---
title: "It takes a team: Spotlight on Sacramento hospital’s heart valve care | Sutter Health"
description: "Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento has earned its sixth three-star rating since 2019 for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), the highest designation awarded through the Society of Thoracic Surgeons and American College of Cardiology’s Transcatheter Valve Therapy (TVT) Registry, which tracks the safety and outcomes of transcatheter heart valve procedures nationwide."
url: "https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/our-people/spotlight-on-sacramento-hospital-heart-valve-care"
---

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3.  It takes a team: Spotlight on Sacramento hospital’s heart valve care

# It takes a team: Spotlight on Sacramento hospital’s heart valve care

October 22, 2026 by Shawn Kramer

![SMCS Cardiac Team](https://edge.sitecorecloud.io/sutterhealt962c-sutterhealt8fce-production57cc-4860/media/Project/SutterHealth/Vitals/our-people/smcs-structural-heart-team.jpg?h=1086&iar=0&w=1448 "Pictured above, from left: Gabrielle Wood, RN; Darrel Hedge, radiology technologist; Corissa Pederson, CVT; Kristen Lemen, RN, assistant clinical manager; Dr. Pei-Hsiu Huang; Dr. David Roberts; Dr. Robert Haughton; Tom Forrester, radiology technologist; Scott Harris, RN; and Pillo Soto, RN, assistant clinical manager, after completing SMCS’ first transcatheter mitral valve replacement using the SAPIEN M3 system.")

Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento has earned its sixth three-star rating since 2019 for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), the highest designation awarded through the Society of Thoracic Surgeons and American College of Cardiology’s [Transcatheter Valve Therapy (TVT) Registry](https://cardiovascularbusiness.com/topics/clinical/structural-heart-disease/exploring-lasting-legacy-stsacc-tvt-registry "Transcatheter Valve Therapy (TVT) Registry"), which tracks the safety and outcomes of transcatheter heart valve procedures nationwide.

One of just 23 TAVR programs nationwide and only three in California to earn the distinction, [SMCS](https://www.sutterhealth.org/about-us/our-hospitals/sutter-medical-center-sacramento) was recognized for strong patient outcomes and care before, during and after the procedure.

“Heart care is a team sport,” said [Dr. David Roberts III](https://www.sutterhealth.org/find-provider/dr-david-k-roberts-iii-1046234922), interventional cardiologist affiliated with Sutter Medical Group, section chief of interventional cardiology for Sutter Health’s Advanced Heart & Vascular Service Line and medical director of the Cardiovascular Service Line, North Valley. “We have an extraordinary group of physicians, APCs, nurses, technicians, clinical effectiveness consultants and Valve and Structural Heart Clinic staff working together to continually improve and deliver the best possible care for our patients.”

TAVR is a minimally invasive procedure used to treat aortic stenosis, a narrowing of the heart’s main valve that restricts blood flow to the body. As the condition progresses, everyday activities like walking from room to room can become difficult. The procedure can help restore blood flow and improve quality of life without open-heart surgery. In 2025, SMCS performed more than 300 TAVR procedures and is projected to perform about 400 this year.

SMCS is the only Sutter hospital to offer transcatheter replacement of all four heart valves: aortic, mitral, tricuspid and pulmonary. This breadth of treatment options reflects decades of innovation in structural heart care and gives patients access to minimally invasive options for conditions that once had limited treatment alternatives.

## Leadership Across [Heart and Vascular Services](https://www.sutterhealth.org/services/heart-and-vascular)

The TAVR designation is the latest recognition for SMCS, which continues to earn national and regional recognition for its heart and vascular services.

Recent achievements include:

-   [Ranked No. 1 in the Sacramento metro area and No. 13 in California](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/our-people/u-s-news-honors-sutter-hospitals-across-specialties-and-care-areas) for Cardiology, Heart & Vascular Surgery in the 2026-27 U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals rankings
-   Achieved a High Performing U.S. News & World Report rating for TAVR since 2023
-   Maintained [Comprehensive Cardiac Center certification](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/media-resources/press-releases/sutter-medical-center-recertified-with-nations-top-cardiovascular-honor) from The Joint Commission and American Heart Association, a distinction held by only four hospitals in Northern California
-   Earned [Intersocietal Accreditation Commission accreditation](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/our-people/sutter-health-earns-top-heart-imaging-accreditation) for advanced heart imaging used during cardiac surgery, becoming one of only six programs in the nation to do so.

“This recognition reflects the exceptional work happening at SMCS and Sutter’s ongoing commitment to advancing cardiovascular care across Northern California,” said [Dr. Michael Pham,](https://www.sutterhealth.org/find-provider/dr-michael-x-pham-1046240293) chair of Sutter Health’s Advanced Heart & Vascular Service Line. “We continue to invest in the people, programs and technology that expand access to innovative heart and vascular treatments close to home.”

Across Sutter, more than 488,000 patients received heart and vascular care in 2025, supported by 21 hospitals, six cardiac surgery programs and more than 60 outpatient care centers. Since 1984, Sutter has performed more than 800 heart transplants and continues to expand access to cardiovascular services across Northern California.

Beyond TAVR, Sutter is advancing treatment options for patients with disease affecting the heart’s other valves, including the mitral valve. Physician researchers helped lead the [international ENCIRCLE clinical trial](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/media-resources/press-releases/encircle-trial-transforms-treatment-of-mitral-regurgitation), which contributed to the first FDA-approved transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR) therapy for patients with severe mitral regurgitation, often called a leaky heart valve. Following FDA approval, Sutter was [among the first in the nation](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/research-innovation/sutter-team-among-first-to-use-new-tmvr-therapy) to perform the procedure, further demonstrating leadership in structural heart research and care.

Learn more about Sutter's [heart or vascular care services](https://www.sutterhealth.org/services/heart-and-vascular).

## Topics

[Heart health](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/search?facets=%5B%7B%22i%22%3A%22c_healthTopics.name%22%2C%22v%22%3A%5B%22Heart+health%22%5D%7D%5D&verticalKey=articles)[Heart Disease](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/search?facets=%5B%7B%22i%22%3A%22c_healthTopics.name%22%2C%22v%22%3A%5B%22Heart+Disease%22%5D%7D%5D&verticalKey=articles)

## Heart and vascular

Your heart and blood vessels keep every part of your body working as it should. If you're dealing with high blood pressure or heart disease, our specialists can provide expert care and treatment.

[Learn more about Heart and vascular](https://www.sutterhealth.org/services/heart-and-vascular)

## Related articles

### [National Honors Recognize Sutter Health’s Excellence in Stroke and Heart Care](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/our-people/national-honors-recognize-sutter-healths-excellence-in-stroke-and-heart-care)

### [Passing the Torch: Sutter Leaders 'Go Red' for Heart Health](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/our-people/passing-the-torch-sutter-leaders-advance-womens-heart-health-nationwide)

### [National Honors for Heart Care That Saves Lives](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/our-people/national-honors-for-heart-care-that-saves-lives)

### [Sutter’s CPMC Earns Highest Cardiac Certification](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/our-people/sutters-cpmc-earns-highest-cardiac-certification)

[See all from Our people](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/our-people)

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