HEALING HEARTS VIETNAM

WHO WE ARE

Healing Hearts Vietnam is a US registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization whose mission is to provide financial assistance to make life-saving cardiac surgeries available for needy Vietnamese families.

Formed in 2015 by Drs. Chad Hoyt and Tom Forsberg, Healing Hearts Vietnam is built on a foundation of love and respect for life. Healing Hearts Vietnam provides access to life saving cardiac surgery equally, to individuals requiring financial assistance who meet our cardiac need criteria, without regard to ethnicity, religion or gender. Out of respect to our donor partners and to accomplish the most good with the funds provided us, we are committed to both operational efficiency and financial accountability.

Chad Hoyt, MD, FACC

Dr. Chad Hoyt earned his bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland. He received his medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine where he was class Vice President. He is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society. He completed his internal medicine residency at Vanderbilt University Hospital where he was awarded house staff “teacher of the year” and then completed his cardiology fellowship at Emory University.

Dr. Hoyt is a board certified cardiologist with expertise in advanced cardiovascular imaging (echo, TEE, nuclear cardiology, cardiac CT, and cardiac MRI). He is proficient in 3D TEE and is active in complex structural heart disease procedures. His hallmark is being a “program builder," having founded the cardiac CT, MRI, and noninvasive vascular programs at Centra Health in Lynchburg, VA. He is certified in hyperbaric medicine. He has experience building cardiovascular programs in outreach areas leading to market dominance and financial success.

Dr. Hoyt is an authentic leader who has worn many administrative hats. He served as President of the Cardiovascular Group in Lynchburg, VA. He worked for over a decade as Executive Chair of the Centra Heart & Vascular Institute where he enjoyed tremendous success on many fronts. The Centra Heart & Vascular Institute is comprised of 95 clinical providers, 452 employees, 7 office locations, and 4 hospitals. This institute serves the community through a series of clinical centers of excellence in areas such as advanced heart failure, electrophysiology, vascular medicine, structural heart disease, pediatric and congenital cardiology, preventive cardiology, advanced cardiovascular imaging, structural heart disease, interventional cardiology, vascular surgery, cardiothoracic surgery, wound care, hyperbaric medicine, medical and surgical bariatrics, and endocrinology. The Centra Heart & Vascular Institute is known nationally for its quality outcomes and fastest door to balloon times in the nation for heart attacks (D2B).

Dr. Hoyt moved on from Centra Health and joined the executive leadership team at The University of Virginia Health System in early 2022. He currently serves as Executive Director of Clinical Growth & Outreach and has an appointment as Associate Professor of Medicine in the Cardiovascular Division. His mission is to bridge the gap between community health systems and the academic medical center hub in Charlottesville by growing and integrating clinical services throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Dr. Hoyt is an accomplished public speaker on physician leadership topics and recently delivered the keynote address to the members of the American College of Cardiology at their annual Cardiovascular Leadership Summit. He has expertise in leveraging physician leadership concepts to facilitate developing highly successful clinical centers of excellence which produce improved patient outcomes and provider engagement. He has delivered national podcasts on cardiology compensation.

Dr. Hoyt is very active in his local church and serves with his wife teaching a group of special needs children. He is passionate about medical missions and has spent the last fifteen years providing care and expertise in Vietnam. He works in rural outreach clinics in the Mekong Delta region, Qui Nhon region, and near Ho Chi Minh City. He has donated equipment and teaching expertise…training cardiologists to perform trans-esophageal echo at Nguyen Trai Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City. A few years ago, he co-founded Healing Hearts Vietnam, a nonprofit organization committed to financing open heart surgeries and catheter-based cardiovascular procedures for needy Vietnamese children. Healing Hearts Vietnam has a thriving partnership with the Vietnamese National Heart Institute in Hanoi, as well as Viet Duc Hospital. Thus far, the organization has financed nearly 500 surgeries.

Dr. Hoyt and his wife currently reside in Charlottesville, VA. They have three grown children who also participate in the Healing Hearts Vietnam ministry.

Tom Forsberg, MD, FACEP

Dr. Tom Forsberg graduated from the University at Buffalo School of Medicine in 2006. He completed his residency in emergency medicine at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in 2009. He has been in partnership with Centra Health by providing emergency medical care within its emergency departments throughout Central and Southside Virginia ever since. Dr Forsberg is a Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians and currently serves as the Medical Director of Education For Centra Health. He continues to invest in the professional development of medical students, PA students, and PA fellows by providing formal teaching on the topics of emergency medicine.

Forsberg is passionate about delivering evidence-based medicine while utilizing technological interfaces to achieve optimal patient care. He can often be found sharing his medical expertise in numerous forums and lectures which he has taken internationally to teach airway management clinics throughout Vietnam.

On his first visit to Vietnam in 2013, Dr. Forsberg lectured at two hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City. He returned in late 2014 to offer a medical seminar alongside Dr. Chad Hoyt at Hoan My SaiGon Hospital. During this visit, he was impassioned by the need for cardiac surgeries, as well as the great impact made in the lives of the children and families who benefit from financial assistance. Passion led to action and Healing Hearts Vietnam was formed the following year.

Founders

Nick Hoyt
Student Doctor
Director of medical education

Nicholas is originally from Lynchburg, Virginia and is currently in the process of completing his medical degree from the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Before arriving in DC, he completed his undergraduate degree at the College of William and Mary, receiving a B.S. in the Biomedical Humanities. During his time at W&M, he co-founded and served as the President of Healing Hearts Vietnam at W&M, the very first university chapter of the organization. As a group, they regularly met with other students to discuss barriers to care and the need for lifesaving cardiovascular surgeries in Vietnam, ultimately with the goal of bringing this discussion to the greater Williamsburg community. They organized and hosted multiple fundraising events, including a dance off and charity golf tournament in 2021 that raised funds to pay for up to 10 surgeries. Apart from his involvement in the W&M chapter of HHV, Nicholas has joined the team on two previous trips to Vietnam to participate in medical screening and clinics. He is excited about the prospect of returning soon to practice as he continues to progress in his medical training. Nicholas also currently volunteers as the Director of Medical Education for Healing Hearts Vietnam, leading a mission to make the medical and public health aspects of our organization more accessible and comprehensible. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his friends and two younger siblings. He is particularly passionate about sports, outdoor activities, and photography.

Aaron Marcum
Student Doctor
Director of medical research

Aaron grew up in Alexandria, Virginia and is currently in the process of completing his medical degree from the University of Virginia School of Medicine. Before arriving in Charlottesville, he completed his undergraduate degree at the College of William and Mary, receiving a B.S. in Biology. During his time at W&M, he co-founded and served as the Vice President of Healing Hearts Vietnam at W&M, the very first university chapter of the organization. His role involved leading student meetings, organizational outreach, and taking charge of fundraising efforts, particularly for our charity golf tournament in 2021 when he helped raise funds to sponsor about ten surgeries. Currently, Aaron serves as the Director of Medical Communications for our team with the objective of organizing and delivering medically relevant information to our supporters via the website, email list, and social media. In his free time, he enjoys running, watching sports, and playing golf.