The Baptist Heart Institute at Baptist Memphis recently appointed Dr. Brian Bruckner and Dr. Sharon Larson as leaders of the heart transplant, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and ventricular assist device team.
Baptist is the only Mid-South hospital that performs adult heart transplants, and it offers the region’s only adult ECMO program. Baptist also performs the most ventricular assist device procedures in the area.
“Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis is proud to have Drs. Bruckner and Larson join our team of talented cardiovascular experts,” said Paul Cade, vice president and CEO of Baptist Memphis. “Heart disease is a leading cause of death for Mid-Southerners, and patients often require a higher level of care. With the expertise of Drs. Bruckner and Larson, Baptist Memphis can continue to grow our advanced heart services and offer a high level of cardiovascular care in our community.”
Dr. Bruckner will serve as director of thoracic transplant and mechanical circulatory support for Baptist. He built the largest ventricular assist device and transplant program in the state of Texas during his time at Houston Methodist Hospital. Dr. Brucker earned his doctorate from the University of Florida College of Medicine and his Bachelor of Science in biochemistry from the University of Florida. After completing his residency and research fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine, he completed a transplant residency at Texas Heart Institute.
As surgical director of cardiac transplant and mechanical circulatory support and ECMO, Dr. Larson will lead Baptist’s ECMO program as she did at the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, where she was also the clinical assistant professor for the division of cardiothoracic surgery. Dr. Larson obtained her Doctorate of Osteopathic Medicine degree from Touro University California College of Osteopathic Medicine. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in biology and Spanish from Austin College, and her Master of Science in biomedical science from the University of North Texas Health Science Center.
