Paul A. Jones, MD, is known regionally for taking on high complexity cardiovascular cases with success. As the first performer of an FDA-approved carotid stent procedure, his work is known worldwide.
Most recently, Jones’ medical knowledge took him to the Leipzig Interventional Course, held in Leipzig, Germany. This four day course appeals to a large number of medical professionals, with 2012 attendance at 3,607 persons from more than 60 countries. Held January 23-26, Jones was one of 42 from the United States.
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| Dr. Jones presents at a hospital health fair |
Speaking under the category ‘Innovative Technologies for Complex SFA Occlusions,’ Jones provided a presentation on endoluminal bypass in-stent renosis: put simply, treating blockages in arteries of the legs with a percutaneous (non-surgical) bypass.
Topics like Jones were promoted not only through speaking presentations. The Liepzig Interventional Course provides a quite different hands-on experience with live case transmissions shown throughout the course. These video transmissions provide coverage of different interventional approaches and techniques.
Jones, chief of cardiovascular services at Mercy Hospital’s Heart & Vascular Center and medical director of cardiovascular services at Franciscan Physicians Hospital, pioneered the stenting procedures now commonly performed in northwest Indiana.
Procedures done in local catheterization labs save the patient trips to Chicago and beyond.
“I’ve provided over 1,000 carotid stenting procedures and over 10,000 cardiovascular procedures in my career. If you look at the success rate in the population of endovascular cases compared to conventional open surgery, my outcomes compare quite favorably,” says Jones.
Jones medical knowledge comes from not only years of education and experience, but from a drive to pursue clinical excellence.
“When I was in academic medicine, it was clear that the traditional or standard medical treatment strategies for cardiovascular disease all too often fell short of offering optimal care to patients,” states Jones.
“Since I developed the first successful graft stent approximately fifteen year ago, I’ve continued to be active in various clinical research products primarily involving the management of cardiovascular disorders. Through these efforts, I’m able to focus on developing hospital as well as office-based clinical cardiovascular programs.”
Jones believes these programs will shape the future of cardiovascular procedures.
“We’ve revolutionized how we manage cardiovascular disease and we are again rapidly shifting away from conventional surgery. Management of cardiovascular disease is evolving to an almost completely nonsurgical approach and conventional surgery as we know it will become almost obsolete.”
Training and organization of these programs will be central to managing a population of individuals with cardiovascular conditions. Jones and others are working to provide a template in which those programs find success. Jones, seeing early on the need for these programs, started the Jones Endovascular Institute.
Says Jones, “I developed the Jones Endovascular Institute ten years ago for the primary purposes of focusing on and developing clinical practices, and providing services to high risk patients who are ideally not surgical candidates.”
The path is paved for comprehensive care provisions through his program, notes Jones.
“We’ve developed a group of physicians focused on these same initiatives. I ensure that they’re properly trained so that clinical and technical skill sets are at a level providing the best possible cardiovascular service.”
With ground work set and efforts under way, patients in the next decade and beyond will receive a higher level of cardiovascular care through Jones’ approach.
“I’m trying to develop a model that will have a sincere impact on clinical outcomes in terms of bridging the gap for access of services,” states Jones. “Once you do that, you can have a true impact on the natural prevalence of the disease and the economy.”
Hopes are high and work is still under way, but Jones and partnering providers know that continued education will eventually break the cycle of limited accomplishments.
Jones states, “If we can be successful with this venture, we will have a sustainable impact on cardiovascular disease states.”
Distinguishing Honors
In 1999, Dr. Paul Jones was featured in Chicago Magazine’s “20 World Class Doctors.” He was recognized by the American Heart Association in 2002, receiving the “Chicago Heart Award.” Jones was named one of the Top Doctors of Chicago in 2011, and U.S. News and World Report honored him for Revolutionized Cardiovascular Physician for Care and Treatment of Carotid Artery Disease in 2005.
In 2000, Dr. Jones founded the Peripheral Vascular Intervention Preceptorship; an extensive, two day hands-on physician training program for vascular surgeons, interventional cardiologists and interventional radiologists. These programs and others train physicians for the future cardiovascular medicine.
