On August 1, 2019, the team led by Yuan Zuyi, Vice President of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, was invited to visit MedStar Washington Hospital Center /Cleveland Clinic Heart and Vascular Institute and further communicate with Vinod Thourani, Director of Department of Cardiac Surgery of MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Jorge Garcia, former Director of Department of Cardiac Surgery, and Sun Li, Professor from Department of Cardiac Surgery regarding the details of "Sino-U.S. Cardiovascular Cooperative Hospital".

During the visiting, Vice President Yuan Zuyi, along with Yan Yang, Deputy Director of Department of Cardiac Surgery and Li Qingluan from International Exchange Office discussed typical cases and successively visited CCU, Cardiac Surgery Intensive Care Unit, ICU, Cardiac Catheter Room and Rehabilitation Center,etc.

Director Thourani expected that bilateral sides can establish deeper and closer cooperation through this project to better contribute to the development of cardiovascular medicine in the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University and throughout China. Vice President Yuan Zuyi reviewed the history of Sino-U.S. exchanges and cooperation in cardiovascular field in our hospital and expressed that Sino-U.S. Cardiovascular Cooperative Hospital will introduce more advanced medical technologies to our hospital through persistent cooperation and exchanges, promote the rapid elevation of multidisciplinary strength and bring benefits to patients in the northwest region and even across China, aiming to contribute to building healthy China.