Medical Director, Inpatient Pediatric Cardiac Services & Pediatric Echocardiography Services

I am a pediatric cardiologist at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital. I diagnose and treat children and adults with congenital heart disease and children with acquired heart disease, creating personalized treatment plans that may involve surgeries and interventions.

I was the first pediatric congenital cardiologist to be certified to perform and interpret Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (CT) in the United States in 2009 and remain one of the very few with the certification and experience in virtual dissections by CT and 3D echocardiography in the country.

I knew that I wanted to become a doctor at a very young age, because I was fascinated with the human body. I find the heart to be an amazing and intricate organ and I like children, so pediatric cardiology was a great fit for me. I continued with cardiac imaging at a time when we were starting to discover the benefits of 3D echocardiography in cardiac interventions and were just starting to create 3D renderings of intracardiac anatomy by a computer.

In cardiac imaging, I was trained by the most recognized mentors in those fields: with Drs. Hlavaceck and Schoepf for CT and by Dr. Shirali in 3D echocardiography. For two years, I was also awarded a National Institute of Health grant to perform research in these fields before joining the Congenital Heart Institute of Florida, where I became the Director of Cardiovascular Imaging.

At Memorial, I love to provide the most precise diagnosis for my patients and find the least invasive procedure or solution to help them feel and function better. When needed, I also guide surgeons and interventionists as they perform cardiac procedures with the help of the most advanced cardiac imaging technique available. The most rewarding aspect is to then see your patient thriving and doing well and knowing you were part of that miracle.

I treat each patient of mine as if they were my child. As a father of four who has had my own children hospitalized in the Pediatric ICU for different reasons, I understand how worrisome it is to be the parent of a sick child. I have been in your position and promise to give you the time and attention your child needs. My loyalty is always towards my patient, and I promise to be the cardiac advocate for your child.

Before joining Memorial, I was Director of Hospitalization and Non-Invasive Cardiology at St. Joseph Children’s Hospital in Tampa Bay, Florida.

Languages

• Spanish
• English

• Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital
• Memorial Hospital Miramar
• Memorial Hospital West
• Memorial Regional Hospital