Division of Cardiovascular Medicine

About the Division

The Division of Cardiovascular Medicine is at the forefront of the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease. The scope of activities in the Division ranges from the early diagnosis and treatment of patients identified as at-risk for cardiovascular disease to cutting-edge medical, device and invasive therapies for patients with established disease. We are dedicated to preventing and treating all forms of cardiac disease and building on our existing knowledge base of the causes and therapy for cardiovascular disease to ensure the best outcomes for our patients.

The Division has an active clinical practice at Keck Medical Center and at LAC+USC Medical Center, as well as ongoing expansion into USC-affiliated hospitals and clinics at USC Verdugo Hills Hospital and USC Arcadia Hospital. We provide primary and consultative services for general cardiology, heart failure, interventional cardiology, and electrophysiology. The Cardiac Catheterization and Electrophysiology laboratories are under the supervision of the Division, with programs in interventional cardiology and electrophysiology that span from coronary artery disease stenting to structural heart disease interventions, as well as device implantation and arrhythmia ablations. Likewise, the heart failure services diagnose and treat advanced heart failure and offer mechanical circulatory support and transplant services. The Division also runs a busy STEMI-receiving Center at LAC+USC and holds the number one position for fastest door-to-balloon time in LA County.

The Division has a robust clinical research program with a group of certified coordinators operating through our Clinical Research Unit. A wide variety of high-quality, scientifically ground-breaking protocols are expertly and ethically conducted. Protocols range from NIH-funded studies to multicenter trials to physician-generated trials. USC is nationally recognized for the high-quality cardiac research it produces.

Vivian Mo, MD, Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine and Chief Medical Officer of USC Care Medical Group, currently serves as the Interim Division Chief of Cardiovascular Medicine.

Our Mission

Our mission is to make the division one of the best in the country. We need to work on the cohesiveness of the Division members and fellows, to add relevant faculty (e.g. heart failure, imaging and EP) and to generate additional NIH supported research. Although there are many hurdles, the future is bright.

Dr. Mo has continued her research in the fields of preventive cardiology, echocardiography and cardiovascular disease in women. She currently serves as a co-investigator on a study which addresses carotid plaque composition by MRI while on statin therapy. She is also a site principal investigator for the VIRGO study which examines why outcomes of women differ from those of men in acute myocardial infarctions.

Vivian Mo, MD

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Research

The Division is actively conducting various research projects under the oversight of its Cardiovascular Research Unit (CRU), directed by Dr. Ray Matthews (Medical Director) and Dr. Leonardo Clavijo (Associate Director). Areas of research include carotid artery disease, coronary artery disease, ischemic heart disease and myocardial infarction, congenital heart disease, heart failure and electrophysiological heart disorders.

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Training & Education

Fellowship Programs

The mission of the multifaceted and multidisciplinary USC Cardiovascular Medicine Fellowship Program is to educate fellows in the comprehensive assessment and management of patients with cardiovascular disease processes. The Division’s faculty remains committed to the training of the future generation of cardiologists as leaders of fellowships in Advanced Heart Failure, Cardiology, Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology, Interventional Cardiology and Vascular Medicine.

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