Anesthesiology Critical Care Medicine Fellowship

Overview

Anesthesiology Critical Care Medicine Fellowship

The ACCM Fellowship program at Cleveland Clinic began in 1985 under the leadership of Dr. John Lockrem and was accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) in 2001. 

The need for surgical critical care services at Cleveland Clinic has expanded dramatically over the past few decades, both on the main campus and at the regional hospitals. We care for extremely complex, high acuity patients in our 30-bed surgical ICU (SICU) and 95-bed cardiothoracic and vascular ICU (CVICU). During their year of fellowship with us, our fellows rotate through, gain experience and expertise managing patients in the SICU, CVICU, Neuro ICU and community/regional hospital ICUs. The community ICU experience presents a unique clinical and educational opportunity to our fellows to recognize the differences between tertiary care centers and smaller community hospitals and learn optimal resource utilization. Cleveland Clinic has been ranked number one in the United States for Cardiac Care for over two decades, performing 5,000-6,000 cardiac surgical procedures every year. We perform over 200 liver transplants every year in addition to complex head and neck, urogenital, hepatobiliary and spine procedures. Our fellows gain extensive experience managing these complex patients in our ICUs, providing them with endless learning opportunities.

Our one-year ACGME accredited training program is one of the largest and most successful ACCM fellowship programs in the United States for many years, graduating ten fellows every year.  Thus far, over 149 fellows have graduated from fellowship program, and we are proud to see several of our graduates lead educational programs, ICUs and ECMO programs across the country.

The goal of our fellowship program is to:

• Provide comprehensive clinical training in the care of critically ill patients.
• Develop critical thinking skills applicable to any patient with single or multisystem organ failure.
• Train the next generation of leaders in critical care medicine.

Fellowship contact information

Brett Wakefield, MD
Program Director
Phone: 216.412.6609
Email: wakefib@ccf.org

Trisha McGinnis, DO
Associate Program Director
Phone: 216.441.6610
Email: mcginnt@ccf.org

Leeanne Stratton, MD
Associate Program Director
Phone: 216.445.6567
Email: strattl2@ccf.org

Nada Johnson, BA
Program Manager
Email: johnson1@ccf.org 

Highlights & Structure

Highlights & Structure

In addition to learning the science and art of critical care medicine in some of the highest acuity ICUs in the country, our fellows receive focused education on specific skills for them to expand their horizons and develop their expertise in critical care.

• Extensive critical care board-aligned didactic schedule with half-day of protected academic time every week.
• Critical Care Medicine journal clubs twice a month.
• Basic and Advanced Echocardiography and Critical Care Ultrasound workshops.
• Three-day Extracorporeal Life Support Workshop in our State-of-the-art Simulation Center.
• Basic and Advanced ventilation workshops in our State-of-the-art Simulation Center.
• Advanced communication workshops targeting interprofessional communication, difficult family discussions, code status discussions, and delivering bad news.
• Critical Care Echocardiography board review course conducted at Cleveland Clinic for fellows registered for the Critical Care Echocardiography board examination.
• Opportunity to obtain TEE minimums to obtain Basic TEE certification.
  • The opportunity to complete the 150 minimum POCUS examinations for the Critical Care Echocardiography board examination.
• Opportunity to participate in the Health Professions Educators Certification programs offered by the Education Institute of Cleveland Clinic.
• Quality and Patient Safety projects with interprofessional teams.
• A sponsored fellow membership to the SCCM as well as opportunities to attend Society of Critical Care Medicine/Society of Critical Care Anesthesiology annual conferences.

Highlights

• Protected academic time — every Tuesday afternoon from 12 - 5 p.m.
• Simulation based workshops in Extracorporeal life support, Critical care Echocardiography, Communication and Mechanical ventilation.
• Career Mentorship program.
• Echo and Ultrasound mentorship program- to engage in guided one on one mentorship with faculty with expertise in Echocardiography to ensure goal directed development of fellows in CCE.
• The opportunity to complete the 150 minimum POCUS examinations for the Critical Care Echocardiography board examination.
• Opportunity for an Educator track with career development in Medical Education.
• Ample opportunities to develop their research portfolio.
• Diverse, multidisciplinary faculty team who are committed to fellow education.

