Florida Hospital Pepin Heart Institute Receives Donation to Purchase State-Of-The-Art Clot Dissolving Equipment

Florida Hospital Pepin Heart Institute has received a $20,000 gift from Constellation Brands to purchase a new ultrasound-enhanced thrombolysis machine, a state-of-the-art device that breaks up life-threatening blood clots by combining clot-dissolving medication and ultrasonic waves. The gift was facilitated by the Pepin Family Foundation.

We greatly appreciate this gift from Constellation Brands. We are also grateful to the Pepin Family Foundation for being so instrumental in procuring this gift, said Jan Berry, Executive Director of the Florida Hospital Tampa Foundation. As a not-for-profit hospital, we are sincerely appreciative when our community steps up with support to allow us to deliver the highest level of care to our patients.

Constellation Brands is thrilled to support Florida Hospital Pepin Heart Institute, said Lisa Boswell, senior vice president Southeast Business Unit for Constellation Brands Beer Division. It is truly an honor to join with Tom and Lauren Pepin, and the Pepin Family Foundation to positively impact heart health care in a manner that will make a difference in the lives of patients, their families and our communities for generations to come.

Florida Hospital Pepin Heart Institute is one of the most advanced specialty digital hospitals in the Southeast and has emerged as a leader in cardiovascular care, said Tom Pepin, President and CEO of Pepin Distributing. With the momentum we are generating with community leaders such as our Corona partners Constellation Brands, Pepin Heart Institute will continue to set a standard in heart health care.

Ultrasound-enhanced thrombolysis is used for patients who have a pulmonary embolism, or a blood clot in their lungs. A catheter is inserted in a blood vessel and directed to the area of the clot. Clot-dissolving medication is delivered through the catheter, and high-frequency ultrasound waves are emitted to help break up the clot. The device, an EkoSonic Endovascular system with Acoustic Pulse Thrombolysis Therapy, is the only device cleared by the FDA for the treatment of pulmonary embolism.

With the EKOS machine, we can break up a pulmonary embolism quicker and more efficiently, said Vasco Marques, MD. Patients who come in to our ER with chest pain and severe shortness of breath are usually discharged the next day with little to no complications. This is absolutely the best option available to help patients with pulmonary embolism.