Heather Swales, M.D.

Title and Current Position:

Co-Associate Program Director, Hartford Hospital Cardiology Fellowship; Co-Director, Women’s Heart Wellness Program

Medical School and Training:

• Medical School: UMass Medical School
• Internal Medicine Residency: University of Massachusetts
• Cardiovascular Fellowship: University of Massachusetts
• Additional Certifications or Specializations: Echocardiography and Nuclear Cardiology

Leadership Positions, Committee Memberships:

• Co-Associate Program Director of the Cardiology Fellowship
• Co-Director of the Women’s Heart Wellness Program
• Director of the Clinical Competency Committee

Personal Insights:

I love working with the cardiology fellows at Hartford Hospital because they are bright and eager to learn. The cardiology faculty have excellent clinical acumen, are welcoming, and the different subspecialties collaborate and work well together to deliver outstanding care to our patients. The quality and complexity of care that the Hartford Hospital Heart and Vascular Institute delivers is outstanding, and I would trust them to care for all of my closest friends and family. I like rounding at Hartford Hospital because of the large volume of complex patients and the numerous state-of-the-art treatment options we can offer them. Connecticut is a great state because of the strong schools, numerous outdoor recreation areas, and four distinct seasons.

Interests and Hobbies:

I love spending time outside and going for long walks and hikes, especially with my husband and children.

Andrew Scatola, M.D.

Title and Current Position:

Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiologist

Medical School and Training:

• Medical School: University of Connecticut (UConn)
• Internal Medicine Residency: University of Connecticut (UConn)
• Cardiovascular Fellowship: Northwell/Zucker School of Medicine at the North Shore/LIJ program
• Advanced Fellowship: Heat failure and Transplant Fellowship - Montefiore

Leadership Positions, Committee Memberships:

• Physician Lead of the Heart Failure Clinical Quality Council
• Associate Program Director of the General Cardiology Fellowship

Contributions to the Department:

I hold key leadership positions, such as the Physician Lead of the Heart Failure Clinical Quality Council and Associate Program Director of the General Cardiology Fellowship. These roles allow me to contribute significantly to the department's quality improvement initiatives and the education of future cardiologists.

Personal Insights:

The cardiovascular fellowship program at Hartford Hospital has a diverse group of fellows who work well together and are always willing to help each other out. We have a collegial fellowship that allows the fellows to develop lifelong friendships. Our faculty are also very collegial, with the majority having an open-door policy and inviting the fellows to come in whenever.

Hartford Hospital, especially being the quaternary care hospital for Hartford HealthCare, serves a very diverse patient population. With the aid of Life Star, our critical care helicopter service, we are able to fly in the sickest patients in the state of Connecticut for treatment at Hartford Hospital. Compared to other urban areas in the Northeast, there is a sense of collegiality that runs throughout the hospital, and we are able to work together as a true team.

Connecticut offers a good mix of urban living while being a great place to raise a family. We have access to great restaurants and nightlife but also easy access to the outdoors. We have nearby access to beaches and skiing, and Hartford is close to Boston and NYC for those weekends when you want to get away.

Interests and Hobbies:

I spend the majority of my time relaxing with my family. I also enjoy indoor rowing and resistance training, and on the weekends, I enjoy grilling in the backyard.

Antonio Fernandez, M.D.

Title and Current Position:

Medical Director, Cardiac Intensive Care Unit and Medical Director, Preventive Cardiology at Hartford Hospital.

Medical School and Training:

• Medical School: Central University of Venezuela
• Internal Medicine Residency: University of Connecticut
• Cardiovascular Fellowship: Brown University
• Advanced fellowship training: Imaging Fellowship - Yale University
• Additional certifications or specializations: Certified Lipidologist, Sports Cardiologist

Leadership Positions, Committee Memberships:

• Sports Service Line Work Group. Hartford HealthCare
• Cardiology Fellowship Clinical Competency Committee
• Cardiac Arrest Committee
• Critical Care Committee - Hartford Hospital, Hartford, CT
• HHC Critical Care Council - Hartford Hospital, Hartford, CT
• HAI Committee - Hartford Hospital, Hartford, CT

Personal Insights:

The cardiovascular fellowship program at Hartford Hospital is one of the best programs in Connecticut and the 3-state area. The program is well-balanced and offers a solid fundamental fellowship experience and a large tertiary center, including exposure to cardiac critical care, mechanical circulatory support, cardiac transplant, advanced heart failure, and advanced cardiac imaging. Our fellowship also provides unique experiences in sports cardiology, preventive cardiology, LDL pheresis in the management of complex lipid disorders.