Structure

Fellowship rotations

Our fellowship is module based with 13 modules in one year. Every module is 4 weeks in duration.

The rotations are as follows:

Elective options- We offer a wide range of options for the elective rotation depending on the fellow’s interest, including Trauma ICU at Metro health, which is a Level 1 trauma center in Cleveland, Nephrology, Nutrition, Bioethics, Palliative Medicine, Infectious Diseases, and additional rotations in any of the core ICUs.

Curriculum & Didactics

The Anesthesiology Critical Care Medicine (ACCM) fellowship is a one-year fellowship accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). This fellowship program aims to provide comprehensive training and experience in critical care medicine. During this year, the fellow will rotate in the following areas:

1. Surgical ICU: This rotation comprises six modules (24 weeks). It broadly covers the clinical and cognitive components essential to the multidisciplinary practice of Critical Care Medicine, focusing on surgical critical care. The fellow cares for patients in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit in the main campus Cleveland Clinic. They perform consultations for potential ICU admissions, triage, admission, and management of critically ill patients.
   
   This rotation aims to provide the ACCM Fellow with the broad cognitive skills, knowledge and hands-on skills required for the care and management of critically ill surgical patients.
   
   
2. Cardiothoracic ICU: This rotation comprises three modules (12 weeks). The rotation focuses exclusively on caring for patients in the CVICU after adult cardiothoracic surgery. During this rotation, the fellow will be a member of the CVICU team and provide care for patients under the supervision of the CVICU staff physician. The fellow will care for post-operative cardiac surgical patients, including those requiring heart and lung transplantation and Extracorporeal Life Support (left ventricular assist devices, VV /VA ECMO). The fellow will further improve skills regarding standard critical care procedures, including arterial and venous vascular access, ultrasonography, thoracentesis, bronchoscopy, and chest tube placement.
   
   This rotation aims to provide the ACCM Fellow with the broad cognitive skills, knowledge, and hands-on skills required to care for and manage critically ill cardiovascular surgical patients.
   
   
3. Neuro ICU: This rotation comprises one module (4 weeks). This rotation broadly covers the clinical and cognitive components essential to the multidisciplinary practice of Critical Care Medicine, focusing on neurological critical care. Rotation in the Neuro‐ICU offers a unique learning experience for the fellow in the evaluation and management of patients with central nervous system dysfunction requiring intensive care and monitoring in a tertiary hospital. They will learn the application of critical care principles in the care of patients with acute neurological conditions and acquire knowledge and clinical skills in emergency management of critically ill patients with stroke, hemorrhage, brain trauma, status epilepticus, CNS infection, and coma.
   
   This rotation aims to provide the ACCM Fellow with the broad cognitive skills, knowledge and hands-on skills required for the care and management of critically ill patients in the neuro ICU.
   
   
4. Community Critical Care: This rotation comprises one module (4 weeks). It provides the Anesthesiology Critical Care Medicine Fellow with the hands-on skills and intellectual background in the care of critically ill medical patients at a community hospital level. This rotation focuses on understanding the unique environments, strengths, and limitations of the community hospital's critical care practice compared to our main campus, tertiary care center.
   
   
5. Echo-Transthoracic and Transesophageal: This rotation comprises one module (4 weeks). It focuses on the application of ultrasonography and echocardiography in the evaluation and management of critically ill patients. Fellows can spend all four weeks in either service (TEE OR TTE). They could also split the rotation and spend two weeks in TEE and two weeks in TTE. While on the TEE service, the fellow will work with cardiothoracic anesthesiologists in our cardiac operating rooms, performing and interpreting intraoperative pre- and post-cardiopulmonary bypass TEE exams.
   
   In addition to bedside exams, they will have daily echo rounds with staff cardiothoracic anesthesiologists. While on the TTE service, the fellow will be assigned to rotate with echo technicians on the cardiology service, learning the nuances of and fine-tuning their transthoracic image acquisition skills. In addition, fellows will survey staff intensivists in the SICU and CVICU to identify patients requiring bedside TTE/ultrasonography. The fellow will utilize ultrasonography to aid in critically ill patients' clinical evaluation and diagnosis. Ultrasonography includes bedside TTE and lung, vascular, and abdominal ultrasound. The fellow will spend time with staff intensivists to learn image optimization, pathology quantification, and image interpretation.
   
