University Vascular
University Vascular is a proud partner of Piedmont Athens Regional and a generous supporter of the Piedmont Athens Regional Tower Campaign. The practice was started in the late 1970’s by Athens’ first vascular surgeon, Dr. Mark Costantino. He created the first non-invasive vascular lab at Athens General and was a sole practitioner until 1998. This is the year Dr. David Sailors joined the practice and it became known as Athens Vascular Surgery.
23 years later, the practice is known as University Vascular and is located right off the Oconee Connector near Piedmont Athens Regional’s Oconee Health Campus. University Vascular has 14 medical professionals – 6 vascular surgeons, 2 nurse practitioners, and 6 physician assistants. Their patients travel to them from across northeast Georgia and range in ages from 12 to 102.
Dr. Jeff Pearce who joined University Vascular in 2008 is very proud of the patient-centered care provided by him and his colleagues. University Vascular treats arterial, venous, and lymphatic diseases. They have a robust practice in stroke prevention, caring for carotid disease and clotting disorders, aneurysm management, and a strong focus on limb salvage.
Dr. Pearce said, “We are proud to focus on patient-centered care. We are caring for patients with complex problems and sometimes physicians tend to focus on the problem and lose sight of the patient. We focus on our patients and what they are experiencing.”
University Vascular is dedicated to compassion, commitment, and community. Their donation to the Piedmont Athens Regional Tower Campaign to create the University Vascular Courtyard is a great example of all three. “We are very fortunate to do what we do. We are fortunate to be in Athens,” said Dr. David Sailors. “We have been partners with Piedmont Athens Regional for over 40 years. We made the decision to support the Tower Campaign because we agree with the hospital’s mission statement. We are also strong believers in patient safety, quality, and satisfaction.”
Both Dr. Pearce and Dr. Sailors believe that the community deserves the new Piedmont Athens Regional Tower. They both commented that that northeast Georgia deserves a robust and vibrant healthcare system to meet their healthcare needs. University Vascular has committed $500,000 to the campaign to create a large courtyard that will be accessible to patients, visitors, and employees.
When asked what resonated with the group about the courtyard, Dr. Sailors responded, “The courtyard is light and fresh air. In a time when someone has been in the hospital for several days, the courtyard will provide them a place to walk to where they can sit and breathe new air. It’s enriching, enlightening, wonderful.”
Piedmont Athens Regional is proud to call University Vascular a healthcare partner. The University Vascular Courtyard will be a reminder to us all of their dedication to our community and our well-being.