Hartford Hospital is a great place to complete training in cardiovascular disease. As the flagship for Hartford HealthCare, Hartford Hospital offers a very rich clinical experience and incredible breath of pathology. My favorite thing about Connecticut is its location and the access to the beach, the mountains, lakes and rivers, all within an hour driving distance.

Its centric location between New York and Boston also allows for access to these big cities but also to Northern New England.

Interests and Hobbies:

I enjoy reading and outdoor activities in general. I love rock climbing and hiking.

Joseph Ingrassia, M.D.

Title and Current Position:

Director of Vascular Medicine & Endovascular Intervention, Co-Director Pulmonary Embolism Response Team

Medical School and Training:

• Medical School: Ross University School of Medicine
• Internal Medicine Residency: University of Connecticut
• Cardiovascular Fellowship: University of Connecticut
• Advanced Fellowship: Interventional Cardiology - University of Connecticut/Hartford Hospital, Vascular Medicine and Endovascular Intervention - Columbia University
• Additional Certifications or Specializations: Registered Physician in Vascular Interpretation

Leadership Positions, Committee Memberships:

• Moderator, Interventional Cardiology M&M
• Pulmonary Embolism Case Review Director

Contributions to the Department:

As an interventional cardiologist who does not perform structural procedures, my practice consists of coronary artery interventions, complex PCI/CTO, and interventional “shock-related” procedures such as ECMO cannulation in the cath lab and at the bedside, Impella 5.5 placement, and percutaneous RVAD placement. As part of the PERT program, I perform pulmonary artery interventions like catheter-directed thrombolysis and percutaneous mechanical thrombectomy. I do a limited number of lower extremity arterial interventions. I am currently the principal investigator for the SPYRAL AFFIRM trial of renal denervation at Hartford Hospital.

Personal Insights:

There is a wide exposure to all of the pathology within cardiology. As a tertiary care center in the state, our fellows are exposed to the entire gamut of cardiology, from lipid management and new onset atrial fibrillation to mechanical circulatory support and cardiac transplantation. It is also wonderful to watch fellows as they start in July as first years gradually grow, learn, and eventually become colleagues. Cardiology is full of so many diverse opportunities that watching and helping fellows figure out what they want the next chapter of their professional lives to look like is exciting.

There is generally an air of collaboration and approachability among physicians within the hospital. The availability of very specialized services both within the field of cardiovascular medicine and outside of it allows for those of us practicing here to really develop the niches that appeal to us.

Central Connecticut offered a good environment to raise a family in a suburban location. My wife and I find that there is enough for us to do locally for ourselves and with our two children. We are both from New York, so it is also a very reasonable drive to see our parents. Overall, I think that the location between both New York and Boston is perfect as the cost of living is nowhere near either of those two areas, yet we are close enough that travel to either can be done on a whim.

Interests and Hobbies:

Outside the hospital, I try my best to stay in good shape. Most of my time is spent with my wife Jessica and our two children, Madeline (7 years old) and Nicholas (5 years old), and our Vizsla puppy, Lucy, who is just under one year old. I follow the NBA, NFL, and New York Yankees.

