The Cardiovascular Division of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine is taking major steps to become one of the top cardiology treatment and research centers in the country. Joshua M. Hare, M.D., F.A.C.C., chief of the Cardiovascular Division and director of the Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, has been expanding the Miller Schools already renowned faculty. “With the top researchers and clinicians already on board,” said Dr. Hare, “adding these physicians from around the globe will only cement our Cardiovascular Division as one of the best places for treatment in the nation.”
Gervasio Antonio (Tony) Lamas, M.D., F.A.C.C., F.A.H.A. will be joining the Cardiovascular Division as medical director of the Coronary Care Unit at the University of Miami Hospital, and director of the fellowship training program. Dr. Lamas says he decided to leave Mt. Sinai Medical Center after 15 years because “UMs cardiology program is on track to become one of the best in the country.” Dr. Lamas is an internationally recognized cardiovascular researcher and an expert in the design and execution of clinical trials in the fields of coronary disease, heart failure, cardiac pacing, and alternative medicine. He will continue his private practice at the University of Miami Hospital.
Vivek Y. Reddy, M.D., will be joining the Cardiovascular Division as director of electrophysiology. He has been the director of experimental electrophysiology at Massachusetts General Hospital, a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School. Dr. Reddy has focused on the use of catheter ablation to treat complex cardiac arrhythmias, and recently led a landmark multicenter clinical trial on ventricular tachycardia ablation that was recently published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
Srinivas Dukkipati, M.D., will be joining the team of electrophysiology experts from William Beaumont Hospital in Michigan. Dr. Dukkipati has been involved in the use of advanced balloon catheter technologies for the treatment of atrial fibrillation and has worked on the application of real-time MRI in electrophysiology procedures.
Kyoko Soejima, M.D., was an assistant professor in internal medicine at Harvard Medical School before returning to the Institute of Advanced Cardiac Therapy in Tokyo. She has been involved in cutting edge treatments and been at the forefront of research on catheter ablation.
In December, Victor Soto, M.D., F.A.C.P, F.A.S.N.C., joined the staff as the medical director of cardiac imaging at the University of Miami Hospital. Dr. Soto has been a voluntary faculty member at UM for many years and will now be a voluntary assistant professor.
Richard Berger, M.D., F.A.C.C., has also joined the faculty as an assistant professor of clinical medicine. In this role, Dr. Berger will be coordinating all transfers to the University of Miami Hospital. Dr. Berger has been a voluntary professor of clinical medicine at UM since the 1970s.
Melissa Tracy, M.D., F.A.C.C., will become the director of cardiac rehabilitation in June. Dr. Tracy is leaving her position as an assistant professor of medicine at Tufts-New England Medical Center and a cardiologist at Brockton Hospital in Massachusetts.
Dr. Hare says bringing in these physicians in such highly specialized areas of care proves “our goal is to serve the people of South Florida by providing cutting-edge, advanced cardiac care to everyone. They represent the immense growth already underway at the University of Miami, including our programs at Jackson Memorial Hospital, the new University of Miami Hospital and the Miami VA Hospital.”