25 Years of Cardiovascular Experience — Built One Patient at a Time
Experience in cardiology is not just measured in years. It is measured in the complexity of cases handled, the breadth of conditions managed, the number of patients who came in frightened and left with a clear plan. At Florida Heart & Vascular Institute, that experience has been accumulating since 1997 — across every type of heart and vascular condition, across all nine of our Florida locations, and across every demographic and insurance profile that Florida’s communities represent.
A 25-Year Clinical Timeline
1997
FHVI Founded in Ocala, FL
Dr. Asad U. Qamar establishes Florida Heart & Vascular Institute as an independent, physician-led cardiovascular practice in Marion County — committed from day one to treating every patient regardless of insurance status or financial situation.
2000s
Expansion Across Marion County
FHVI expands its Ocala footprint with multiple clinic locations in Marion County, deepening its reach into the SW Ocala corridor and the Lake Weir Avenue area of SE Ocala, and establishing one of the first independent cardiac catheterization labs in North Central Florida.
2010s
Multi-Location Florida Expansion Begins
FHVI grows beyond Marion County, establishing clinics in Davenport (Polk County), Lake Wales, Port St. John (Brevard County), and Punta Gorda (Charlotte County) — bringing independent cardiovascular care to communities with historically limited specialist access
2015–2019
Southwest Florida & Dr. Mustapha Partnership
FHVI expands into Southwest Florida with clinics in Lehigh Acres (Lee County) and Englewood (Sarasota/Charlotte County), adding the clinical depth of Dr. Jihad Mustapha — internationally recognized in PAD and critical limb ischemia — to the FHVI physician network.
2020–2023
Surgery Center & EP Lab Established
FHVI opens its dedicated Cardiovascular Surgery Center and Electrophysiology Lab at the Ocala SW 17th Street Flagship — making FHVI the only independent practice in North Central Florida offering on-site cath lab, EP procedures, and cardiovascular surgery under one roof.
2024–2025
Network Completes to 11 Florida Locations
FHVI extends its reach to Palatka and Lake City, completing a Florida-wide independent cardiovascular network that spans from the Space Coast to the Gulf Coast and from North Central Florida to Southwest Florida.
2026
25th Year — One of Florida's Largest Independent Cardiology Practices
Florida Heart & Vascular Institute marks its 25th year of operation as one of the largest independent physician-led cardiovascular practices in Florida — with 9 active clinic locations, 17+ board-certified providers, 3 on-site cath labs, and a 7-day-a-week surgery center.
The Depth of Our Clinical Experience
FHVI physicians have collectively treated decades’ worth of complex cardiovascular cases across the full spectrum of heart and vascular disease. Our experience spans:
Coronary Artery Disease & Interventional Cardiology
Our board-certified interventional cardiologists have performed thousands of coronary angiography, angioplasty, and stenting procedures across our Ocala and Davenport cath labs. From single-vessel disease managed with a stent to complex multi-vessel disease requiring surgical consultation, our team has the experience and equipment to handle the full range of coronary interventions in an outpatient setting.
Peripheral Artery Disease & Limb Salvage
Led by Dr. Jihad Mustapha — internationally recognized as a pioneer in critical limb ischemia treatment — FHVI’s vascular experience includes some of the most complex endovascular revascularization cases in the region. Patients referred to Dr. Mustapha have frequently been told by other providers that amputation was unavoidable. In many cases, it was not.
Atrial Fibrillation & Heart Rhythm Disorders
FHVI physicians have managed the full spectrum of cardiac arrhythmias — from incidentally discovered PACs to life-threatening ventricular tachycardia. Our electrophysiology program at the Ocala SW 17th Street Flagship includes catheter ablation, pacemaker and ICD implantation, and cardiac resynchronization therapy, supported by long-term ambulatory monitoring available at all nine locations.
Heart Failure Management
Managing heart failure — particularly in the complex, multi-morbid Florida patient population with concurrent diabetes, hypertension, and renal disease — requires the kind of longitudinal experience that an independent, relationship-based practice builds over 25 years. FHVI cardiologists follow heart failure patients closely over time, adjusting guideline-directed therapy based on serial testing and direct clinical observation.
Preventive Cardiology & Risk Management
Perhaps our deepest well of experience is in the work that never makes the headlines: the preventive cardiology appointments that kept a patient’s coronary artery disease from progressing to a heart attack, the blood pressure management that prevented a stroke, the vascular screening that caught an aneurysm before it ruptured. This long-term, relationship-based preventive work is where 25 years of independent practice builds results that a transient hospital system simply cannot replicate.
Medicaid & Uninsured Cardiac Care
FHVI has more experience caring for uninsured and Medicaid-enrolled cardiac patients than any other independent cardiovascular practice in our service region. That experience has taught us how to navigate the financial and logistical challenges that often prevent patients in these groups from accessing specialist care — and how to remove those barriers while maintaining the same clinical standard we apply to every other patient.
The FHVI Difference — What 25 Years of Experience Looks Like in Practice
- Your cardiologist knows your history — not from a chart they just pulled up, but because they have been managing your care directly
- When something changes, we notice — because we have a baseline to compare it to
- We know which diagnostic tests are genuinely necessary and which can be deferred
- We know the community — the stressors, the dietary patterns, the access barriers our patients face
- We have seen every combination of comorbidities — and built care plans around them
- We know when to refer and when we can manage in-house — and we have the network to do both
35 +
Years Founder Has Practiced Cardiology
3
On-Site Cath Labs Across Florida
7
Core Cardiovascular Service Lines
11
Florida Clinic Locations (Active & Planned)
Note: ’11’ refers to 9 currently active locations + Palatka and Lake City. Use ‘9’ everywhere else on the site. This stat block is the only place ’11’ is used — it is qualified by ‘(Active & Planned)’.