Saurabh Joshi, M.D., FACC, FSCAI

Title and Current Position:

Interventional Cardiologist

Medical School and Training:

• Medical School: Gauhati Medical College, Assam, India
• Internal Medicine Residency: Saint Vincent Hospital, Worcester, MA
• Cardiovascular Fellowship: Cardiovascular Fellowship - University of Connecticut
• Advanced Fellowship: Interventional Cardiology - University of Connecticut/Hartford Hospital
• Additional Certifications or Specializations: Echocardiography, Nuclear Cardiology, Cardiac CT

Contributions to the Department:

I am an interventional cardiologist and spend almost all my clinical time in the cardiac cath lab. I am involved in everything from type A coronary lesions to complex coronary interventions and the use of mechanical circulatory support devices. I also implant PA sensors for heart failure patients, perform cardiac biopsies, provide catheter-based treatment for pulmonary embolism, and perform renal denervation.

Leadership Positions, Committee Memberships:

• Involved in the PA Sensor Program
• Quality Programs in the Cath Lab

Personal Insights:

The cardiovascular fellowship program at Hartford Hospital offers exposure to the full spectrum of cardiology, from preventive care to heart transplant and everything in between. It provides excellent clinical learning, outstanding hands-on training, and great research/scholarly opportunities.

Hartford Hospital is a tertiary care and level I trauma center, and the biggest teaching hospital for the University of Connecticut. It is a part of and the highest referral center of Hartford HealthCare. It is a place of medical excellence, compassionate care, innovation, and education.

The Greater Hartford area is a nice place to live. It has beautiful neighborhoods, an excellent school and college system, and many outdoor activities and recreational opportunities. Being situated between Boston and New York City, with an easy drive to these cities, provides a lot of opportunities and options.

Interests and Hobbies:

Biking, running, tennis, and woodworking

Sean McMahon, M.D.

Current Position in the Cardiology Department:

Director, Echocardiography Laboratory

Medical School and Training:

• Medical School: SUNY Upstate Medical University
• Internal Medicine Residency: University of Vermont
• Cardiovascular Fellowship: University of Vermont

Leadership Positions, Committee Memberships:

• Director, Echocardiography Laboratory
• Director of Quality, Division of Cardiology, Hartford Hospital

Personal Insights:

The cardiovascular fellowship program at Hartford Hospital is outstanding because the fellows are a close-knit group of highly motivated clinicians. Working with them is extremely rewarding and a great privilege. Hartford Hospital is special because of the people who work there. Connecticut offers a central location that makes it easy to travel to most destinations and enjoys tropical weather.

Interests and Hobbies:

Skiing, hiking, water sports, lacrosse, and spending time with family.

Craig Moskowitz, M.D.

Title and Current Position:

Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiologist, Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine

Medical School and Training:

• Medical School: Ross University School of Medicine
• Internal Medicine Residency: St. Mary's Hospital, Waterbury, CT
• Cardiovascular Fellowship: UConn/Hartford Hospital Cardiology Fellowship
• Advanced fellowship training: Electrophysiology Fellowship - NYU Langone Health Clinical Cardiac
• Additional Certifications or Specializations: Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Diseases, Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology, Echocardiography

Leadership Positions, Committee Memberships:

Member of the Clinical Competency Committee

Personal Insights:

It does not take long to notice how many cardiologists within the Hartford Healthcare system have trained at Hartford Hospital and then chose to stay in the system after graduation. Even those that leave to pursue subspecialty fellowships often return. I think this speaks highly of our program. The faculty are dedicated to educating our fellows. We have experts in every aspect of cardiovascular disease. During training, a fellow is challenged with caring for patients with the highest acuity of cardiovascular disease. This leads to highly trained cardiologists graduating from our program, ready to meet the needs of their patients in their future practice. Training at Hartford Hospital, being located in central Connecticut provides a fairly affordable place to live compared to large cities. At the same time, Connecticut has so much to offer in terms of recreation. We have recently had a dedicated fellow role for highlighting area recreation and planning fellow events that has been appreciated by both faculty and fellows.

Interests and Hobbies:

Atrial fibrillation ablation, physiologic pacing, leadless pacing, percutaneous left atrial appendage closure are my main areas of interest in EP. When not in the EP lab, I really enjoy cooking, making coffee, playing pickleball, gardening, and cars.

