Cardiovascular Surgeons join Orlando Health Heart & Vascular Institute

MEDIA CONTACT

ORLANDO, Fla. (May 31, 2013) - Taking the next step to redefine heart care in Central Florida, cardiovascular surgeons have joined the Orlando Health Heart & Vascular Institute. Drs. Jeffrey Bott and Mark Sand bring more than five decades of surgical expertise to the Orlando Health Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery practice, a part of the Heart Institute and a member of the Orlando Health Physician Group.

The surgeons are part of the multidisciplinary team at the Heart Institute and the new approach to patient care that provides greater accessibility to clinical experts, and a more personalized, coordinated, and efficient cardiac care experience. 
In addition to traditional surgical options, the surgeons also perform advanced procedures including hybrid maze ablations for challenging cases of atrial fibrillation; and transcatheter aortic valve replacement (via the leg and chest) for aortic valve disease in high-risk patients. 

Dr. Bott and Dr. Sand are also involved in the collaborative efforts of Orlando Health, the University of Florida and Shands HealthCare, to provide innovative heart failure treatments including ventricular assist devices.  
The cardiovascular surgeons’ longstanding relationship with Orlando Health spans nearly two decades of service on the medical staff. 

Prior to joining the Heart Institute, Dr. Bott served the community in private practice in Orlando and Ft. Lauderdale. In addition to Dr. Bott’s 17 years of cardiac surgery experience, he has served in various leadership roles including current thoracic surgery chair at Orlando Regional Medical Center; president of the Florida Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons; member of the Cardiac Care Council in the Central Florida Healthcare Coalition; and member of the Medicare Relative Value Update Committee. Board certified in general surgery and thoracic surgery, Dr. Bott earned a medical degree and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Florida where he also completed a cardiothoracic surgery residency. In addition, Dr. Bott completed a general surgery residency at Emory University Affiliated Hospitals.   

Dr. Bott’s scope of research includes a study to evaluate the effectiveness of the medication pexelizumab to reduce mortality and heart attack following coronary artery bypass graft surgery; and a trial to determine the effectiveness of long-term, low dose warfarin in the secondary prevention of venous thromboembolism.

Jeffrey Bott, MD is published in several medical journals such as Journal of Trauma, Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology and Therapeutics, The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, and Journal of Heart Valve Disease, covering a range of subjects including surgical management of aortic valve disease in the elderly; and alternatives to traditional anticoagulation in various heart procedures.

Dr. Bott’s professional affiliations include membership in the American College of Cardiology; the Southeastern Surgical Congress; the Society of Thoracic Surgeons; the Florida Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery; and the American Association of Thoracic Surgery.

Board certified in surgery, thoracic surgery and surgical critical care, Dr. Mark Sand earned a medical degree from the University of Rochester. He completed a cardiothoracic surgery residency, a congenital cardiac surgery fellowship, and a general surgery residency at University of Alabama at Birmingham.  

Prior to joining the Heart Institute, Dr. Sand served the Orlando community in private practice. In addition to Dr. Sand’s 35 years of cardiac surgery experience, he has served in various leadership roles including current chief of staff at Orlando Health; member of the Orlando Health Board of Directors; member of the Orlando Health Collaborative Quality Advisory Council; chairman of the Orlando Regional Medical Center Leadership Committee; and cardiac surgery chair at Orlando Regional Medical Center. Dr. Sand was also a member of the University of Chicago surgical faculty for seven years and assistant editor, Journal of Cardiac Surgery.  He served as chief of cardiothoracic surgery at Keesler Air Force Base (Biloxi, Miss.), as a lieutenant colonel, U.S. Air Force, Medical Corps. Dr. Sand’s has been the Orlando Health principal investigator on several clinical research protocols investigating pharmacologic approaches to improving safety of cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. 

Dr. Sand has completed the Institute for Health Care Improvement Patient Safety Executive Development Program. He has been deeply engaged with quality and safety transformation directed by the Orlando Health board.

Dr. Sand has been published in several medical journals and book chapters such as the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, and Journal of Heart Valve Disease, covering several topics including aortic valve disease, mitral valve repair and complex congenital heart surgery.

Dr. Sand is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, a fellow of the American College of Cardiology, and member of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association, and the Florida Society of Thoracic Surgeons.