Overview
Cleveland Clinic Florida in Weston offers a fully accredited three-year fellowship in Cardiology for physicians who are board-eligible/certified in internal medicine. The program provides deep exposure to all major subspecialty fields of cardiology including cardiovascular imaging, arrhythmia and electrophysiology, invasive/interventional/structural cardiology, advanced heart failure, heart transplantation and LVAD/mechanical support, clinical cardiology, cardiac intensive care, preventive cardiology and vascular medicine. At the completion of the three-year program, fellows become board-eligible in Cardiovascular Disease.
Cleveland Clinic Florida is a continuum of the long tradition of innovation in cardiac care and research at Miller Family Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute in Cleveland, Ohio. Distinguished faculty members of the Department of Cardiology are well-published and featured speakers at local and national cardiac meetings. Joint research trials and educational efforts, including elective and mandatory rotations, are shared with Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland.
The facility in Weston, Florida provides state-of-the-art diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities including Nuclear Cardiology, PET CT, cardiac computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, a 24-hour Med-Alert acute myocardial infarction program, all contemporary electrophysiological procedures, as well as unique programs in cardiac amyloidosis, cardio-oncology, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The Heart Failure Section is at the forefront of the busiest heart transplant center in the region. A robust structural heart disease program is also available, as well as surgical procedures including minimally invasive and robotic-assisted cardiac surgery.
As a primary and tertiary referral hospital in South Florida, Cleveland Clinic Florida has a diverse mix of patients including many patients of international origin. This provides for a busy and interesting clinical practice and opportunities for research and education. The Department of Cardiology is interested in applicants of all backgrounds for consideration for fellowship training.
The Program
The Cardiology Department at the Cleveland Clinic Florida is a multi-specialty group (currently 21 faculty members) committed to educating and mentoring Cardiology fellows to achieve excellence in patient care, teaching and research and fulfill the requirements for board certification in Adult Cardiology.
Training of Cardiology fellows is done over the course of 3 years at the Cleveland Clinic Florida with the exception of 1 month at Miami Children’s Hospital for Congenital Heart Disease. Fellows participate in the care of acute and chronic cardiac conditions. In the outpatient setting, clinical care in continuity clinics and various subspecialty services focuses on electrocardiography, echocardiography, nuclear stress testing, computed tomography, and pacemaker clinic. Fellows rotate on inpatient hospital services including the general cardiology service (which includes ICU care) and electrophysiology service and participate in a performance of cardiac catheterization and invasive cardiac procedures. In all settings, fellows are exposed to a broad spectrum of cardiac disease states and function independently with supervision in the interpretation and performance of both noninvasive and invasive cardiac procedures. Fellows are also encouraged to participate in research endeavors during the course of their training with support provided for presentations at national meetings or for manuscript submissions.
Education
In addition to education which centers around patient care interactions, the program offers a comprehensive core curriculum of didactic conferences. The fellows are required to attend weekly meetings including Grand Rounds, Board Reviews, EP/ECG conference, In-Training and Echo conferences, as well as bimonthly catheterization and nuclear meetings.
Board Accreditation
Upon satisfactory completion of fellowship training, the fellows apply and must pass the ABIM Cardiovascular Disease Certification Exam. Our Cardiology program holds a nine year (2012-2021) rolling program pass rate of 100%.
Rotations
Consults; Echocardiogram/TEE; Nuclear Cardiology; Electrophysiology; Cardiac CT/MRI; Coronary Catheterization and Peripheral Vascular Disease Interventions; Heart Failure & Transplant; Vascular Medicine; Research; Pediatric Cardiology.
Evaluations
Evaluation of fellow with feedback to fellow at least twice per year.
Evaluation of staff and program at least twice per year.
Goals & Objectives
- Provide fellows with the necessary skills to assess and manage acutely ill patients admitted through the emergency room or in the ICU with a wide range of cardiovascular conditions (including acute MI, aortic syndromes and valve disease and decompensated CHF or arrhythmias).
- Provide fellows with the skills required for assessment of inpatient cardiac conditions and effective communicative skills for interacting with referring health care personnel.
- Provide fellows with the skills needed to perform effective, efficient and compassionate care to patients in the inpatient setting and outpatient clinic.
- Develop proficiency in the interpretation of electrocardiography, echocardiography, nuclear imaging, computed tomography, and cardiac catheterization.
- Develop proficiency in the performance of echocardiography, transesophageal echocardiography, cardiac catheterization, and additional procedures including temporary pacing, IABP, and pericardiocentesis depending on fellow interest.
