Our St. John’s Hospital Structural Heart Program is home to a team of expertly talented and passionate specialists who are excited to offer you first class structural heart care in a community setting.
St. John’s Hospital is conveniently located directly off highway 694 near White Bear and Beam Avenue in the charming suburb of Maplewood, Minnesota. Our easily accessible Maplewood Heart Care Clinic where patients are seen for consultation is situated directly next door to the hospital. We offer free parking and complementary valet services at both the hospital and clinic for patients and visitors.
In addition to our easily accessible clinic, our campus hosts a variety of other specialized clinics, allowing you to receive comprehensive care all in one place. St. John’s is home to a state-of-the-art catheterization lab built in 2022, where all our transcatheter procedures are performed.
Meet Our Team
Our Structural Heart Team is made up of award-winning staff including interventional cardiologists, advanced practice providers and nurse clinicians who help guide you through the process of treating your structural heart disease from referral to recovery and beyond. We work in a team-based approach with our cardiothoracic surgeons (open heart surgeons), electrophysiologists, non-invasive cardiologists (imaging specialists), research coordinators and general cardiologists to provide you with a well-rounded, patient specific plan of care. In the realm of structural heart programs in the Twin Cities metro area, our team is at the forefront, experiencing exceptional growth and achieving high quality results for our patients.
Our Providers
Dr Marat Yanavitski
- Interventional Cardiologist
- Director of St. John’s Hospital Catheterization Lab
- Director of St. John’s Hospital Structural Heart Program
- Chief-Elect of Medical Staff, St. John’s Hospital
Dr Ruben Alexanian
- Interventional Cardiologist
- Structural Heart Specialist
Christa Heckman PA-C
- Lead Structural Heart Advanced Practice Provider
- Advanced Practice Provider Manager, Heart and Vascular Care at M Health Fairview
Kassi Eloranta PA-C
- Structural Heart Advanced Practice Provider
Our Nurse Clinicians
Emily Otis, RN, BSN
Emily graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She started her nursing career on a cardiac telemetry unit and soon found her passion in cardiac intensive care, where she spent the next seven years honing her skills. She left the ICU to gain experience in outpatient orthopedic surgery and spent some time teaching CPR and basic life support.
After some time away, Emily realized cardiology was in fact where she belonged. She missed the challenge, the deep connections with patients, and the opportunity to educate. So, she returned as a nurse clinician, focusing on valve replacement patients—a specialty she’s thrilled to dive into.
What Emily loves most about her role is the chance to educate—not just patients, but also staff and the community—about valve disease and heart health.
When she’s off the clock, Emily loves spending time outdoors with her husband and two young children. You can usually find her playing tag, hiking nearby trails, or enjoying a good book.
Our Scheduling Coordinator
Janelle Perkins
Program/Scheduling Coordinator
Since 2014, Janelle has been an indispensable member of our structural team. A graduate of University of Hawaii with a degree in Business Management, Janelle’s background in laboratory services, scheduling, and leadership has been instrumental. With an extensive understanding of our procedures, programs, and processes, Janelle ensures our patients embark on their heart care journey feeling assured and at ease. A creative thinker and a compassionate caregiver, she consistently exceeds expectations, ensuring both our program and our patients stay on course. Outside of work Janelle shuttles between the baseball diamond and the dance studio. She enjoys unwinding on camping trips and time spent with her husband, four children and extended family.
Frequently Asked Questions
Receiving a diagnosis of a structural heart disease can be overwhelming. Our team aims to provide you with as much information and time to ask questions as possible. Due to the complexity of these conditions and procedures associated with them please allow for 1-2 hours for your appointment. We recommend bringing a family member or friend who can be a “second set of ears” for you. Consultation appointments typically consist of three parts:
- Lab/EKG: this part of the appointment allows our medical assistants enough time to complete necessary paperwork and testing with you, as well as checking your vital signs and medication list.
- Provider visit: during this time, you will meet with one of our structural heart specialists to discuss your diagnosis, review imaging and go over recommendations moving forward.
- Nurse visit: at the end of your visit based on what was recommended one of the nurse clinicians will come in to wrap up your visit, finish explaining any testing/procedures ordered and make sure you understand what to expect next. We always send patients home with a packet of information to ensure you have documents to reference at home.
The St. John’s Hospital structural heart team sees patients for consultation at the Maplewood Heart Care Clinic (address- 1600 St. John’s Blvd, Maplewood, MN 55109) located immediately next door to the hospital. Testing, procedures, and imaging can typically be done at a variety of locations, but in some situations may need to be done at a specific site. We strive to make things as easy as possible for our patients and work to accommodate appointments in a convenient location whenever possible.
Contact Information
Valve Clinic
The best way to contact our heart valve team is by calling the valve clinic nurse line number (listed below). If you are unable to speak with a nurse, please leave a detailed voicemail and your call will be returned within 1-2 business days.
Phone Number: 651-326-7000
Fax: 651-326-8117
Email: StJohns.ValveClinic@Fairview.Org
Left Atrial Appendage/PFO & ASD Closure
For patients interested in speaking to someone about left atrial appendage closure or PFO/ASD closure please contact our nurse coordinator phone number (listed below). If you are unable to speak with a nurse, please leave a detailed voicemail and your call with be returned within 1-2 business days.
Nurse Line Phone Number: 651-326-7144