   The educational goal of this rotation is to provide the ACCM fellow with the broad skills required to successfully acquire and interpret ultrasound and echocardiographic exams in the critical care setting.
   
   
6. Elective rotation: This rotation comprises a total of one module. Elective options include Critical Care Infectious Disease, Critical Care Nephrology, Nutritional Support, Bioethics, research, and Palliative Medicine.

Fellows also participate in various workshops: Vent workshop, Ultrasound workshop, End of Life, and OB-FCCS (Fundamental Critical Care – Obstetrics).

Dual Program Interest

Anesthesiology Critical Care Medicine (ACCM) and Adult Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology (ACTA) Fellowships

Two-year appointment/commitment

We offer the opportunity for dual training in ACCM and ACTA at our institution for competitive candidates selected by both (ACCM/ACTA) selection committees.

The American Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) provides individual accreditation for the following anesthesiology specialty fellowship programs: Anesthesiology Critical Care Medicine (ACCM) and Adult Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology (ACTA).

ACCM and ACTA remain individual and separate 12-month training programs. The individual program is responsible to provide the specific ACGME program requirements during the year of enrollment. Individuals interested in pursuing both programs at the Cleveland Clinic can follow the following process:

• Applications
  • Applicants seeking to pursue sequential ACCM and ACTA fellowships at Cleveland Clinic must submit applications through the SF Match to both ACCM and ACTA programs and indicate an interest in both training programs.
  • Dual interviews are not guaranteed.

• Match
  • Selected candidates will be given the offer for dual training, in compliance with the regulations put forth by the program director councils of ACCM and ACTA.
  • The SF Match allows for exceptions to be requested prior to match day for applicants committing to institutions for more than one year.
  • The Cleveland Clinic ACCM and ACTA programs participate and remain in compliance with the rules and regulations of the SF Match.

• Program Structure
  • Two- one-year appointments will begin on August 1, 2024 (July 1, if required by military service or a candidate on a J1-Visa).
  • Applicants may request a specific sequence regarding fellowship program enrollment.
  • The final decision will be made by the program directors with the intent to facilitate request(s).

• Completion
  • Following completion, ACCM and ACTA fellows will have met the ACGME program requirements for both fellowship programs and will be eligible for board certification.

Emergency Medicine Combined Program

Anesthesia Critical Care Medicine – Emergency Medicine (ACCM-EM)

Critical care is one of the fastest growing subspecialties in Emergency Medicine. We offer a two-year comprehensive, interdisciplinary fellowship to train and prepare emergency medicine graduates for a broad-based multidisciplinary critical care practice. During the first year of the two-year track, fellows will complete the ACGME accredited ACCM fellowship program. We have designed a unique non-accredited second year to build upon and expand the expertise they gain during the first year.

The rotations during the second year of fellowship include:

Elective options include:

• Bioethics.
• Critical Care Ultrasound.
• CVICU.
• Heart Failure.
• Infectious Disease.
• Liver Transplant.
• Nutrition.
• Palliative Care.
• Research.

Graduates will be eligible for board certification in Critical Care Medicine through the American Board of Anesthesiology on successful completion of their two-year training program.  Fellows also have the opportunity to obtain certification through the National Board of Echocardiography (NBE) in Basic Transesophageal Echocardiography and Critical Care Echocardiography during their two-year fellowship training with us.

Fellows will participate in structured didactic sessions, curricula, and workshops designed to develop excellence in various aspects of critical care, including Extracorporeal life support (ECLS) and critical care echocardiography (CCE). In addition, fellows will gain experience with research, the development, implementation and assessment of quality improvement processes, leadership skills to lead change and build teams.

With several EM-CCM trained faculty members in our department, our ACCM-EM fellows receive focused career mentorship in their area of interest.

