Cleveland Clinic receives $30 million gift from Haslam family to advance genetic heart research

CLEVELAND, Ohio — A $30 million gift from the Bailey-Haslam family to the Cleveland Clinic will help provide genetic testing for patients, promote cardiovascular genetics research and establish an endowed chair in cardiovascular medicine, the Clinic announced Monday.

The gift is deeply personal for the Bailey-Haslam family, whose members have suffered cardiovascular disease, the Clinic said. Family members include Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam, and Jimmy's sister, Ann Haslam-Bailey.

Portions of the gift will expand cardiovascular genetics research by establishing the Haslam Family Section for Cardiovascular Genetics at the Sydell and Arnold Miller Heart, Vascular and Thoracic Institute, and establish the Haslam Family Endowed Chair in Cardiovascular Medicine, the Clinic said.

The funds will also help provide genetic testing for family members of any Clinic patient with an inherited heart condition.

Cardiovascular genetics focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of genetic disorders affecting the cardiovascular system. This includes inherited conditions such as arrhythmias, disease of the heart muscle, heart failure and vascular disease.

Genetic testing for patients with inherited heart conditions allows for early detection and intervention and allows physicians to create a personalized care path for patients, the Clinic said.

Caregivers with the newly established Haslam Family Section for Cardiovascular Genetics will use patients' genetic data to help discover new genetic markers for cardiovascular diseases and accelerate research, the health system said.

"While heart disease remains the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States, it's essential our research expands to better understand those who may be at risk, guide treatments and develop new therapies," Clinic CEO Dr. Tom Mihaljevic said in a news release. "We are grateful to the Bailey-Haslam family for their generous support that is helping push this vital patient care and research forward."

The donations have been given by Natalie and Jim Haslam; Dee and Jimmy Haslam; Crissy and Bill Haslam; and Ann Haslam-Bailey and her husband Steve Bailey. The family first donated to the Clinic in 2014.

Dee and Jimmy Haslam, CEO and chairman of the Haslam Sports Group, own the Cleveland Browns, have operating rights to Major League Soccer's Columbus Crew, and have co-ownership of the Milwaukee Bucks.

James Haslam, father of Jimmy, was founder of Pilot Corp. , which operates convenience stores and travel centers in the United States and Canada.

Bill and Crissy Haslam were governor and first lady of Tennessee from 2011 to 2019. Ann Haslam-Bailey is the sister of Bill and Jimmy Haslam.

"The doctors at Cleveland Clinic saved my life 10 years ago when I had a full aortic dissection," Ann Haslam-Bailey said in a news release. "I am incredibly blessed to have had doctors with such expertise and have had the empathetic and world class care of countless nurses and doctors.

"This donation is deeply personal for our family, having lost our mother when she was just 42 and our grandfather at 31 to aortic dissections," Haslam-Bailey said. "We understand the critical role of genetic research in this disease and hope this gift can positively impact other families."

An aortic dissection is a serious condition in which a tear occurs in the inner layer of the body's main blood artery, called the aorta. Blood rushes through the tear, causing the inner and middle layers of the aorta to split or dissect. If the blood breaks completely through the outside aortic wall, the condition can lead to death.

Julie Washington covers healthcare for cleveland.com. Read previous stories at this link.