News & Events

Heart Group of the Carolinas Joins Sanger Heart and Vascular Institute

Heart Group of the Carolinas, with offices in Concord and Albemarle, has merged with Sanger Heart and Vascular Institute effective September 1, 2010. 

The practice will now begin operating under the Sanger name, although office locations will not be affected. Offices are currently located on the campus of CMC-NorthEast in Concord and at 307 Yadkin Street in Albemarle. Physicians will continue to see existing patients and new patients are always welcome. The staff includes 10 physicians, six mid-level providers and 48 staff members, including clinical staff, cardiac imaging technicians, cardiac nuclear medicine technicians and exercise specialists. 

Dr. Patrick Anonick, MD, who has been serving as president of Heart Group of the Carolinas, 
said that as a result of the combined expertise of the two groups “patients will receive greater access to more integrated providers and services.”

Dr. Anonick noted that Sanger Heart recently received national accreditation to implant ventricular assist devices or VADs, which preserve heart function in patients who cannot receive a heart transplant. Former Vice President Dick Cheney recently made national news when he had a VAD implanted by physicians at Inova Heart and Vascular Institute in Northern Virginia. 

Sanger Heart is one of only three medical groups in North Carolina currently authorized to offer this service. 

Dr. Anonick said other key benefits include expanded patient access to new clinical trials and heart transplant services; direct access to pediatric cardiologists at Levine Children’s Hospital; access to a greater number of minimally invasive surgery procedures; and the availability of more advanced technology. 

“Being a part of the Sanger Heart and Vascular Institute will help expand our services and give our patients added access to the highest quality cardiac care in the region,” Dr. Anonick said.

Paul Franz, Executive Vice President for the Physician Services Group at Carolinas HealthCare System, noted that his organization was pleased to affiliate with a medical team that offers such breadth of skill and experience.

“Heart Group of the Carolinas has an outstanding reputation in the Concord and Albemarle communities, as well as a longstanding collaboration with CMC-NorthEast,” Franz said. “We look forward to building on our relationship with their physicians and staff. At Carolinas HealthCare we take pride in providing a medical home for every type of need, and in this instance we have really enhanced our capabilities to serve those who require very specialized cardiac services.”

Phone numbers have not changed as a result of the merger. The Concord office is 704-856-6100 and the Albemarle office is 704-982-2260.