FALL RIVER, Mass. — Southcoast Health announced today that Dr. Iraklis Gerogiannis has been named its Chair of Cardiothoracic Surgery. Gerogiannis joined Southcoast Health in 2012, and has served as the Medical Director of Cardiac Surgery for the last three years.

“Dr. Gerogiannis is a highly skilled cardiac surgeon with extensive experience in minimally invasive surgical procedures, TAVR, CABG and valve and arrhythmia surgery. He is beloved by his patients and staff, and is a true asset to Southcoast Health’s Cardiovascular Care Center,” stated Dr. Margaret Ferrell, Physician-in-Chief of Cardiovascular Care Center at Southcoast Health.

Dr. Gerogiannis has nearly 15 years of experience in cardiothoracic surgery. He has combined an exemplary career in cardiac surgery with an interest in pursuing new, less invasive technology. Specifically, he introduced robotic technique to cardiac surgery at Southcoast Health. Prior to joining Southcoast Health, he practiced in the Boston region and was an Assistant Professor of Surgery at Tufts University School of Medicine.

“Over the last 15 years, our Southcoast Health Cardiac Surgery team has touched the hearts and lives of several thousand patients in this community. We are not the usual community hospital cardiac program. This is an outstanding, modern and comprehensive program. Our great strengths are our extremely dedicated staff, our commitment to evidence-based, multidisciplinary care and our investment in cutting-edge technology. But above all, what makes us different is putting our patients first. Every single patient who has cardiac surgery at Southcoast Health gets our personalized attention directed toward the needs of the individual patient and family. We understand that patients have many choices for their care. With our results and national recognitions, we are confident that we are not only offering an excellent option, but that we are offering the best option to patients of our community and beyond,” stated Dr. Gerogiannis.

Southcoast Health is the leader of cardiac services in the region. Its Cardiovascular Care Center provides a broad spectrum of cardiovascular services locally, including open heart procedures, cardiac catheterizations, coronary angioplasty and cardiac implantable devices. Southcoast Health performs more cardiac catheterizations than any other community hospital system in Massachusetts, with approximately 60 percent of patients needing advanced treatment such as coronary artery bypass or angioplasty.

“Southcoast Health‘s Cardiovascular Care Center is built upon a multidisciplinary team of providers who work collaboratively to treat our patients, eliminating the need for patients to travel out of our region for care. The strength of our cardiac program lies in our comprehensive approach as we put our patients at the forefront of our mission,” said Ferrell.

In October, Southcoast Health was recognized as one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Care for the sixth year in a row by Healthgrades (2012-17), the leading online resource for healthcare consumers. Southcoast Health is one of just four hospitals in Massachusetts to receive this distinction for six consecutive years. In all, Southcoast Health was recognized for superior cardiovascular services with 13 recognitions, including receiving the Healthgrades Cardiac Care Excellence Award for the 11th year in a row (2007-17).

For more Information about Southcoast Health’s Cardiovascular Care Center and Dr. Gerogiannis, visit www.southcoast.org/cardiac or call 844-744-5544.