WVU Heart and Vascular Institute Gala to be held in September

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The WVU Heart and Vascular Institute will hold its 2019 Gala on Saturday, Sept. 7 at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Farmington, Pa.

“This is an exciting time at the WVU Heart and Vascular Institute. In the last year, we have accelerated on our mission to provide the most advanced care to every citizen of West Virginia and our surrounding region. We announced our plans to establish a heart transplant program, and we have grown our team to include more providers, who are performing an even wider variety of treatments options than have ever before been available in the state,” Vinay Badhwar, M.D., executive chair of the WVU Heart and Vascular Institute, said. 

“While we have much to celebrate, we have far more work to do, and we are seeking the community’s support to do it. Together, we can ensure that no West Virginian has to leave the state to receive the high quality, highly specialized heart and vascular care he or she needs. For this shared mission, we thank you.”

Registration for the black-tie event, themed “Hearts of Gold,” will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the Marquis Entrance, followed by a reception at 6 p.m. in the Marquis Foyer. The program will start at 7 p.m. in the Marquis Ballroom.

KDKA anchor Susan Koeppen will serve as the event’s emcee and keynote speaker. SoundNation will provide entertainment.

Those who attend the Gala will have the opportunity to “Bid for Good” in support of two WVU Heart and Vascular Institute initiatives: the Patient Access and Assistance Fund and the Heart Transplant Fund. The Patient Access and Assistance Fund is used to support patients and their families who may not be able to afford the cost of travel for essential appointments and treatment. The Heart Transplant Fund will support patients and their families who are in dire need of life-saving heart transplants.

“West Virginia is a very beautiful state, but its geography can be a challenge – and even a barrier – to people receiving care. Our Patient Access and Assistance Fund is geared toward alleviating that burden for our patients,” Dr. Badhwar said. 

“Similarly, heart transplantation is an enormous undertaking for patients and their families. It requires longer hospital stays and frequent outpatient appointments, which may put stress on families who are already under an immense amount of stress from the end-stage heart disease that necessitated the transplant. The Heart Transplant Fund will assist those families on their transplantation journey.”

Tickets and sponsorships for the WVU Heart and Vascular Institute’s 2019 Hearts of Gold Gala. For more information and to register, visit WVUMedicine.org/HeartGala.