On the morning of April 2, 2025, the 35th anniversary commemorative activity of "Operation Heart Beat (OHB)" China-US Partnership was held in the First Affiliated Hospital (FAH) of Xi'an Jiaotong University (XJTU). Professor Jorge Garcia, former director of Department of Cardiac Surgery of MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Professor Daniel Chou, chief anesthesiologist of MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Professor Robert Gilbert, leader of OHB team, Professor Da Ga, vice president of Qinghai University Affiliated Hospital, and the team from Department of Cardiovascular Surgery of FAH were invited to attend the event.
Professor Shi Tao, director of the ICU of Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, chaired the activities. On behalf of FAH, Professor Yan Yang, vice president of Cardiovascular Disease Hospital and director of Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, delivered a welcome speech and reviewed the concrete cooperation and exchanges between Chinese and American OHB teams in the past 35 years.
In his speech, Professor Jorge Garcia reviewed the unforgettable years of experience of working with FAH and highly recognized that FAH’s technical level has far exceeded what they could provide in the past, and US side might not be able to provide technical assistance. However, the friendship between bilateral sides will persist.
As a witness of this history, Professor Xu Suochun, honorary director of Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, specially prepared commemorative books for three American experts, which showcased the development of Department of Cardiovascular Surgery in FAH. Subsequently, experts from bilateral sides posed for a commemorative group photo.
OHB team members visited the ward and ICU of Department of Cardiovascular Surgery. Robert Gilbert, leader of OHB team astonishingly expressed that "I have refresh experience and feeling during every visit in Xi'an, and FAH is developing better and better, which makes me very proud!"
In 1989, President Marx signed a historic cooperation agreement with FAH, opening a new chapter in cooperation and exchanges between Chinese and American hospitals. In 1995, Professor Robert Gilbert established and initiated the "OHB" team, which has since served the Chinese people. In the past 35 years, OHB team has visited China multiple times, and cooperated with FAH and hospitals from multiple cities to complete more than 1,000 challenging heart operations. With joint efforts between both sides, multiple procedures from common valve surgery to complex coronary artery bypass grafting, radical resection of aortic aneurysm and minimally invasive surgery, etc. have evolved into routine and mature surgeries. OHB team not only brings internationally advanced medical technology, but also disseminates humanitarian care all over China.
