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Cardiology

Julio A. Panza, M.D., FACC, FAHA
Director of Cardiology
Westchester Medical Center
Westchester Heart and Vascular 
Medical Research Associates 

The Academic Division of Cardiology is the most well known in the region for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease.  Physicians in the group were pioneers in the use of coronary balloon angioplasty and stenting for the treatment of acute myocardial infarction (heart attack) and established the first 24/7 coverage facility for the emergency treatment of acute myocardial infarction for patients in the Hudson Valley Region. 

The Division comprises -- full-time faculty members, representing all areas of Clinical Medicine cardiology specialization, including cardiac catheterization, coronary angioplasty and stenting, ultrasound imaging, radionuclide perfusion imaging, stress testing, electrocardiography, electrophysiologic testing, arrhythmia ablation, pacemaker and implantable defibrillator insertion, resynchronization and ventricular assist therapy for heart failure and acute and chronic care of heart failure patients.  Our group also has an international reputation in the use of drugs for cardiovascular diseases and for the comprehensive assessments of all cardiac patients, including those with hypertension and lipidemia. 

Innovative programs are available for the management of patients with pulmonary hypertension and for adults with congenital heart disease.  Additionally, the implantation of percutaneous ventricular assist devices for treatment of cardiogenic shock and the medical management of patients before and after heart transplantation are well interpreted by our world famous heart surgeons.  Procedures such as percutaneous revascularization of peripheral vascular lesions, renal angioplasty are performed in close cooperation with the Division of Vascular Surgery. 

The Division prides itself on its many academic accomplishments characterized by a strong research arm.  The discovery of the cardiac stem cell and the birth of the field of cardiac regeneration began on campus through the work of scientific investigation.  The Division participates in many Clinical Medicine trials of new drugs and devices and Division members are the most widely published in the state in the peer-reviewed literature.  Multiple textbooks on the literature used worldwide are published by members of the Division.  The Department is the site for the publication of two national journals, The American Journal of Medicine with 130,000 readers and Cardiology inReview, an affiliated journal of the American Heart Association.  Members of the Division were also co-authors of the recent international guidelines on Hypertension in the Elderly.

Cardiology Fellowship Programs:

The Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship is a three-year ACGME-accredited program located at Westchester Medical Center in the Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine.  We also maintain the following ACGME-accredited advanced fellowship programs: Interventional Cardiology (1 year); Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology (1 year); and Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology (2 years).  Read more about the Cardiology Fellowship Program.

Faculty:

Julio A. Panza, MD – Chief of the Division of Cardiology
Chhaya Aggarwal Gupta, MD – Attending, Advanced Heart Failure & Heart Transplant
Hasan Ahmad, MD
Wilbert Aronow, MD 
Lovely Chhabra, MD
Howard A. Cooper, MD
Daniel Frenkel, MD
William H. Frishman, MD – Emeritus Chair of the Department of Medicine
Anthon Fuisz, MD
Alan Gass, MD
Joseph Harburger, MD
Louis Heller, MD
Sei Iwai, MD
Jason Jacobson, MD
Diwakar Jain, MD
Gregg Lanier, MD
Avi Levine, MD
John McClung, MD
Joshua Melcer, MD
Srihari Naidu, MD
Rhadames Rojas, MD
Mala Sharma, MD
Daniel Spevack, MD
Robert Timmermans, MD

Additional Resources:

Westchester Heart and Vascular Practice