Heart Failure and Transplant
Heart Failure and Transplant Program
Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology
Fellowship Program
Director: Mohammad Abuannadi, MBBS
The mission of Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology training at UVA is to educate fellow physicians in the care of complex cardiac patients, including outpatient and inpatient management, diagnostic testing, and the treatment roles of:
- Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs)
- cardiac resynchronization therapy
- high-risk cardiac surgery
- mechanical circulatory support
- transplantation
- palliative care
- pulmonary hypertension
Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Fellowship Program
UVA’s Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology fellowship is an ACGME-accredited one-year training program. It is designed for fellows who have already completed a cardiovascular disease fellowship and seek additional expertise in caring for advanced heart failure patients. Training is clinically based, with experience in outpatient and inpatient settings.
Program Goals
Goals for the Heart Failure and Transplant Fellowship program include the following:
- Successful completion of the certifying ABIM Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology Examination, which covers:
- Prevention
- Evaluation
- Management
- Procedures
- Disease management
- Basic mechanisms
- Completion of United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) certification in heart transplantation
- Familiarity with and expertise in working in a team environment composed of house staff at all levels of training, attending physicians from many disciplines, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, and other ancillary support staff.
- Conducting mentored clinical research
Inpatient Service
The inpatient service cares for patients admitted with advanced heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, left ventricular assist devices, and heart transplants. In addition, consultation is provided to the cardiac surgery service for the perioperative management of high-risk patients, as well as other inpatient services. The fellow is expected to be an integral part of all aspects of the inpatient service.
Outpatient Service
The outpatient service is centered around a busy clinic schedule. Clinics focus on heart failure, LVAD/ transplant, and pulmonary hypertension.
Procedural Training
Procedural training includes cardiac catheterization, endomyocardial biopsy, and transesophageal echocardiography. In addition, fellows become adept at interrogating and programming pacemakers, ICDs, and left ventricular assist devices.
Participation in the multiple educational activities for all cardiology fellows is strongly encouraged. Activities include monthly Journal Club, Cardiology Grand Rounds, Imaging conferences, Cath Conference, and monthly M&M. There is also a monthly Translational Research conference. In addition, the Advanced Heart Failure Fellow is encouraged to attend the yearly Mechanical Circulatory Support conference hosted by Thoratec and a national conference such as HFSA or ISHLT.
Advanced Heart Failure & Transplant Fellowship:
How to Apply
NOTE:
UVA AHFT Fellowship is accepting applications for the 2025-2026 academic year via ERAS during Summer 2024.
Please remember that you must be in the third year of your general cardiology fellowship to be eligible for this advanced fellowship.
More information:
Call or email Kara Watts: at 434.924.3497 or kt7r@virginia.edu.
More Information
We welcome your interest in the UVA Heart Failure & Transplant Cardiology Fellowship Program. For more information, call or send an email to:
Kara Watts, Fellowship Coordinator
Phone: 434-924-3497
Email: kt7r@virginia.edu