Hoag names Jack Sun its director of cardiovascular surgery
'At UCI, I had always known about Hoag, and you never know what's going on over there,' Sun said with a smile. 'It's kind of like Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. You hear great things about it, but you're not really sure what's going on inside of it.'
Sun said he had always known Hoag's heart program had a good reputation. Now he seeks to elevate it further, into an academic, university-level program.
When he heard the hospital was on the same page with that goal, he said it was like music to his ears.
'That's what I have always wanted to continue doing, to build out and expand advanced heart surgery programs and have accessibility for patients,' Sun said. 'Hoag is not only doing that at Newport Beach, but there's a big $1 billion expansion of the Hoag Irvine campus and they're planning to expand heart surgery and other cardiovascular services at Irvine as well. We want to reach as many patients as possible, and expand in areas where we feel like there's just not enough access right now to high-level cardiac services.'
He gave examples of a heart transplant or a ventricular assist device, which is like a planted mechanical pump for the heart. Typically, those services are only available at academic or university level programs.
Sun, 46, is a native Canadian who now lives in Costa Mesa. He earned a medical degree from the University of Toronto and completed an advanced fellowship in cardiac surgery at the Harvard University-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.
He also has worked at the University of Washington, and has spent just over a decade enjoying the Southern California sun since moving here in 2014.
'Dr. Sun's arrival marks a new chapter for cardiac care at Hoag,' said Robert Braithwaite, Hoag president and chief executive, in a statement. 'At Hoag, we are never satisfied with the status quo and continually strive to raise the bar for our patients. Dr. Sun's dedication to clinical excellence and his forward-looking vision will ensure that Hoag continues to deliver the highest level of cardiac care to our community — so ultimately no patient needs to leave Orange County for the most complex heart treatment.'
Sun has authored or coauthored more than 60 publications, presentations and book chapters in leading medical and cardiology journals, so he is well versed on the academic side of healthcare. He joins Hoag at a time when it was ranked high-performing in several cardiac specialties in 2024-25 by U.S. News & World Report, including aortic valve surgery, heart bypass surgery, heart attack and heart failure.
According to Hoag, the Jeffrey M. Carlton Heart & Vascular Institute was the top cardiothoracic program in Orange County in 2024, handling more than 440 cases.
'When I was in high school I learned about the heart, and the physiology and anatomy of the heart, and I just thought it was the most amazing thing in the world,' Sun said. 'It's this one organ in your body that is like the engine of your body, but also from an art standpoint, emotionally we connect it with how we feel and it has a romantic side. I've always loved that part of the heart, and I always wanted to work with my hands.'
Now he is leading a top program at Hoag, where he said he appreciates the philanthropic side as well with programs like Hoag Innovators.
A 19th century scalpel with a wooden handle sits on his desk. Sun said it's a gift from his program director at his residency in Boston.
'He said, 'It's great that you're using all of these new technologies, these catheter-based techniques and how to use wires, but at the end of the day you're a heart surgeon,'' Sun said. 'You have to hone your technique … your role to be a surgeon, that's where you hold the most value to the patient.'
It's a reminder that Sun has taken, well, to heart.
'A patient's life is in your hands,' he said. 'You've got to really master your techniques and be very deliberate and meticulous in the operating room.'
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