Despite decades of progress in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of cardiovascular disease, its prevalence continues to grow in both developed and developing countries. We have constructed a model, the "cycle of quality," which connects the innovation of initial scientific discovery with validated methods of translating research into effective delivery. This model can serve as a basis for evaluating proposed efforts to improve interactions among private and public aspects of health care to accelerate development and appropriate adoption of new treatments, and to achieve greater penetration of effective behavioral therapies and established technologies, resulting in major improvements in cardiovascular health.