MedAxiom HeartTalk MedAxiom HeartTalk

As cardiology advances, cardiology fellowship education must evolve with it. On MedAxiom HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson speaks with Ami Bhatt, MD, FACC, the chief innovation officer of the American College of Cardiology and associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, Doreen DeFaria Yeh, MD, FACC, adult congenital heart disease cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, and Ana Mercurio-Pinto, VP of Care Transformation at MedAxiom. Together, they explore how cardiology fellows are the future and discuss opportunities for enhancing education during cardiology fellowship.

Guest Bios:

Ami B. Bhatt, MD, FACC:
Dr. Ami Bhatt is the Chief Innovation Officer (CIO) of the American College of Cardiology. As CIO, Bhatt provides leadership and expertise in healthcare innovation and continues to grow the College's comprehensive Innovation Program in support of the ACC's Mission to transform cardiovascular care and improve heart health.

A graduate of Harvard College and the Yale School of Medicine, Bhatt completed her medicine and pediatrics residency at Harvard, her adult cardiology fellowship at Brigham and Women's Hospital and her adult congenital heart disease and pulmonary hypertension fellowship at the Boston Children's Hospital. She was the Inaugural Richard Liberthson Endowed Scholar in Adult Congenital Heart Disease and Director of the ACHD program for over a decade. She most recently served as the Director of Outpatient and Telecardiology at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Corrigan-Minehan Heart Center. Dr. Bhatt continues as a Harvard College premedical mentor and associate professor at Harvard Medical School.

As an active clinical cardiologist, investigator, and educator Bhatt brings nearly ten years of experience in telemedicine and digital health to her new role. She founded her first program in virtual care in 2013 and continues to work on creating culturally relevant personalized virtual cardiovascular care delivery models. Her research has centered on identifying and implementing solutions to overcoming access barriers to cardiovascular and telemedicine care.

Dr. Bhatt's interest in digital health strategy and the digital transformation of the cardiovascular field stems from her belief that state-of-the-art, personalized care can be delivered to individuals in the community, empowering patients and creating stronger clinician-patient partnerships for sustainable health outcomes. The ACC Innovation Program has a robust platform to transform digital patient care and advance technologies that are reshaping medicine and is focused on furthering these strategies.

Doreen DeFaria Yeh, MD, FACC:
Dr. Doreen DeFaria Yeh completed Internal Medicine Residency at Massachusetts General Hospital and Cardiology and Echocardiography fellowships at the University of California at San Francisco. She completed advanced training in Adult Congenital Heart Disease and Cardio-Obstetrics at the University of San Francisco California, and currently serves as the Associate Director of the MGH Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ACHD) Program and Co-Director of the MGH Cardiovascular Disease and Pregnancy Program. She is board certified in Internal Medicine, Adult Cardiovascular Disease and Adult Echocardiography. The has received Certification from the National Board of Echocardiography for Adult Comprehensive Echocardiography.

Dr. DeFaria was selected as one of the American College of Cardiology 2012 Emerging Faculty and received the Brian McGovern Memorial Award from the Department of Medicine in 2012 and 2016 for Excellence in Clinical Teaching in cardiology. She also received the MGH, Department of Medicine Fellowship as part of the Eleanor and Miles Shore Scholars in Medicine from Harvard Medical School. In 2013 she was awarded the Clinician Teacher Development Award, a four-year grant supported by the Massachusetts General Hospital...

With cardiovascular care rapidly changing, it can be challenging to find the right mix between traditional care and innovation. On MedAxiom HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson speaks with Ana Mercurio-Pinto and Jenny Kennedy, both VPs of Care Transformation at MedAxiom. Together, they break down how organizations can succeed in today’s competitive healthcare space and steps you can take to combine traditional practice with the spirit of continuous modernization.

Ana A. Mercurio-Pinto, MM - Vice President, Care Transformation, MedAxiom - Ana is energized by the possibilities. She has extensive professional experience running large, multi-specialized cardiovascular medicine divisions and has had the privilege of working and partnering with some of the industry’s leading thought leaders: master clinicians, practice changing trialists and groundbreaking research scientists. She is dedicated to developing nimble and adaptive organizations that combine the best of traditional practice with the spirit of continuous modernization in the face of evolving and changing times.

As vice president of care transformation at MedAxiom, Ana applies her wide-ranging experience in budgeting, forecasting, physician/practice P&Ls, clinical and federal/non-federal research operations, new program development, service-line integration, and dyad and other matrixed leadership structures to help cardiovascular organizations transform care. Ana has a keen interest in hospital/physician organization integration, faculty transitions, staffing optimization, administrative and research operations, and startup ventures.

Ana has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Boston University Questrom School of Management and a master’s in management with a concentration in Healthcare Management. Additionally, Ana has pursued certificates in Launching New Ventures and Research Administration.

