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Q. |
How would you best describe your current practice setting and responsibilities?
Response by
Steven V. Manoukian, MD |
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A. |
I have a triad of roles in my current position: (1) I am an interventional cardiologist at Centennial Heart, a 16-physician cardiology group in Nashville, Tennessee; our group practices at several hospitals in the middle Tennessee area; (2) I am the director of cardiovascular research at Sarah Cannon Research Institute (SCRI) (www.sarahcannonresearch.com), one of the largest clinical research institutes in the United States; and (3) I am the medical director of cardiology for the Clinical Services Group of the Hospital Corporation of America (HCA)—one of the largest providers of health care services in the United States, with approximately 166 hospitals.
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What do you do as a researcher and how do you balance your many clinical, research, and teaching responsibilities?
Response by
Steven V. Manoukian, MD |
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A. |
My position requires me to shift between roles several times a day to fulfill HCA’s mission: “Above all else, we are committed to the care and improvement of human life.” I may provide direct patient care, write a scientific paper, and help develop the process of care for patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) for a network of our hospitals all in the same day. It’s quite a bit of juggling, but equally satisfying.
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How is clinical research conducted in your laboratory?
Response by
Steven V. Manoukian, MD |
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We are fortunate to have a motivated, capable, and compassionate research staff and investigators at Centennial Heart. We are a strategic site for SCRI and are able to use its tremendous resources. We are excited that research allows our patients to receive the most cutting-edge therapies and devices. Furthermore, research allows us to raise the bar regarding education of the physician and non physician clinical staff. Research allows us to pose and investigate important clinical questions and disseminate the results to improve patient care.
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What is currently the most interesting ongoing trial in which you are participating as an investigator?
Response by
Steven V. Manoukian, MD |
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I am a member of the steering committee of the CHAMPION trials, involving the novel and ultra–short-acting P2Y12 platelet inhibitor, cangrelor*. Two simultaneous trials (CHAMPION-PLATFORM and CHAMPION-PCI) are investigating cangrelor in the setting of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with an acute coronary syndrome both with and without pretreatment with clopidogrel. The potency, immediate onset of action, and “reversibility” of cangrelor indicate that these trials will change the way we practice PCI.
*Investigational agent; not yet FDA-approved.
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Q. |
You recently began practicing at a different institution. What are you currently doing there and how does it differ from your previous work? And, can you comment on any differences between these institutions in terms of patient care or research protocol?
Response by
Steven V. Manoukian, MD |
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A. |
Both SCRI and Emory University have a strong tradition of quality and excellence in clinical care and research. My training and experience at Emory helped form the foundation that is allowing me to excel in my current roles. I have much greater research and administrative responsibilities, and the size of HCA allows me to positively impact the care of so many more patients in our nearly 170 hospitals in the United States and beyond. Furthermore, Dr John Perlin, our CMO, is a tremendous role model for me. Of all the things I miss the most, it’s the opportunity to learn from and help shape the minds and skills of cardiology fellows. Emory has one of the finest fellowship programs in the world and I genuinely enjoyed my 19 years there.
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