PERSONAL STATEMENT

I completed my medical education at the University Of Cincinnati College Of Medicine . I subsequently entered the general residency program at the University of Illinois Medical Center/Chicago.  As part of the residency program I spent two years as a research fellow in Dr. Sidney Levitsky’s research laboratory at the University of Illinois Medical Center and then subsequently at the New England Deaconess Hospital Harvard Medical School. I undertook a difficult project in the laboratory studying the effects of myocardial ischemia and reperfusion on intracellular calcium. To measure cytosolic calcium transients I developed the technology for a fluorometric technique utilizing a calcium sensitive dye and R wave gated electromechanical shutters, in an isolated perfused heart, that was in the forefront of my research field.  My research methodology was peer reviewed and accepted by the American Physiological Society.  Thereafter our laboratory used my technique to investigate the effects of ischemia, age (newborns vs adult), hypertrophy, on intracellular myocardial calcium. I was given the Eleanor Pillsbury award for surgical research at the University of Illinois and was requested to join the PHD program within the department of Pharmacology.  When Dr. Levitsky moved from U of Illinois to Boston, he recruited me to finish my research work at Harvard Medical School and complete my general surgery training on the Harvard Surgical Service at the New England Deaconess Hospital.  The knowledge gained on the effects of ischemia on intra cellular calcium as a consequence of my research has helped to significantly improve the make-up of cardioplegia solutions in order to best ameliorate the effects of ischemia on the heart during cardiac arrest.

During my middle and seniors years in general surgery at the Deaconess I received awards for academics as well as best resident teacher. I completed my fellowship in cardiothoracic surgery at the New England Deaconess Hospital and was privileged to have Dr. Sidney Levitsky, Dr. Lars Svesson and Dr. Aldo Casteneda as my mentors.

After my fellowship I accepted a job with Cardiac Surgical Associate of Tampa,  which allowed  me to be close to family. I became partner within two years and helped to increase our cardiac surgical volume at the Pepin Heart Hospital to 900 cases per year. While at the Pepin Heart Hospital I was the first surgeon to perform Port Access minimally invasive mitral valve surgery in the west coast of Florida. I was also well recognized within the west coast of Florida for my expertise with complex mitral valve repairs.

I was  given recognition as “best cardiac surgeon” in the west coast by Tampa Bay Magazine, as well as “best cardiac surgeon” in Florida by Castle Collony.

   Advance Cardiac Management (ACM) a limited liability corporation between my cardiac surgery group and cardiology was subsequently created to partner with the administration of the Pepin Heart Hospital to  develop high quality and highly efficient clinical practices. A secondary goal of ACM was to help our hospital engage in innovative cardiovascular research.

The Pepin Heart / Patel Research Institute afforded me the infra-structure support for my continued  interest in research.  Hence,   I submitted a research grant to the AHA   on the effects of stem cell therapy on ischemic myocardium. The grant was written with the collaboration of the cellular therapy section of the Moffitt Cancer Center.  We were then able to affiliate with a University of Florida College of Medicine PCI/Stem Cell post MI National trial as one of their collaborative clinical sites.   In addition, to these initiatives on stem cell therapy,  I was requested to serve as a PI on several industry funded clinical research trials on patients undergoing CABG within the Pepin Heart/ Patel Research Institute.

My interest in teaching led me to be a clinical preceptor of medical students,  at the University Of South Florida College Of Medicine.

In 2008, I was recruited to become the Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the James Haley VA Hospital.

I accepted the offer because the James Haley Hospital had the largest patient volume in the country and was a majo hospitalr affiliate of the University Of South Florida College Of Medicine.  The initial rotation on the thoracic surgery service were PGY2 general surgery residents. This rapidly changed to six, two month PGY4  chief resident rotations because of the outstanding evaluations from the resident’s experience.

  During my tenure at the James Haley Hospital surgical outcomes were rapidly improved and consistently ranked among the best within the VA system.  I developed the only PORT ACCESS minimally invasive valve aortic and mitral valve surgery program within the VA system performing over 150 port access operations.

Most recently, I have collaborated with Dr. Henning a cardiologist at the James Haley on two basic science investigations that led to publications in the Journal of Cellular Therapy, and the Journal of Surgical Research.

Just prior to leaving the James Haley VA I was the PI on a grant submitted with the help of Dr. Henning to the surgery biomedical VA Research section investigating the effects of human R atrial cardiac stem cells on ischemic mice myocardium.

 My clinical research in Tampa  was primarily focused on improving cardiac surgical outcomes within the veteran population.  My focus has been on minimally invasive valve surgery, as well as thoracic aneurysms.

I was also the PI at the James Haley VA for the VA cooperative Program study # 588 investigating open vs endo harvest saphenous vein.

USF General Surgery residents have presented our clinical experiences in Nice France, Instanbul Turkey, and Shanghai China during the last three years.

I am a guest editor for the Annals of Thoracic Surgery as well as the Journal of Valvular Heart Disease.

Major National Committee appointments include the Veterans affairs Surgery Advisory Board. My task include site visits and specialty representation at the office of National Director of Surgery.

I am also a member of the National VA TAVR advisory board.

While an  Associate Professor of Surgery  at Baylor College of Medicine in  2018  I  was honored by receiving  the  Outstanding Cardiothoracic Faculty Award  at Baylor College of Medicine.

I am presently Director of Cardiovascular Services at Valley Health at Winchester Virginia.