Jenny Kennedy, MSN, RN, CHFN, NEA-BC - Vice President, Care Transformation, MedAxiom - Jenny has nearly 20 years of clinical and leadership experience in healthcare, namely in the cardiology field. As a vice president of care transformation at MedAxiom, she advises cardiovascular programs and industry organizations across the country on clinical pathways, guideline implementation, quality improvement, operations, disease specific certification, remote management, strategic planning and more.

Prior to joining MedAxiom, Jenny was the director of heart failure and electrophysiology at Wellstar Health System in the metropolitan Atlanta area. She has vast experience with clinic operations, cardiology and specialty clinics, and coordinating programs that cross the care continuum.
Jenny holds a Master of Nursing in Leadership through Jacksonville University and is currently pursuing her Doctor of Nursing. She also holds Certified Heart Failure Nurse and NEA-BC certifications and continues to be a lifelong learner. She is also an active member of AAHFN.
Her passion is to develop programs that span the care continuum and serve those with complex health diseases to benefit communities, patients and care providers. She encourages innovation and understands the importance of building relationships with mutual trust to empower high performing teams and change the lives of the communities they serve.

An aging population, physician shortages, and industry fragmentation are making cardiology the “new darling” of private equity investment. The question is – can private equity coexist with the quadruple aim? On MedAxiom HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson talks with Ann Honeycutt, executive director of Virginia Cardiovascular Specialists, Larry Sobal, CEO of Heart and Vascular Institute of Wisconsin, Dinesh Pubbi, MD, a founding member of First Coast Heart and Vascular Center, Rick Snyder, MD, FACC, an interventional cardiologist at HeartPlace Dallas, and Joe Sasson, executive vice president of Ventures at MedAxiom. They discuss the influx of private equity in cardiovascular healthcare and how one size does not fit all.

Guest Bios:

Ann E. Honeycutt, MSN, is the executive director of Virginia Cardiovascular Specialists (VCS), a private practice based in Richmond, VA. In her role, Ann has been actively involved in developing strong partnerships with local health systems and managed care organizations and has strived to ensure VCS remains a leader in the transformation of healthcare and clinical cardiology. She also serves as vice chair of MD Value Care, an ACO comprised of 90 primary care physicians and 350 specialists. Ann is also the only practice executive serving on the Richmond Academy of Medicine Board. She received a Master of Nursing, Community Health and Education from the University of Washington. Over the course of her nearly 40-year career, she has held various leadership roles in the areas of community health, home health care, acute care, ambulatory services and physician practice management. She has in-depth experience with financial management, strategic planning, business development, talent acquisition and leadership development.

Larry Sobal, MBA, MHA, FACMPE - CEO of the Heart and Vascular Institute of Wisconsin in Appleton, WI. - Larry is an innovative, results-driven senior healthcare executive with a diverse background in medical group leadership, hospital leadership, and insurance. Effective communicator with the ability to engage others to create a vision for change and translate that into strategy by analyzing critical business requirements, identifying deficiencies and potential opportunities, and developing innovative solutions. Respected decision-maker who delivers value and trust through strong relationships with colleagues, physicians, staff, and the community. His areas of expertise include strategic planning and implementation, leadership and management, and operations improvement.

Joe Sasson, PhD - executive vice president of Ventures and chief commercial officer, MedAxiom - Joe is a tenured member of the MedAxiom team and brings with him a wide variety of perspectives on healthcare operations and market access strategies. As chief commercial officer and executive vice president of Ventures at MedAxiom, Joe helps members access the technologies and solutions they need to effectively run their organizations and prepare for the future of value-based care. He currently works with companies spanning medtech, device, pharma, imaging, cath labs/ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and health IT to deliver economic value propositions and strategies to accelerate commercial growth. Joe has created and led programs and workgroups centering on EMR utilization and optimization, chronic care management, physician in-office dispensing of medications, CCTA, cath lab efficiency and more.

Dinesh Pubbi, MD – Dr. Pubbi is a founding member of First Coast Heart & Vascular Center. He completed his electrophysiology fellowship at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Milwaukee where he trained in the latest electrophysiology procedures and techniques including atrial fibrillation ablations, device implantations and complex ablations. Dr. Pubbi completed his internal medicine residency at Sinai Samaritan Medical Center in Milwaukee and worked as an Internist and Primary...

So far in this series, we’ve covered how to clinically capture the acuity of TAVR patients and how to save thousands using templates embedded in your electronic health record. In this Structural Heart Innovations episode, host Melanie Lawson talks with guests Susan Low, RN, CCRNK, executive director of Cardiovascular Services, Prisma Health Richland, and Jim Kreiner, MHA, director of Cardiovascular Operations, Prisma Health Richland. Together, they discuss how they’ve standardized acuity capture across their service lines and explain the risks associated with capturing them improperly.