Vidya Nadig, M.D., MRCP, FACC

Title and Current Position:

Director, Cardiac MRI

Medical School and Training:

• Medical School: : Bangalore Medical College, Bangalore, India
• Internal Medicine Residency: Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH
• Cardiovascular Fellowship: Case Western University, Metrohealth Campus, Cleveland, OH
• Advanced Fellowship: Imaging Fellowship - Emory University, Atlanta

Personal Insights:

The Hartford Hospital cardiology fellowship program is well-rounded and driven by a desire to teach with excellence in all subspecialties. There is tremendous diversity in the pathology the fellows are exposed to. One thing that stands out is the open-door policy almost all faculty have when it comes to being available to the cardiology fellows. Hartford Hospital is a busy, tertiary-level hospital, contained in a compact area. The cardiology department, specifically, has well-staffed and well-equipped subspecialty departments, which provide great learning opportunities for cardiovascular fellows with varying subspecialty interests. What I like about Connecticut are the hiking and biking trails, proximity to NYC and Boston, great schools, and neighborhoods.

Interests and Hobbies:

Other than spending time with my family, I love listening to music, mostly classical music, both Western and Indian classical music. When I find time, I like practicing the Veena, a stringed Indian musical instrument. Central Connecticut has a lively music scene.

Joseph A. Radojevic, M.D.

Title and Current Position:

Director of Heart Failure and Transplant Center, Chief of Cardiovascular Department

Medical School and Training:

• Medical School: College of Medicine-State University of New York at Downstate
• Internal Medicine Residency: St. Vincent’s Hospital in Manhattan
• Cardiovascular Fellowship: New York Presbyterian-Columbia University Medical Center
• Advanced Fellowship: Heart failure and transplant fellowship - New York Presbyterian-Columbia University Medical Center

Clinical Interests:

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, infiltrative cardiomyopathies particularly and amyloidosis and echo guided optimization of biventricular pacing in the treatment in congestive heart failure.

Steven Zweibel, M.D., M.B.A., FACC, FHRS

Title and Current Position:

System Director, Cardiac Electrophysiology, Heart and Vascular Institute

Medical School and Training:

• Medical School: NYU School of Medicine, NYC
• Internal Medicine Residency: Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital, NYC
• Cardiovascular Fellowship: Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY
• Advanced Fellowship: Electrophysiology Fellowship - Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY
• Additional Certifications or Specializations: Fellow of the American College of Cardiology, Fellow of the Heart Rhythm Society, MBA from MIT

Leadership Positions, Committee Memberships:

• I run the division of electrophysiology for Hartford HealthCare, where we have 13 physicians practicing in 5 different hospitals.
• Member of the Physician Engagement Committee at Hartford Hospital
• Member of the Governance Committee for the Hartford HealthCare Center for AI Innovation in Healthcare
• Participant in systemwide innovation projects
• Member of the HVI Informatics Committee

Personal Insights:

I like that we always recruit smart, energetic, inquisitive, and enthusiastic learners to our cardiovascular fellowship program. I always learn when I am teaching the fellows as they are always asking me great questions. Our fellows go the extra mile to make sure our patients get the best possible care. I really enjoy working at Hartford Hospital because of all my amazing colleagues. It is very rare to practice in an institution where all the cardiologists and specialists get along and have the best possible care of the patient in mind. I can call any of my colleagues (interventional cardiology, non-invasive cardiology, cardiac or vascular surgery) at any time and get immediate help with a patient. I also love the culture at Hartford Hospital (and Hartford HealthCare) – one of mutual respect and kindness – where everybody is welcome and can feel heard and part of the team. I think Connecticut is a lovely place to raise a family and to live. Amazing restaurants, schools, sports, theater, and outdoor activities are just some of the benefits of living here. We are in close proximity to both Boston and NYC – so weekend trips are easy, and Bradley Airport is close by and very easy to navigate.

Interests and Hobbies:

I love cooking with my wife, having friends over to the house for dinners, playing poker with my friends, gardening, riding my Peloton bike, and reading.