Site comparison
Amavita Research vs. Mount Sinai Medical Center: which clinical trial site fits your study?
Sponsors evaluating South Florida cardiovascular trial sites often weigh a dedicated research site against a hospital-based heart institute. This page is an educational, side-by-side look at the two operating models so you can match a site to the protocol in front of you.
Amavita Research is a clinical trial site and PET imaging trial partner in North Miami Beach, anchored by a dedicated cardiovascular research site. Every active study is cardiovascular - heart failure across the EF spectrum, treatment-resistant hypertension, acute coronary syndrome, structural heart, and peripheral artery disease. The senior PI is U.S. TAVR pioneer Dr. William W. O'Neill, National PI on Edwards PARTNER, Protect II, and Protect IV. The affiliated Advanced Cardiovascular of Miami ambulatory surgical center handles interventional procedures on site, and processes are IAOCR GCSA-certified (valid through February 28, 2027).
Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach is a hospital anchored by its Heart Institute, with a long record in hospital-based cardiology research. The center participated in the Medtronic CoreValve U.S. Clinical Trial for transcatheter aortic valve replacement, and co-led the NIH-funded TACT2 trial - a $37 million program with the Duke Clinical Research Institute studying chelation therapy in post-MI diabetic patients. That is genuine hospital-based cardiovascular research depth.
The trade-off is operating model. Hospital-based research runs inside clinical service lines: principal investigators divide their time between clinical care and research, and contracting and IRB review move through hospital administration. For protocols that need hospital infrastructure - surgical cohorts, inpatient follow-up, transplant-adjacent populations - that setting is the right one.
Amavita's model is research-only: 100% of site operations are clinical trials. That concentration shows up in startup speed - an anonymized 41-day contract-to-first-patient-in metric - and in sponsor-team responsiveness, with a single BD owner (Nereisy Alonso, COO) answering feasibility, budget, and contracting questions the same business day. The Miami patient population supports FDA Diversity Action Plan enrollment targets natively.
Both models have a role in South Florida cardiovascular research. If the protocol needs hospital infrastructure, Mount Sinai's heart institute fits. If the protocol needs a dedicated enrolling site with single-PI accountability and aggressive startup timelines, Amavita fits. Many sponsor programs use both.
Side-by-side: operating model
Educational summary. We describe the typical hospital-based heart institute model and do not make claims about any specific institution's current operations.
| Dimension | Amavita Research | Mount Sinai (typical) |
|---|---|---|
| Site type | Dedicated cardiovascular research site; PET imaging trial partner across therapeutic areas | Hospital-based heart institute |
| Research model | 100% of operations are clinical trials | Research inside clinical service lines |
| Senior PI profile | TAVR pioneer Dr. William W. O'Neill; National PI on Edwards PARTNER, Protect II, Protect IV | Hospital cardiology faculty; trial PIs also carry clinical loads |
| Startup speed | 41-day contract-to-first-patient-in (anonymized program metric) | Hospital contracting and IRB cycles |
| Interventional procedures | On-site cardiovascular ASC (Advanced Cardiovascular of Miami) | Hospital cath lab and surgical suites |
| BD contact model | Single owner: Nereisy Alonso, COO | Hospital research administration |
| Best fit | Sponsor-led cardiovascular trials needing enrollment cadence | Protocols needing hospital or surgical infrastructure |
Frequently asked questions
When is a hospital heart institute the better choice?
When the protocol depends on hospital infrastructure - surgical cohorts, inpatient follow-up, or transplant-adjacent populations that only a hospital can provide.
What does a dedicated research site do differently?
Every process at the site exists to run trials: startup, enrollment, monitoring, and close-out. There is no competing clinical practice pulling PI and coordinator time away from the protocol.
Can sponsors use both a hospital site and Amavita in one program?
Yes. A common South Florida strategy places the hospital site on surgical or inpatient-dependent cohorts and Amavita on enrollment-driven outpatient cardiovascular cohorts.
How does PI time allocation differ?
Hospital PIs typically split time between clinical care, teaching, and research. At a dedicated research site, the PI team's time is allocated to trial execution.
Next step
Schedule a 20-minute capabilities call
One contact. Same-business-day response. Feasibility, budget, contracts, and monitor access all from a single owner.
For a comprehensive sponsor decision framework, read our 2026 site selection guide.
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