Guest Bios

Susan Low RN, CCRNK, executive director Cardiovascular Services, Prisma Health Richland – Susan is an experienced cardiovascular nurse leader with extensive work in operational execution, strategic planning, leadership development and cardiovascular program development. She is quality and outcomes focused with a proven record of building successful STEMI, heart failure , LVAD and structural heart programs.

Jim Kreiner, MHA, director of Cardiovascular Operations, Prisma Health Richland – Jim is an experienced professional with over 23 years’ experience in the cardiovascular industry. Starting his career as a cardiovascular sonographer, he then moved into a leadership role as an Imaging Manager. Jim has been serving as the director of Cardiovascular Operations at Prisma Health in Richland for the past 6+ years.

When navigating ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) in today’s cardiovascular healthcare landscape, change is at the forefront, evolving the way we provide care. On MedAxiom HeartTalk, host Melanie Lawson talks with Joe Sasson, PhD, executive vice president of Ventures and chief commercial officer at MedAxiom and Marc Toth, market president, Cardiovascular Services at Atlas Healthcare Partners. They discuss both the complexities and benefits of ASCs, as well as what steps your organization can take if considering starting one of your own.


Guest Bios:

Joe Sasson, PhD, Executive Vice President of Ventures and Chief Commercial Officer – Joe is a tenured member of the MedAxiom team and brings with him a wide variety of perspectives on healthcare operations and market access strategies. As chief commercial officer and executive vice president of Ventures at MedAxiom, Joe helps members access the technologies and solutions they need to effectively run their organizations and prepare for the future of value-based care. He currently works with companies spanning medtech, device, pharma, imaging, cath labs/ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and health IT to deliver economic value propositions and strategies to accelerate commercial growth. Joe has created and led programs and workgroups centering on EMR utilization and optimization, chronic care management, physician in-office dispensing of medications, CCTA, cath lab efficiency and more.

As the leader of MedAxiom Ventures, Joe spearheaded the development of the HeartX Accelerator, which invests into and helps accelerate five growth stage companies per year. He was also responsible for the creation and execution of MedAxiom’s joint venture with Atlas Healthcare Partners, to position MedAxiom as a leader in the in the ASC space for both clinical quality and operational efficiency. Joe has also led MedAxiom’s initiatives in the direct contracting space, aiming to link self-funded insurers with high quality cardiovascular providers across the nation to create steerage that improves patient experience and outcomes, while lowering costs for payers. In his role, Joe works to commercialize MedAxiom’s product portfolio and continues to focus on innovation, commercial acceleration and operational execution for 40+ companies in the cardiovascular arena.

Throughout his career, Joe has advised over 75 companies – from small startups to the largest names in cardiovascular care – on commercial strategy, sales execution, risk model development, market segmentation and care pathway development with a focus on commercialization. His experience has provided him with valuable relationships and expertise spanning numerous aspects of the healthcare industry, which has provided him a unique skill set that enables him to author the development and delivery of successful responses to the new challenges in this rapidly changing environment.
Joe holds a PhD in Behavioral Science and a master’s degree in organizational improvement.

Marc Toth, Market President, Cardiovascular Services at Atlas Healthcare Partners – As the President of Cardiovascular Services, and Chairman of the MedAtlas CV Board of Directors, Marc leads the team working to transform cardiovascular care delivery and expand patient access to high-quality cardiovascular ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). He oversees the development and management of both the day-to-day business and clinical operations of cardiovascular ASCs for Banner Health, Corewell Health, as well as expansion efforts with Atlas’ newest JV partner MedAxiom.
Marc has 25+ years of leadership experience in the cardiovascular/cardiology marketplace, including product commercialization, physician-practice and outpatient-vascular-lab valuations, capital acquisition, and exit strategies. He also has been an M&A Advisor representing physicians seeking capital and strategic partners for outpatient...

How can ten minutes save you thousands while also capturing appropriate acuity to ensure your patients get the care they need? Abhimanyu (Manu) Uberoi, MD, MS, FACC, FSCAI, and MedAxiom HeartTalk host Melanie Lawson explore the answer to this and more on this Structural Heart Innovations episode.

Get to know Abhimanyu (Manu) Uberoi, MD, MS, FACC, FSCAI:

Dr. Uberoi was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, then moved to San Diego for college and graduate school, where he earned a master's in science with a focus in exercise physiology. He attended medical school in Washington, D.C., at George Washington University, then residency at Stanford University. From there, he moved to Los Angeles to complete a rigorous cardiology and interventional cardiology training at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, one of the busiest hospitals in the country.

Dr. Uberoi says he was fortunate to join this premier group of cardiologists at Kaiser Permanente, who push and motivate him to improve every day. He chose to practice medicine because he believes that the doctor-patient relationship is one of the most unique, special bonds that exists. Two people come together from completely different backgrounds, with different beliefs and experiences, and connect in a way that accomplishes something amazing—health and well-being. The team effort and ownership of both parties to achieve this common goal is exciting and humbling. Dr. Uberoi loves that every interaction is one of a kind. You never know what will come next!