CIS celebrates 37 years of cardiovascular care

HOUMA — Cardiovascular Institute of the South celebrated its 37th anniversary Aug. 15 as a provider of advanced cardiovascular care to communities in south Louisiana and beyond.
CIS began with the vision of Dr. Craig Walker, who started the practice in Houma, in 1983. Since then, CIS has grown with more than 65 physicians, 900 team members, 20 locations and nine telecardiology sites across Louisiana and Mississippi.
CIS treats all forms of vascular disease, including heart disease, peripheral artery disease and venous disease in the legs, as well as valve disease and heart arrhythmias.
CIS is known as a pioneer in many cardiovascular “firsts” such as the first peripheral stent trial in 1988 and the first coronary stent trial in 1989.
“From the beginning, we sought out new techniques and helped to develop techniques to better care for our patients,” Walker said in a news release.
Most recently, CIS has utilized its telemedicine capabilities through its Virtual Care Center in Lafayette to provide telecardiology visits to patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. CIS also was named as one of the Best Places to Work in Healthcare by Modern Healthcare.
Looking ahead, CIS continues to grow and expand — with the upcoming Ambulatory Surgery Center in Gray, new expert physicians joining the team, new telecardiology partnerships with rural hospitals and expansions at both the Thibodaux and Baton Rouge clinics.
“I take great pride in the fact that CIS has grown into one of the largest and most comprehensive cardiovascular programs anywhere in the world,” Walker said in the release.