Riverside Health and UVA Health are expanding their strategic alliance to improve access to advanced, lifesaving care in Eastern Virginia by adding a new cardiac surgeon to Riverside’s established heart and lung surgery team.
As part of the ongoing collaboration, Dr. Dimitrios Pousios has joined Riverside Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgery, in affiliation with UVA Health, working alongside long-standing Riverside surgeons Dr. Paul Evans and Dr. Robert Strange. The expanded team enhances access to highly specialized heart and lung care for patients served at Riverside Regional Medical Center.
Since first announcing their strategic alliance in 2023, Riverside and UVA Health have steadily translated shared goals into expanded clinical services, including liver transplant coordination, access to clinical trials, medical education and specialty care delivered close to home. The growth of the cardiothoracic surgery program represents another important milestone in that continued progress.
“From the beginning, this alliance was designed to bring the strength of academic medicine together with trusted community-based care,” said Dr. Mike Dacey, Chief Executive Officer of Riverside Health. “Welcoming Dr. Pousios to an already strong cardiothoracic surgery team reflects how this partnership continues to grow in a thoughtful, strategic way, expanding access while maintaining continuity and quality for our patients.”
Riverside’s cardiothoracic surgery program is built on a collaboration that at emphasizes comprehensive care and shared expertise:
- Dr. Pousios, a cardiac surgeon with international training and experience, has a special interest in heart valve procedures while continuing to perform a full range of cardiac surgeries, including coronary artery bypass and aortic valve surgery.
- Dr. Evans, a cardiothoracic surgeon with Riverside Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgery, has helped shape cardiothoracic care in the region for more than 25 years.
- Dr. Strange, a cardiothoracic surgeon who joined Riverside full-time following distinguished service in the U.S. Navy, specializes in minimally invasive, robotic-assisted procedures for lung and thoracic cancers, as well as noncancerous conditions affecting the chest wall, pleura, diaphragm, esophagus and lungs.
Together, the surgeons deliver coordinated heart and lung care supported by the shared clinical standards, academic collaboration and specialty resources made possible through the strategic alliance between Riverside and UVA Health.
The cardiothoracic surgery program complements other expanded services developed through the alliance, including liver transplant care. In July 2025, Riverside and UVA Health announced an expansion of their collaboration to include liver transplant services, building on existing kidney and lung transplant programs and further strengthening access to complex, lifesaving care for patients across Hampton Roads and Eastern Virginia.
“Our growing partnership with Riverside Health reflects UVA Health’s commitment to meeting patients where they are and ensuring access to specialized care across Virginia,” said Dr. Mitch Rosner, chief executive officer of UVA Health. “Access to care, including this highly specialized surgical and transplant expertise, has been an ongoing challenge for people living in Virginia and beyond. Our focus on growing programs in Eastern Virginia demonstrates our joint commitment to increasing access and keeping care close to home whenever possible.”
As the strategic alliance continues to grow, Riverside and UVA Health remain focused on expanding specialty services, strengthening care coordination, increasing access to clinical trials and advancing medical education ensuring patients in Eastern Virginia benefit from innovative, high-quality care now and into the future.
To learn more about Riverside Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgery, visit https://www.riversideonline.com/locations/heart-and-vascular/riverside-thoracic-and-cardiovascular-surgery.