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Medical Affairs
Under the guidance of the HCC Medical Director, Medical Affairs partners closely with our clients to:
- Formulate clinical strategies for innovative procedures and novel medical devices, ensuring programs meet rigorous scientific standardswhile remaining clinically relevant in real-world practice.
- Develop integrated clinical and regulatory roadmaps that support funding objectives and advance programs through critical milestones,including: EU CE Mark, FDA Breakthrough, Premarket Approval (PMA)
- Provide detailed procedural training focused on critical nuances of device use and performance, reinforcing stringent protocol complianceand ensuring timely recognition and reporting of safety events.
René Spaargaren, MD
Bruce Gray, DO
Dr. Bruce Gray is a recently retired vascular interventionalist and Professor Emeritus at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Greenville. In this role, he provides oversight and mentorship to physician residents and fellows in vascular medicine, ensuring that vascular diagnosis, treatment, and interventional procedures are performed with thoroughness and the highest clinical standards. Dr. Gray also serves as a key member of the HCC Medical Affairs team, offering clinical oversight for peripheral and endovascular initiatives. His expertise informs the development of clinical strategies—shaping subject populations, inclusion and exclusion criteria, and primary and secondary endpoints—to ensure alignment with current clinical practice. His guidance helps ensure that new procedures and emerging peripheral and endovascular technologies are assessed using rigorous scientific methodology balanced with real‑world clinical considerations. Dr. Gray earned his undergraduate degree in Chemistry from The College of Wooster, followed by a master’s degree in Biochemistry from The Ohio State University. He received his medical degree from the Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine. He completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at Doctors Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, followed by a vascular medicine fellowship and an interventional vascular medicine fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic.
Chris Metzger, MD
Rishi Gupta, MD
Dr. Rishi Gupta is an active, practicing neurointerventionalist who serves as the Co‑Director of the Neuroscience Service Line and Director of Cerebrovascular Care at WellStar Health System in the Atlanta, Georgia region. In these roles, he leads strategic growth initiatives for neuroscience services and works to enhance operational efficiency across departmental programs while meeting key fiscal and performance goals. Dr. Gupta is also a vital member of the HCC Medical Affairs team, where he provides clinical oversight for neurology and neurointerventional projects. His expertise guides the development of clinical strategies, ensuring that subject populations, inclusion and exclusion criteria, and primary and secondary study endpoints are aligned with current clinical practice. His contributions help ensure that innovative procedures and emerging neurovascular devices are evaluated using both rigorous scientific standards and practical, real‑world considerations. Dr. Gupta earned his undergraduate degree from Columbia University’s School of Engineering and Applied Science. He received his medical degree from Meharry Medical College. He completed his neurology residency at Columbia University, followed by fellowships in Neurocritical Care and Stroke Intervention at the Cleveland Clinic, and in Neuroendovascular Intervention at the University of Pittsburgh.
Medical Expertise Led By Industry Specialist
HCC is fortunate to have René Spaargaren, MD overseeing Medical Affairs operations as Medical Director. Oversight of the Cardiology / Cardiovascular / Structural Heart and Heart Failure business unit is led by Chris Metzger, MD, Interventional Cardiologist and Director of the Cardiac and Peripheral Vascular Cath Lab at Ballad CV Heart and Vascular Institute. Oversight of the Peripheral and Endovascular business unit is provided by Bruce Gray, DO, Director of Endovascular Services at University Medical Group, Department of Vascular Surgery. Oversight of the Neuro‑Intervention business unit is under the direction of Rishi Gupta, MD, Neurologist and Neurovascular Interventionalist at Wellstar Medical Center.
