Frank Cetta, MD
President
2013–present

“What’s unique about Heart to Heart is the emphasis on sustainability. We like to say that it’s not how many surgical cases or patients we see while we’re on a surgical-educational mission, it’s how many they operate on after we leave. The centers that Heart to Heart has been with a number of years have survival statistics that are comparable to the big centers in the United States.”

Dr. Frank Cetta began serving as a Heart to Heart medical volunteer in 2004, helping us set up our first Adult Congenital Program in St. Petersburg with assistance from Mayo Clinic physicians. He hit the ground running and continues to fly throughout Russia and Peru – examining patients, teaching, and performing catheter-based procedures. Dr. Cetta was pleased to join the Heart to Heart board in 2013.

Dr. Cetta’s versatility as a pediatric cardiologist and an adult congenital specialist, coupled with his talent for teamwork and teaching, has made it natural for him to play a pivotal role in helping Heart to Heart develop multiple cardiac programs to self-sustainability.

From 2006–2012, Dr. Cetta was instrumental in guiding our colleagues in Siberia to reach self-sustainability. During that time he led all seven annual Heart to Heart surgical-educational missions to Siberia and hosted several colleagues at the Mayo Clinic and at his home. He served as lead pediatric cardiologist on our mission trips to Kaliningrad, Northwestern Federal District (site launched in 2013).

Dr. Cetta has also made fantastic contributions in recruiting new top-notch volunteers for Heart to Heart as we continue to expand our programs.

Dr. Cetta is a pediatric and adult cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic and lectures all over the world. On behalf of Heart to Heart, he has traveled 16 times to Russia and two times to Peru, primarily leading surgical-educational missions, in addition to providing lectures at national conferences.

Read more about Dr. Cetta’s work at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.