Our ACCM-EM program can host 3 clinical fellows per year.

Application process

All application materials must be sent directly to the SF Match.

Applicants must complete the application and include:

• CV.
• Personal Statement.
• USMLE and in-training scores.
• ECFMG Certificate (if applicable).
• Three Letters of Recommendation (one must be from the Program Director).

Match

The Cleveland Clinic ACCM-EM program participates and remain in compliance with the rules and regulations of the SF Match.

Application Process

All application materials must be sent directly to the San Francisco Match.

Applicants must complete the application and include:

• CV.
• Personal Statement.
• USMLE and in-training scores.
• ECFMG Certificate (if applicable).
• Three Letters of Recommendation (one must be from the Program Director).

Requirements

• Applicants must have completed an anesthesiology or surgical residency program accredited by one of the following:
  • Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).
  • Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC).
• Applicants must have completed USMLE steps 1,2 and 3.
• Applicants must be eligible for a temporary unrestricted Ohio medical license.

Current Fellows

Fellows 2024 - 2025

Mogahed Hussein, MD
Hometown: Wad Medani, Sudan.
Medical School: University of Gezira.
Residency: HMC anesthesiology and ICU.
Why I chose Cleveland Clinic: I chose the Cleveland Clinic for my ACCM fellowship because it stands as one of the leading institutions in medicine and critical care in the United States. The opportunity to learn from world-renowned experts who have pioneered many advancements in our field is invaluable. Being at the forefront of medical innovation, the Clinic embodies a culture of excellence and research that aligns with my aspirations. This environment not only enhances my clinical skills but also inspires me to contribute to the future of healthcare. I am committed to advancing patient care in a setting that consistently sets the standard for excellence.

Bejan Kanga, MD
Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio.
Medical School: University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.
Residency: University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center / Case Western Reserve University (Emergency Medicine).
Why I chose Cleveland Clinic: The excellent training and passionate staff.

Charles Pan, MD
Hometown: Queens, NY.
Medical School: Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
Residency: New York Presbyterian Hospital - Columbia/Cornell.
Why I chose Cleveland Clinic: To be the best, you have to learn from the best.

Breanne Travis, DO
Hometown: Plattsmouth, NE.
Medical School: Midwestern University Chicago College of Medicine.
Residency: Loyola University Medical Center.
Why I chose Cleveland Clinic: Excellence in clinical training.

Matthew Villanyi, MD
Hometown: Ellicott City, MD.
Medical School: Boston University.
Residency: NYP-Columbia/Cornell Emergency Medicine.
Why I chose Cleveland Clinic: Complex cardiac pathology and mechanical circulatory support exposure, supportive leadership, flexibility of fellowship and diverse practice settings available.

Loren Emanuel Walwyn-Tross, MD
Hometown: Grand Rapids, MI.
Medical School: Uniformed University of the Health Sciences.
Residency: Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Why I chose Cleveland Clinic: Cleveland is renowned for its world class medical care. I wanted to learn how to take care of the sickest patients from the best.

Fellow Life

A message from our chief fellows

Welcome to Cleveland Clinic’s Anesthesiology Critical Care Medicine Fellowship! We thank you for your interest in our program. We are fortunate to care for patients from all over the world with a variety of complex medical and surgical needs across the many intensive care units within our health system. Our high volumes and unique pathologies will ensure you develop clinical and procedural excellence. We have a talented faculty from a multidisciplinary background, keen to teach and mentor the next generation of intensivists. Our fellowship is bolstered by robust didactics with protected conference time and multiple courses throughout the year, each designed to strengthen your knowledge in critical care. There are plenty of opportunities to find your niche in critical care, whether it be in research, education, or quality, just to name a few.

Outside the hospital, we are lucky to call the beautiful city of Cleveland home. You will find an endless possibility of activities to do and new hobbies to try. Spend a day along the shores of Lake Erie at its many waterfront parks or choose to adventure in the scenic wilderness of Cuyahoga Valley National Park and Hocking Hills State Park. There’s a lively cultural scene waiting to be explored, with several museums and galleries within walking distance of Cleveland Clinic. Whether it’s bustling downtown Cleveland or one of the many picturesque suburbs, you will find Cleveland is a truly wonderful city to live, work, and play!

