Iowa Heart Center was founded by Dr. David Gordon as a one-physician practice in 1970. As Central Iowa's first board-certified cardiologist, Dr. Gordon's modest vision was to grow Iowa Heart Center — then called Cardiology Associates — into a cardiology practice of three providers.
As technology exploded and more options for treating heart disease became available, he realized Iowa Heart Center could make even a bigger impact on the lives of Iowans. Within 10 years, three other cardiologists had joined him - Drs. L.A. Iannone, Thomas Brown and William Wickemeyer.
Iowa Heart Center made history on November 29, 1979, when Dr. Iannone performed the state's first percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. Dr. Gordon scored a first for Iowa Heart Center in January of 1980 by being the first cardiologist to administer the drug streptokinase on a patient who had suffered a heart attack.
In the next decade, the number of Iowa Heart Center providers quadrupled, with each new physician bringing special interests and expertise to the practice. Dr. Iannone continued to make Iowa medical history, and in 1990, became the first cardiologist to perform a directional coronary arthrectomy.
In 2009, Iowa Heart Center joined forces with Mercy Medical Center — Iowa's premier hospital facility. Combined, these two facilities now form one of the nation's largest and most prestigious cardiovascular care practices.
Today, MercyOne Iowa Heart Center has grown to more than 60 cardiologists and surgeons who specialize in cardiovascular care. Iowa Heart Center and Mercy providers perform more than 10,000 cardiac interventions annually and are respected for their aggressive treatment and prevention of heart and vascular problems. The experience of the providers coupled with their wide array of knowledge gives Iowa Heart Center and Mercy patients the comfort of knowing they are receiving the best care available.
