Boston Scientific Partners with IRCAD North America to Advance Surgical Training and Education

Boston Scientific Partners with IRCAD North America to Advance Surgical Training and Education 

CHARLOTTE, N.C., May 1, 2025 – Boston Scientific Corporation is bringing its innovative products, platforms and technologies to IRCAD North America (IRCAD NA), a wholly owned subsidiary of Atrium Health, as part of a multi-year agreement supporting the creation of a cutting-edge research and experiential education center in Charlotte, North Carolina. 

The collaborative relationship between the organizations is designed to create a unique physician training environment in a state-of-the-art experiential center, with the goal of improving patient outcomes and advancing the practice of medicine. Together, both organizations aim to increase the number of well-trained physicians and health care staff for hospitals and other health care settings.

IRCAD NA is set to become the cornerstone of the first research building at “The Pearl,” a new innovation district opening in June 2025 in the heart of Charlotte. IRCAD NA will attract thousands of medical professionals from around the world each year for advanced training in the latest surgical techniques and technologies.

“Building upon relationships with collaborators like Boston Scientific, we see tremendous potential to drive innovation and rapid-cycle research and development activities at IRCAD NA, which will improve surgical outcomes and help deliver better patient care,” said Dr. Dionisios Vrochides, executive director of IRCAD NA and professor of surgery at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. “Employing the latest surgical technologies and platforms – including advanced laparoscopy, robotics, image-guided procedures and, through the use of artificial intelligence, augmented surgical reality and experiential simulations – IRCAD NA and its collaborators will have the opportunity to reshape medicine and its outcomes for the better.”

Founded in 1994, IRCAD opened its first facility on the grounds of the University Hospital of Strasbourg, France, and currently has training centers in seven countries: Brazil; China; France; India; Lebanon; Rwanda; and Taiwan. When it opens in the summer of 2025, IRCAD NA, in Charlotte, will be its exclusive training headquarters in North America.

With inaugural classes set for September 2025, IRCAD NA will focus on education in the areas of robotics, medical virtual and augmented reality, surgical artificial intelligence and simulation training. IRCAD NA will enhance its offerings at the training center with Boston Scientific’s advanced medical devices, aiming to elevate the skill levels of physicians and technicians, particularly in cardiac surgery and pulse field ablation. 

Boston Scientific will also assist IRCAD NA in the development of curriculum and will host its own onsite classes, in addition to those offered by IRCAD NA, to specifically develop and enhance skills on some of its most advanced equipment. 

“Our vision for what could be achieved through collaboration and partnership will soon be a reality thanks in large part to partners like Boston Scientific,” said Dr. Rasu Shrestha, chair of the IRCAD NA executive board as well as executive vice president and chief innovation and commercialization officer for Advocate Health, of which Atrium Health is a part. “Together, we have the opportunity to carve a new path of excellence for thousands of surgeons and the communities they serve around the world.”

The Pearl is a joint development project between Atrium Health and Wexford Science & Technology. In addition to IRCAD NA, a second campus of Wake Forest University School of Medicine – the academic core of Advocate Health – will anchor the innovation district. IRCAD NA’s presence is expected to draw multiple industry partners, such as Boston Scientific, each with an interest in advancing medicine and its capabilities. Upon completion, The Pearl will be a mixed-use development featuring education, retail, apartments, a hotel and an open community space, in addition to being ground-zero for entrepreneurial activity, research and development that is expected to reshape the economy of the Charlotte region.