Northside Hospital Heart Institute (NHHI) recently celebrated World Clinical Research Day, highlighting its ongoing commitment to advancing cardiovascular care through innovative research.
Dr. Cindy Grines, chief scientific officer and leader of the Clinical Research Program at NHHI, has been a key figure in transforming the treatment of heart attacks worldwide. She is internationally recognized for pioneering improvements in managing ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).
As a trailblazer in interventional cardiology, Dr. Grines played a critical role in developing and promoting primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). This treatment is now the standard for STEMI patients and has significantly improved their outcomes and quality of life.
Through clinical research trials, Dr. Grines and her team have changed heart attack care by:
Establishing primary PCI as the gold standard, proving it more effective than thrombolytic therapy for STEMI patients
Demonstrating that stenting greatly reduces risks of artery reclosure and narrowing
Showing that STEMI patients can be safely transferred for PCI or treated at hospitals without surgical backup
Advocating for early discharge by proving low-risk STEMI patients can safely leave the hospital by Day 3 without intensive care or extensive testing
Challenging the use of intra-aortic balloon pumps, which provide no benefit in high-risk STEMI cases
Highlighting the importance of heart function and recognizing the role of multiple unstable plaques
“It is very important to provide clinical research trials to our NHHI patients to improve care and access to cutting-edge therapies,” said Dr. Grines.
The NHHI Clinical Research Team includes clinical research nurses Renee Gaiter, Troy Crain, and Nicole Kirby, as well as research data specialists Lauren Beagle and David Liu. These professionals oversee patient screening, enrollment, and management for various cardiovascular clinical trials.
Supporting the team are Clinical Research Operations Manager Anila Lokhandwala, Cardiology Research Nurse Manager Thomas Notaro, and Research Data Coordinator Lisa Barton.
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