Baptist Health Joins Clinical Trial to Evaluate New Treatment for Advanced Heart Failure

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Baptist Health is the first and only health system in Arkansas to participate in the INNOVATE Trial evaluating the safety and effectiveness of the BrioVAD® Left Ventricular Assist System (LVAS).

The BrioVAD® System, developed by BrioHealth Solutions, Inc., is an advanced left ventricular assist device (LVAD) that is smaller than the only currently FDA approved LVAD available in the U.S. It is designed to reduce complications in patients requiring LVAD support for advanced heart failure. 

"Being the only health system in Arkansas to offer this cutting-edge trial is a testament to Baptist Health's commitment to providing the most advanced care for our heart failure patients,” said Dr. Patrick Campbell, medical director, Baptist Health Heart Failure and Transplant Institute. 

Dr. Karol Mudy, surgical director, Baptist Health Heart Failure and Transplant Institute , added: “The BrioVAD System's smaller size and innovative design hold the potential to significantly reduce the risk of complications often associated with current LVAD technology, offering our patients a chance at an improved quality of life and better long-term outcomes."

The BrioVAD System is an investigational device developed by Burlington, Massachusetts-based BrioHealth Solutions, Inc. consisting of a small pump implanted in the chest, connected to an external controller and battery. More than 640 patients outside of the U.S. have already received the BrioVAD pump.

Chen Chen, Ph.D. CEO of BrioHealth Solutions, “We are excited to partner with Baptist Health Medical Center-Little Rock as they join an elite group of medical centers in the U.S. leading the field of advanced heart failure treatment.”

“With only one LVAD currently available in the U.S., patients with advanced heart failure have limited options when it comes to treatment.” said Francis D. Pagani, M.D., Ph.D., the Otto Gago, M.D., Professor of Cardiac Surgery at University of Michigan Medical School and the study’s National Principal Investigator (PI). Through the INNOVATE Trial we hope to show that the BrioVAD® System is as safe, reduces time spent in the hospital, and improves the quality of life in patients requiring LVAD support compared to currently available options.” 

For more information, visit baptist-health.com/services/heart-failure or call (501) 202-1500.

About BrioHealth Solutions INNOVATE Trial

The INNOVATE Trial is a prospective, non-blinded, randomized, controlled study that will enroll approximately 650 patients at leading medical centers across the U.S. The trial is evaluating the ability of BrioHealth Solution’s BrioVAD® System to impact overall survival rates, complications and quality of life in patients with advanced heart failure. Enrolled patients are randomized 2:1 to receive treatment with the BrioVAD System or standard-of-care LVAD technology. For more information, visit www.TheInnovateTrial.com.

About Baptist Health

For more than a century, Baptist Health has delivered all our best in health care through Christian compassion and innovative services. Baptist Health, Arkansas’ most comprehensive health care organization, is here For You. For Life. – with more than 300 points of access that include 12 hospitals; urgent care centers; a senior living community; over 75 primary and specialty care clinics; a college with studies in nursing and allied health; and a graduate residency program. It is also the largest private not-for-profit health care organization based in Arkansas, providing care through the support of approximately 12,000 employees, groundbreaking treatments, renowned physicians and community outreach programs. Baptist Health is certified as a Great Place to Work and is honored by Newsweek as one of America’s Most Admired Workplaces 2026. For more information about Baptist Health, visit Baptist-Health.com, call Baptist Health HealthLine at 1-888-BAPTIST or download the myBaptistHealth app. Find us on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.