The Sarver Heart Center at the University of Arizona was established in 1986 as the University Heart Center to bring together physicians, scientists and educators dedicated to advancing the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease.
From the beginning, the center fostered cross-disciplinary collaboration to accelerate discoveries that move from the laboratory to patient care. By bringing together cardiovascular researchers and clinicians across the University of Arizona, the center created an environment where scientific discovery, clinical innovation and education could advance together.
In 1998, the center was renamed the Sarver Heart Center in recognition of the generosity and vision of Robert and Penny Sarver and the Sarver family. Their philanthropic investment expanded cardiovascular research and education, strengthened the center's ability to recruit leading investigators and accelerated innovation in cardiovascular medicine.
In 2000, the Sarver Heart Center dedicated its current home within the University of Arizona College of Medicine–Tucson, expanding research capacity and creating new opportunities for collaboration across the university and health system.
Today, the Sarver Heart Center includes more than 150 physicians and scientists whose work spans basic discovery, translational science, clinical investigation and community education. Faculty collaborate across disciplines to better understand cardiovascular disease and develop new diagnostic tools, therapies and prevention strategies.
Education remains central to the center's mission. The Sarver Heart Center prepares future cardiovascular leaders by providing training opportunities for medical students, residents, fellows and graduate trainees while fostering collaboration among scientists and clinicians.
For nearly four decades, the Sarver Heart Center has advanced cardiovascular science while translating discoveries into improved care for patients and families throughout Arizona and beyond.
Major Milestones
Physicians at the University of Arizona performed the first heart transplant in the state, establishing a foundation for advanced cardiovascular care and research in Arizona.
University of Arizona surgeons performed the world's first successful bridge-to-transplant procedure using a total artificial heart, providing lifesaving support for patients awaiting heart transplantation.
The University Heart Center was founded to unite cardiovascular researchers and clinicians across the University of Arizona.
Investigators help pioneer radiofrequency catheter ablation
Following early work with direct-current catheter ablation, University of Arizona and Southern Arizona VA investigators, under the leadership of Frank Marcus, MD, helped pioneer radiofrequency catheter ablation—a safer, more precise approach now used worldwide to treat many heart rhythm disorders.
2004–2010
Research from the Sarver Heart Center's Resuscitation Research Group demonstrated that hands-only CPR significantly improves survival from sudden cardiac arrest and helped inform American Heart Association guidelines.
Physicians at University Medical Center Tucson and the University of Arizona Sarver Heart Center performed the first TAVR procedure in Southern Arizona, expanding minimally invasive treatment options for patients with severe aortic valve disease.
The Sarver Family
The Sarver Heart Center is named in recognition of the generosity and vision of Robert and Penny Sarver and the Sarver family, whose philanthropy strengthened cardiovascular research, education and patient care at the University of Arizona.
The family's commitment to advancing cardiovascular medicine is deeply personal. Heart disease affected multiple generations of the Sarver family, including Robert Sarver's father, Jack Sarver, whose experience with early cardiac surgery inspired the family's investment in efforts to prevent and treat heart disease.
In 1998, Robert and Penny Sarver made a transformational philanthropic investment in the University Heart Center. In recognition of their support, the center was renamed the Sarver Heart Center, reflecting a shared commitment to advancing discovery, education and clinical care in cardiovascular medicine.
“Penny and I look at this not so much as a donation, but as an investment — an investment in the people working here and in the promise that they can discover new ways to prevent and treat heart disease.”
— Robert Sarver, 1998
The Sarver family's investment helped recruit leading investigators, expand research and educational programs, strengthen collaboration across disciplines, and accelerate discoveries that continue to improve cardiovascular care for patients in Arizona and beyond.