We believe our fellowship will provide you with the training needed to become an excellent and compassionate intensivist. Come join us!

Former Fellows

Where are they now?

2023-2024

Abey Sam Abraham, MD
Faculty – CCF - Cardiothoracic Anesthesia & CVICU
Cleveland Clinic - Cleveland, OH

Santhalakshmi Angappan, MD
Faculty – CCF / MSA & ICR
Cleveland Clinic - Cleveland, OH

David Matthew Barra, MD
Faculty – Anesthesiologist/ Intensivist
Brooke Army Medical Center - San Antonio, TX 

Carl Boulos, MD
Fellowship - Regional Anesthesia and Pain Management 
University of Toronto - Toronto, Canada

Michael Brown, MD
Faculty – General Anesthesiologist
Jefferson Einstein Philadelphia Hospital - Philadelphia, PA

Rachel Sarah Dada, MD
Fellowship - Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology 
Cleveland Clinic - Cleveland, OH

Mario Ricardo Pimentel, MD
Faculty – Cardiothoracic and Critical Care Anesthesiologist
Emory University Hospital - Atlanta, GA

Matthew Anthony Serna, MD
Faculty – MSA & CVICU
Cleveland Clinic - Cleveland, OH

Manila Singh, MD, DESA, D-ABA
Faculty - CVICU & CTA
Oschner Medical Center - New Orleans, LA

Marty Waddell, MD
Assistant Professor – Anesthesiology & Critical Care Medicine
University of Mississippi Medical Center Jackson, MS

2022-2023

Shireen Abdel-Razzaq, MD
Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology Fellowship
Henry Ford Hospital - Detroit, MI

Nicole Bashall, MD
Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology Fellowship
Cleveland Clinic - Cleveland, OH

Shuchi Jain, DO
Faculty - General Anesthesia & Critical Care Medicine
Rush University Medical Center - Chicago, IL

Haseeb Khan, DO
Faculty - General Anesthesia & Critical Care Medicine
Detroit Medical Center/Wayne State University - Detroit, MI

Xiang (Jess) Li, MD
Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology Fellowship
Cleveland Clinic - Cleveland, OH

Teuta Marsic, MD
Faculty - Cardiothoracic Anesthesiologist and Critical Care
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School - New Brunswick, NJ

Melodie Sarebanha, MD
Faculty - General Anesthesia & Anesthesiology Critical Care Medicine
Cleveland Clinic - Cleveland, OH

Tyson Verhaal, MD
Faculty - University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT

Manshu Yan, MD
Faculty - General Anesthesia & Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit
Huntington Memorial Hospital
Loma Linda University - Pasadena, CA

Luai Zakaria, MD
Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology Fellowship
Cleveland Clinic - Cleveland, OH

2021-2022

Nida Aftab, MD
Faculty - General Anesthesia
BayState Medical Center - Springfield, MA

Hatim Ali, DO
Faculty - General Anesthesia
McLaren Health Care - Pontiac, MI

Lynden Baesch, DO
Faculty - Anesthesiology & Critical Care Medicine
University Hospital - Cleveland, OH

Gyan Das, MD
Assistant Professor - Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology & Critical Care Medicine
University of Maryland Medical Center - Baltimore, MD

Akshatha Gururaja Rao, MD
Faculty - General Anesthesia & Anesthesiology Critical Care Medicine
Cleveland Clinic - Cleveland, OH

Yan Malamud, DO
Faculty - General Anesthesia
Kaweah Health - Visalia, CA

Adriana Martini, MD
Assistant professor of anesthesiology
University of Mississippi, MS

Ashley Miller, MD
Faculty - General Anesthesia & Anesthesiology Critical Care Medicine
Cleveland Clinic - Cleveland, OH

Philip Ramirez, MD
Faculty - Anesthesiology & Critical Care Medicine
Forbes Hospital - Monroeville, PA

Alexandra Wright, MD
Faculty - General Anesthesia & Anesthesiology Critical Care Medicine
Cleveland Clinic - Cleveland, OH

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