A ventricular assist device is disclosed. The ventricular assist device may include a centrifugal pump and a controller. The controller may be configured to cause the centrifugal pump to operate at a first speed above a predetermined flow rate. The controller may also be configured to cause the centrifugal pump to operate at a second speed below the predetermined flow rate, wherein the predetermined flowrate is indicative of a crossover point between systole and diastole phases of a person's cardiac cycle.