The University of Ottawa Heart Institute has experienced remarkable growth under the leadership of its third president and chief executive, Dr. Thierry Mesana.
Between 2014 and 2024, the world-renowned cardiac surgeon completed the largest expansion of the institute to date; ushered in a revolutionary new health information system to improve patient care; and he successfully navigated the challenges imposed on the healthcare system by a global pandemic.
It is impossible to overstate his impact on patient care – the changes he brought about during his tenure as president and CEO will influence health care in the region for years to come.
In this retrospective, we look back at some of Dr. Thierry Mesana’s most notable achievements at the helm of the Heart Institute, during a decade we are affectionately calling The Heart Institute’s Mesana Era.
The introduction of Heart Teams for patient-centred care
From the beginning, Dr. Thierry Mesana championed teamwork as the quintessential means of getting things done. “Together, Everyone Achieves More,” he believed.
A hallmark of his vision was a concept he called “heart teams,” interprofessional groupings of cardiovascular medical experts who work together to manage a variety of heart diseases.
In his book, “Heart Teams for Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease: A Guide for Advancing Patient-Centered Cardiac Care,” which Dr. Mesana authored and edited alongside many of his UOHI colleagues, he argues heart teams are “absolutely necessary to the future of cardiac care.”
Dr. Mesana implemented eight interdisciplinary heart teams at the Heart Institute, including teams for cardiac imaging, complex arrhythmia, complex coronary revascularization, critical care, heart failure, valvular heart disease, virtual care, and women’s heart health.
The prioritization of women’s heart health
“Dr. Thierry Mesana identified early on in his tenure that he wanted women’s cardiovascular health to be a key strategic priority of the Heart Institute,” said Kerri-Anne Mullen, a scientist and the director of the Canadian Women’s Heart Health Centre, established at the UOHI in 2014 as a first of its kind in Canada. Today the CWHHC conducts women-specific heart health research, enhances care for the prevention and treatment of heart disease in women, improves women's outcomes, and increases awareness about heart disease in women.
The largest expansion in Heart Institute history
Dr. Thierry Mesana’s most visible contribution to the Heart Institute is to the skyline at 40 Ruskin Street, where a newly erected, five-story critical care tower now stands adjacent to the Wilbert J. Keon building, the Heart Institute’s main entrance since 1976.
The first shovels broke ground in 2015.
In 2018, the Heart Institute introduced the critical care tower to patients and the community. All life support services—operating rooms, electrophysiology labs, catheterization labs and intensive care—were moved to the new building.
The expansion increased critical care capacity and efficiencies by adding five state-of-the-art operating rooms, nine electrophysiology and catheterization labs, 27 new surgical critical care beds, and a non-surgical intensive care unit with 22 beds.
Dr. Mesana also delivered a renovated Cardiac Imaging Centre to the Heart Institute. Today, this multimodal imaging facility provides a convenient, consolidated, and streamlined service for patients, while also improving workflow and collaboration for hospital staff.
The launch and implementation of Epic Systems
In 2019, in partnership with six regional healthcare partners called the Atlas Alliance, Dr. Thierry Mesana and the Heart Institute introduced Epic Systems, a fully integrated, patient-centred, electronic medical records management tool.
“The Epic system allows Heart Institute patients to benefit from a completely digital medical record, which follows them everywhere they go across their continuum of care,” said Bonnie Bowes, the Heart Institute’s vice president of quality, risk and health information, and chief nursing officer.
Today, Epic Systems supports all aspects of patient care at the Heart Institute, from enhanced registration, scheduling, and clinical systems for care providers; to improved systems for lab technicians, pharmacists, and radiologists; to finer billing systems for care providers and insurers. This translates to better care for all.
The fight against valvular heart disease
Despite continuous improvements in diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of valvular heart disease, cardiologists say it represents the next epidemic of cardiovascular disease.
The Heart Institute has invested in research to develop treatment to slow down progression of valvular heart disease, and cardiologists are emphasizing routine screening to increase early detection in the community.
“Dr. Thierry Mesana has always said a world-class centre cannot be considered world-class without a strong group in valvular heart disease,” said Dr. David Messika-Zeitoun, a cardiologist and the director of the Centre for Valvular Heart Disease (CVHD) at the UOHI. “This was his vision from the beginning. When people think of heart valve disease in Canada, we want them to think of the University of Ottawa Heart Institute. This is Mesana’s legacy.”
The Heart Institute launched the CVHD in 2019 as a specialized centre providing state-of-the-art treatment, evaluation, second opinions, and care for patients with the condition. More than 20% of those referred to the clinic go on to need a life-saving intervention, estimates Dr. Messika-Zeitoun.
In 2022, with support from a former patient and the community, the University of Ottawa Heart Institute Foundation established an endowment fund for heart valve research in Dr. Mesana’s name. With an initial amount of $4 million, the Dr. T. G. Mesana Endowed Team Chair in Heart Valve Disease is one of the largest – if not the largest – chairs dedicated to a cardiovascular research program in Canada.
The treatment and study of rare cardiac conditions
Early into 2024, the Heart Institute launched the Canadian Centre for Rare Cardiac Conditions (CCRCC), the world’s first international centre of excellence providing specialized, team-based care for affected patients and their families.
“The idea for the centre was hatched by Drs. Thierry Mesana, David Birnie and Andrew Crean, who were ahead of their time,” said Dr. Ian Paterson, a cardiologist and director of the CCRCC. “Our goal is to increase awareness of these conditions and to improve care delivery and outcomes through integration of clinical expertise, groundbreaking research and world-class training opportunities.”
“Not only did Dr. Thierry Mesana foresee the need for this innovative centre, but he also recruited physicians with expertise in these areas to manage and diagnose patients with rare illnesses,” said Dr. Paterson. “The Heart Institute has highly developed equipment to diagnose and treat these patients.”
The formation of the Data Science Centre
Recently, the Heart Institute announced the launch of the Data Science Centre, a state-of-the-art digital innovation hub that will leverage cardiovascular data science, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to advance cardiovascular research and improve patient care.
“The establishment of a world-class data science centre is a triumph for the Heart Institute, one with significant potential to reshape cardiovascular research and healthcare delivery,” said Timothy Zakutney, senior vice president of digital health and cardiac technology, and chief information and technology officer at the UOHI.
“The launch of the Data Science Centre speaks to the breadth of Dr. Thierry Mesana’s legacy,” said Jodi Edwards, an epidemiologist and chair of the centre’s operational committee. “It is unique to have such an internationally recognized clinical leader who at the same time has had such a contribution on the operational and business side, too. We have been very fortunate.”
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