Pepin_Heart_Hosp.In 1986, family patriarch Arthur “Pep” Pepin (Art Pepin) awaited a heart transplant. It was a critical situation made even more difficult 500 miles away from home. After Pep received his new heart from a 26-year-old donor, he and his family gratefully returned to Tampa and focused their substantial philanthropic interests on making the most advanced heart health care available right here at home. The founder of Pepin Distributing Company and a Tampa community leader for decades, Pep put his money where his heart was and started his living legacy by making a matching $500,000 pledge with his son Tom Pepin totaling $1 million to help University Community Hospital Foundation create the momentum needed to open the Pepin Heart & Vascular Institute.

Now known as the Pepin Heart Institute & Dr. Kiran C. Patel Research Institute, it is the most advanced specialty, digital hospital in the Southeast and has emerged as a leader in cardiovascular care.

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The renowned Florida Hospital Pepin Heart Institute at Florida Hospital Tampa opened its doors on April 3, 2006. This freestanding, three-story facility is completely dedicated to the diagnosis, treatment and study of cardiovascular disease and is filled with advancements in technology and revolutionary patient-centered care.
Tom Pepin

Most importantly, our institute is also filled with a team of dedicated and expertly trained physicians, nurses, technicians and staff who have worked together for more than 20 years to create one of the leading cardiovascular programs in the region, performing over 76,000 angioplasty procedures and over 11,000 open heart surgeries, introducing treatments available only through clinical trials to foster better outcomes.

We’re also home to the area’s first accredited Chest Pain Emergency Room, which means that we provide a gold standard of care in acute cardiovascular medicine by meeting and exceeding standards set by the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care.

Florida Hospital Pepin Heart Institute is consistently among the first hospitals in the country to perform new, revolutionary procedures like the Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) for patients with severe aortic valve stenosis and the AngioVac Procedure for patients with large, high-risk blood clots.

For our excellence in cardiovascular clinical outcomes and community outreach, we have received multiple accreditations and awards.

  • Advanced Certification in Heart Failure
  • The Joint Commission
  • Accredited Chest Pain Emergency Room
  • Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care
  • Heart Failure Gold Plus Quality Achievement
  • American Heart Association
  • STEMI Receiving Center Silver Performance Achievement
  • American Heart Association
  • Heart of the Community Award
  • Larry King Cardiac Foundation
  • HeartCaring Designated Provider
  • Larry King Cardiac Foundation Hospital
  • Mended Hearts Chapter
Today, Pep’s four children; Tom, Jill, James Paul and Pam generously support the Pepin Heart Institute. Tom Pepin (Thomas Pepin) has ensured that his father’s legacy continues. Tom Pepin and the Pepin Family Foundation have pledged an additional $2 million to take Pepin Heart Institute to the next level of cardiovascular excellence. With the momentum generated by the generous pledge from the Pepin Family Foundation, Pepin Heart Institute will continue to set a standard in health care.

To learn more about The Pepin Heart Institute, please visit: https://www.floridahospital.com/tampa/cardiovascular


Tom Pepin (Thomas Pepin) | Pepin Heart Institute