Memorial Cardiac And Vascular Institute Employs Large Group of Cardiologists

Memorial Cardiac and Vascular Institute (MCVI) recently employed 21 community cardiologists – a move that positions the Institute as a regional cardiac service provider and expands its primary cardiology services and clinical research to complement surgical and transplant programs.

This group of distinguished physicians, who are also part of the Memorial Physician Group, will treat patients in the areas of clinical cardiology, electrophysiology, interventional cardiology and women’s cardiac health.

“Having a comprehensive adult program that encompasses everything from primary cardiology to cardiac surgery, advanced heart failure and heart transplant has been our goal and commitment to our community and the patients we serve,” said Dr. Richard Perryman, Medical Director, Memorial Cardiac and Vascular Institute and Chief of Cardiac Surgical Services, Memorial Regional Hospital and Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital. “Aside from the strengthening of adult cardiology for MCVI, we also have maintained a continuous focus on quality and service.”

In the last year, Memorial Cardiac and Vascular Institute at Memorial Regional Hospital has received numerous accolades, including being named one of the nation’s 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals by Truven Health Analytics and earning three stars from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) – the highest quality rating possible for cardiac surgery. In April 2014, MCVI received United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) approval to open the first heart transplant program in Broward County and has performed four successful transplants as of January 2015.

While the adult cardiac program or Memorial Cardiac and Vascular Institute is thriving, the program has close ties with is pediatric counterpart at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital Heart Institute, offering the community a growing roster of services that also cover pediatric care from congenital heart issues to transplant and beyond. Since 2010, when Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital received UNOS accreditation for its pediatric heart transplant program, they have performed 18 successful heart transplants.

“We have a very unique cardiac program at Memorial Healthcare System in that we can offer the gamut of services and expertise in all areas of pediatric and adult cardiac care, surgery and research, and are able to offer a full continuum of care for patients who need to transition from pediatric to adult services and require life-long care,” Dr. Perryman, said. “This is our testament to Total Heart Care.”

The cardiologists, who are now part of MCVI team, will see patients in offices located in Hollywood, Pembroke Pines and Aventura.

Below are the newly employed cardiologists:

Clinical Cardiology: Walif Aji, MD, FACC, Medical Director, Clinical Cardiology, Memorial Hospital West; Howard E. Berlin, MD, Medical Director, Clinical Cardiology, Ralph M.Levy, MD, Medical Director, Structural Heart Disease; Eugenio M. Bricio MD; Aldo Coelho, MD; Michael Enterberg, MD; Jose A. Guzman, MD; William D. Nitzberg, MD; Frank J. Pearl, MD; Richard Pollack, MD, FACP, FACC; Wayne M. Pollak, MD; Lawrence M. Reiss, MD, FACC; Bernard E. Shair, MD; David Tepper, MD, and Selbourne Goode, MD, who starts in March 2015.

Interventional Cardiology: Bassel B. Ibrahim, MD, Medical Director, Cardiac Catherization Lab, Memorial Hospital West; Juan A. Pastor-Cervantes, MD, FSCAI, FACC, Medical Director, Cardiac Catherization Lab, Memorial Regional Hospital; and Jonathan Roberts, MD, FACC, FSCAI, Medical Director, Clinical Research and Education, Interventional Cardiology, who start in February 2015.

Electrophysiology: John Cogan, MD, FACC, FHRS, Medical Director Adult Cardiac Electrophysiology.

Women’s Cardiac Health: Kashmira P. Bhadha, MD, FACC, Medical Director, Women’s Cardiac Health Program, Memorial Hospital West; Brenda L Sanzobrino, MD, Medical Director, Women’s Cardiac Health Program, Memorial Regional Hospital, who starts in March 2015.

Memorial Cardiac and Vascular Institute is a leader in cardiovascular care in South Florida, offering a wide array of services dedicated to the prevention, detection and treatment of cardiovascular disease. Its specialists work together as a multidisciplinary team using sophisticated diagnostic equipment and facilities dedicated solely to cardiovascular care. Outcomes of cardiovascular care are reviewed on a regular basis by multidisciplinary physician-review panels assisted by nurses specializing in quality assurance and utilizing computerized data collection. With extraordinary medical expertise, advanced technology and exacting quality guidelines, Memorial Cardiac and Vascular Institute offers a superior level of cardiovascular care to the South Florida community and beyond. For more information on your total heart care, visit Memorial Cardiac and Vascular Institute.