When they relayed this to Dr. Shah, 
he secured a next-day appointment 
for a minimally invasive transcatheter 
aortic valve replacement (TAVR) at 
HonorHealth.
The family was assigned a 
dedicated nurse to guide them 
through scheduling and to facilitate 
coordination between the doctors 
and care teams for the upcoming 
procedures. Within a matter of weeks, 
Mark’s mother received both the valve 
replacement and the hip replacement, 
coming through both with flying colors.
Although she recently passed away  
at age 99, Mark credits the 
collaborative, solutions-driven care 
she received at HonorHealth with 
eliminating her pain and improving  
the quality of her final years.
“The coordination was unprecedented,” 
he says. “I have more respect for  
Dr. Shah and HonorHealth than I’ve ever 
had for a medical establishment. I am 
forever grateful.”
Today, Mark continues to refer friends 
and neighbors to Dr. Shah, filled with 
gratitude for the care that transformed 
two lives.
Philanthropy powers innovation 
at HonorHealth, and heart care 
is a leading example. Donor 
generosity enables investment in 
advanced technology, research 
infrastructure and exceptional 
physicians—allowing our teams to 
deliver safer, minimally invasive 
treatments to patients with 
complex cardiovascular disease. 
In late 2024, HonorHealth became 
the first non-clinical trial site in 
Arizona to perform a transcatheter 
tricuspid valve replacement 
using the FDA-approved 
EVOQUE system from Edwards 
Lifesciences. The procedure was 
led by a multidisciplinary team 
that included Dr. Haidar Yassin, 
network director of structural 
heart disease, whose expertise 
and advocacy helped bring this 
breakthrough technology to 
HonorHealth. 
The program quickly gained 
national attention. In 2025 alone, 
the team completed more than 30 
additional procedures, including 
some of the most complex 
cases worldwide. One patient —
previously in heart and liver failure 
and considered inoperable — ran 
a marathon just seven months 
after treatment, demonstrating the 
life-changing impact of donor-
supported innovation. 
Hope Reaches 
the Heart
Building on this momentum, 
HonorHealth was granted 
access to two next-generation 
transcatheter mitral valve 
replacement (TMVR) systems, 
including Edwards Lifesciences’ 
SAPIN M3. HonorHealth is 
now one of only nine hospitals 
nationwide with access outside 
a clinical trial. Philanthropic 
investment in research also 
supported eight years of testing 
at HonorHealth Research 
Institute for Abbott’s Tendyne™ 
TMVR system prior to FDA 
approval in 2025. 
“These milestones reflect both 
our clinical excellence and the 
trust placed in HonorHealth by 
leading medical technology 
partners,” says Dr. Yassin.“  
My goal is to make HonorHealth 
a destination for structural heart 
innovation — so even when I’m 
not directly treating patients, 
I’m still helping care for them.”
With donors as partners, 
HonorHealth will continue 
advancing heart care, expanding 
access to groundbreaking 
therapies and bringing 
renewed hope to patients in our 
community and beyond.
HonorHealth Foundation   21 

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