Naples, Fla. – July 20, 2026 – NCH is pleased to announce that Rafael Garcia-Cortes, MD, MPHS, a nationally recognized advanced heart failure and transplant cardiologist, will join the NCH Rooney Heart Institute in mid-July as Medical Director of the Heart Transplant Program, marking another major milestone in NCH’s vision to bring world-class cardiovascular care to Southwest Florida.
Dr. Garcia-Cortes will join a well-established Heart Failure and Cardiomyopathy Program, where he will become an integral member of a highly experienced multidisciplinary heart failure team under the direction of Dr. Viviana Navas, Section Head of Heart Failure. More importantly, he will play a pivotal role in the development of NCH’s comprehensive heart transplant program, expected to launch following the grand opening of the new R.M. Schulze Family Heart and Stroke Critical Care Center.
Patients with end-stage heart failure often must travel hundreds of miles for evaluation, advanced therapies and heart transplantation. NCH’s expanding advanced heart failure program is designed to change that by creating a comprehensive program where patients can receive highly specialized care without leaving the region while allowing them to remain connected to families and support systems.
“The addition of Dr. Garcia-Cortes to NCH underscores our commitment to build one of the nation’s premier cardiovascular programs,” said Robert Cubeddu, MD, Brynne & Bob Coletti Endowed Chair and President of the NCH Rooney Heart Institute. “His experience in advanced heart failure, mechanical circulatory support and heart transplantation, combined with his passion for research, education and innovation, makes him uniquely qualified to lead this important program. Under his leadership, we will continue expanding access to lifesaving therapies that previously required patients to leave the region.”
Dr. Garcia-Cortes joins NCH from Ascension St. Vincent in Indianapolis, where he served as an Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiologist, Director of Cardio-Oncology and Director of Sports Cardiology. He also served as the team cardiologist for the WNBA’s Indiana Fever and as an Assistant Clinical Professor at Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Board certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease, Advanced Heart Failure, Transplant Cardiology, and Echocardiography, Dr. Garcia-Cortes has specialized in caring for patients with the most advanced forms of cardiovascular disease, including heart failure requiring ventricular assist devices.
(LVADs), heart transplantation, cardiac amyloidosis, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and cardio-oncology. His expertise spans the full continuum of advanced heart failure care, from diagnosis and medical management to mechanical circulatory support and transplantation.
“NCH has assembled an extraordinary vision for cardiovascular care,” said Dr. Garcia-Cortes. “The opportunity to build a comprehensive heart transplant program alongside an exceptional team of physicians, nurses and caregivers is incredibly exciting. Our goal is to provide patients with access to the most advanced therapies available while delivering compassionate, personalized care that allows them to remain close to home throughout their treatment journey.”
Dr. Garcia-Cortes completed fellowships in Cardiovascular Disease and Advanced Heart Failure and Cardiac Transplantation at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, where he also earned a Master of Population Health Sciences. He served as Chief Resident in Internal Medicine before completing his fellowship training. He has also authored and co-authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and national scientific presentations, and his research has been presented at leading national meetings, including the American College of Cardiology Scientific Sessions and the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation.
“Recruiting physicians of Dr. Garcia-Cortes’ caliber reflects the continued momentum of the NCH Rooney Heart Institute,” said Paul Hiltz, President and CEO of NCH. “As we prepare to launch a comprehensive heart transplant program, we’re investing not only in facilities and technology, but also in nationally recognized physician leaders who share our vision of delivering world-class care here in Southwest Florida. Patients should not have to leave our community to receive the most advanced cardiovascular treatments, and Dr. Garcia-Cortes will play an integral role in making that vision a reality.”
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