Noted cardiologist named president of area heart institute

NAPLES — NCH Healthcare System has hired Dr. Robert Cubeddu, a prominent cardiologist, to be president of its NCH Heart Institute.

Cubeddu’s hiring comes as the Naples-based nonprofit health care system is striving to “transform its cardiovascular services into a premier destination center for South Florida and beyond,” NCH says in a statement.

The system also has garnered important recognition recently, including a three-star rating from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons for its patient care and outcomes in isolated coronary artery bypass grafting procedures, which places NCH among the elite programs for heart bypass surgery in the U.S. and Canada.

Cubeddu will join NCH Heart in June from the Cleveland Clinic Florida, where he has worked since 2015 as chairman of cardiovascular medicine and regional director of structural heart disease, the release states. 

“His patient experience scores are practically perfect, and his reputation and recruitment resources will unquestionably establish NCH for growth,” says Paul Hiltz, president and CEO of NCH Healthcare System, in the statement. “Dr. Cubeddu will lead us to become a top destination for cardiac care in the nation.”

Cubeddu has gained notoriety for innovating minimally invasive transcatheter skills to treat a multitude of heart conditions and as an alternative to open heart surgery. At NCH Heart, he plans to expand and endorse the important foundations of research, education and innovation. The institute currently operates with nearly two dozen highly specialized cardiac providers.

NCH, which operates two hospitals in Southwest Florida containing 713 beds and is a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, also maintains an alliance of 775 physicians and medical facilities throughout Collier County and the region.

NCH has also been named one of America’s 100 best healthcare providers for cardiac care six years in a row by Healthgrades and has been ranked by U.S. News & World Report as the 11th best hospital in the state.

“Meaningful growth requires focusing on collaborative relationship and building the formation of a strong multidisciplinary heart team,” Cubeddu says, in a statement. “I’m excited for the opportunity to lead a world-class cardiac institute with the goal of becoming the preferred destination for cardiac care in Florida and the U.S.,” he adds.

“The key to providing exceptional outcomes and patient experience begins with the trust and collaboration of our patients, their families, and an extraordinary clinical team committed to better health and wellness.”