- Provide opportunities for clinical investigation with mentoring and assistance with presentation and abstract or manuscript submission.
- Facilitate career development plans for each fellow through mentoring or adapting schedules to allow for fulfillment of specific interests.
Benefits
2023 – 2024 Salaries
Salary is at the PGY 4 – 6 level plus fringe benefits as listed in the Resident/Fellow Benefits.
| Year | Salary |
|---|---|
| PGY 1 | $58,413 |
| PGY 2 | $60,694 |
| PGY 3 | $62,860 |
| PGY 4 | $66,158 |
| PGY 5 | $69,104 |
| PGY 6 | $71,519 |
| PGY 7 | $75,976 |
| PGY 8 | $77,560 |
| PGY 9 | $79,886 |
Chief Resident and Chief Fellow salaries are not included in this final amount. Contact the GME Office for information on Chief Resident and Chief Fellow allocations for AY 2023-2024.
Paid Time Away: Vacation, Maternity, & Paternity
- Vacation: 3 weeks (15 working days) provided at the beginning of each academic year
- Maternity: 6 weeks paid leave for natural childbirth or adoption; 8 weeks for cesarean section. Additional time off unpaid up to a maximum of 12 weeks under the Family Medical Leave Act.
- Paternity: 2 weeks paid leave. Additional time off unpaid up to a maximum of 12 weeks under the Family Medical Leave Act.
Insurance
- Healthcare: Cleveland Clinic Florida covers 50% of annual Healthcare Plans for Clinical Trainees and their families. Effective on the first day of training with no waiting period.
- Dental and Vision Care: Cleveland Clinic Florida covers 100% of annual Dental and Vision Care Plans for Clinical Trainees.
- Maternity Care: 100% coverage is provided through the health care plan that you select within the plan's guidelines.
- Pharmaceuticals: As outlined by the Cleveland Clinic Florida Health Plan.
- Malpractice: Paid by the Cleveland Clinic Educational Foundation/Cleveland Clinic Florida. Limited to activities within the training program.
- Life Insurance: $25,000 term group policy.
Travel Privileges and Other Education Activities
Senior residents, chief residents, and fellows in ACGME and NON-ACGME programs that meet eligible criteria as outlined in the Graduate Physicians Manual may be approved to attend academic meetings for the purpose of presenting or engaging in leadership roles within national societies will be eligible up to 5 days per academic year with a maximum reimbursement of $1,200 per academic year.
Additional Benefits
- Book Allowance: A $250 educational allowance per year is available to all clinical residents/fellows. Primary use is for textbooks.
- On-call Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner: Paid by Cleveland Clinic Florida when on in house night call.
- Cell phones: Apple iPhone provided to all residents
- Uniforms: Supplied by Cleveland Clinic Florida.
Staff
Program Director
Jose Baez-Escudero, MD, FACC, FHRS
Staff
- Gian Novaro, MD, Assistant Program Director
- Craig Asher, MD
- David Baran, MD
- Howard Bush, MD
- Mauricio Cohen, MD
- Dan Deac, MD
- Jerry Estep, MD
- Kenneth Fromkin, MD
- Kushal Handa, MD
- Marcelo Helguera, MD
- David Lopez, MD
- Darryl Miller, MD
- Jenny Placido, MD
- Nina Rivera, DO
- Yasser Rodriguez, MD
- Diego Sadler, MD
- David Snipelisky, MD
- Stephen Tobias, MD
- Mauricio Velez, MD
- David Wolinsky, MD
- Li Zhang, MD
Program Coordinator
Gloria Hernandez, BCS
Senior Coordinator
2950 Cleveland Clinic Blvd.
Weston, Florida 33331
Phone: 786.509.0856
Email: hernang1@ccf.org
Fellows
Class of 2020
- Hardik Bhansali, MD
- Nicholas Ghiloni, DO
Class of 2021
- Nader Hanna, MD
- Luis Hernandez, MD
- Kevin Leung, MD
Class of 2022
- Eduardo Perez, MD
- Jose Sleiman, MD
- Diana Miranda Ruiz, MD
Class of 2023
- Abdullah Sarkar, MD
- Manojna Nimmagadda, MD
Class of 2024
- Antonio Lewis, MD
- Alejandro Sanchez, MD
- Dipan Uppal, MD
Class of 2025
- Yelenis Seijo De Armas, MD
- Mileydis Alonso, DO
- Malcolm McDonald, MD
Class of 2026
- Feras Alkhalaileh, MD
- Gustavo Duarto, MD
- Vuha Reddi, MD
