as many adults as children living with CHD in the U.S., and the population of adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) patients is estimated to grow by about 5% each year.

People born with a heart defect need lifelong cardiac monitoring and care, even if their defect was "repaired" in childhood, and even if they feel perfectly well in adulthood. They're also at greater risk for developing a different form of heart disease later in life.

As the need for ACHD care grows, the number of physicians trained to help them is not keeping up. There are less than 500 board-certified ACHD cardiologists in the U.S., according to a recent analysis. One is VCU Health's Sangeeta Shah, MD, who founded and leads Pauley's ACHD program.

“Our goal is to keep you living well into adulthood,” Shah said. “Your heart is different. But the way your heart looks doesn’t dictate how your life will look. We want you to know that we understand what ACHD care means for you.”

Read more about Pauley's ACHD program, and what Shah's team is doing to provide this vital, highly complex care to adult CHD patients across Virginia, here: https://www.vcuhealth.org/news/meeting-the-lifelong-needs-of-adults-with-congenital-heart-disease/

02/10/2026

One in ten people born with a congenital heart defect aren't diagnosed until adulthood — like Pauley patient Paula Peyton. Paula was born with a heart defect known as Ebstein's anomaly, but wasn't diagnosed until her 40s, after she fainted while spending a day at the beach.

“So often, adult congenital heart disease patients don't complain [about their symptoms] because either they don't know another norm, or the symptoms come on gradually - so they make physical accommodations slowly and don't realize the change in their health over time,” says Sangeeta Shah, MD, director of the adult congenital heart disease program at VCU Health Pauley Heart Center.

Paula's heart disease was complex, and she turned to VCU Health for her care.

Read her inspiring story here:

https://www.vcuhealth.org/news/powerful-collaborations-help-congenital-heart-disease-patients-thrive-as-adults/

02/05/2026

A survivor of multiple breast cancers and metastatic melanoma, Beth has endured years of treatment and learned to fiercely advocate for herself. When heart issues emerged years later, she found a new kind of support through VCU Health Pauley Heart Center's cardio-oncology team.

👉 Read Beth’s full story and learn more about integrated survivorship care.
🔗 https://bit.ly/3LIXfUw