July 30, 2021
August 15, 2021 marks the 38th anniversary of Cardiovascular Institute of the South (CIS) opening its first location in South Louisiana. CIS has proudly served this community and others for generations, offering the highest quality cardiovascular care in the region. As we look forward to the future of CIS, we remain committed to bringing the latest technology and first-class care to our local communities. Join us as we explore the beginnings of CIS, its mission, and what’s next for this world-renowned practice.
It’s a fact that Louisiana has historically had one of the highest rates of heart disease deaths in the country. This was one of the driving factors that led Dr. Craig Walker to establish the first Cardiovascular Institute of the South facility in his hometown of Houma, La., in 1983. At the time, Houma was experiencing one of the highest heart disease mortality rates in the United States. Led by a passion to take a stand against the coronary and peripheral arterial diseases that had been impacting his community, Dr. Walker grew the first CIS into a leading cardiovascular center. Over time, CIS expanded across South Louisiana and Mississippi, adding several new locations.
Since its inception nearly 40 years ago, CIS has been guided by Dr. Walker’s original mission: to provide patients with the highest quality cardiovascular care available. As part of this effort, CIS team members pledge to dedicate themselves to the care of others in five distinct ways. These include:
Guided by these principles, CIS continues to grow as a world-renowned practice. And, what started as a one-physician practice in Houma has evolved into a cardiovascular care leader in research and development with dozens of locations across the South.
As an innovator in the field of cardiovascular care, CIS has been a leader in research and development, bringing state-of-the-art treatments, techniques, and procedures to the South. This includes several firsts that CIS facilities achieved in 2021, such as the first procedure performed in the new CIS Ambulatory Surgery Center in Gray, La. Dr. Pradeep Nair, interventional cardiologist at Cardiovascular Institute of the South (CIS) in Houma, Louisiana, was also the first in Louisiana to use the Zilver® Vena™ Venous Self-Expanding Stent to treat blockages in the iliac veins. CIS was also recently the first in the U.S. Southeast to use the PRESSANA® Occlusion Perfusion Catheter in a clinical setting, offering a new method of targeted liquid drug delivery to treat peripheral artery disease (PAD). Each of these firsts stands as a testament to CIS’s original mission of providing patients with the highest quality cardiovascular care available.
If you would like to experience a new level of cardiovascular care, it’s time to see the experts at CIS. This is where compassion, experience, and cutting-edge technology converge to offer patients unparalleled healthcare services. Schedule an appointment online or explore CIS’s many convenient locations to find the one nearest you. Put your heart health first and discover the CIS difference for yourself today.