Shakespeare once wrote, “What is in a name?” For the division of cardiology, the answer is: everything! Our division is built upon each patient interaction, whether it occurs in one of our eight outpatient clinical sites, six inpatient settings, or in one of our multiple diagnostic, interventional, or electrophysiology (EP) labs.

About seven years ago our division resolved to touch as many lives as possible at Loma Linda University Health (LLUH) and in our community. We extended our partnerships to key philosophically-aligned organizations, and in doing so we created a hub and spoke model, interweaving our satellite campuses with our LLUH practice. As our programs grew, we intentionally increased our physician clinical faculty from 13 to 39. This increased clinical footprint has enabled us to recruit world-class clinicians in every subspecialty discipline. Additionally, we have nearly 20 advanced practice providers who provide key clinical support for our physicians and service line.

The Dennis and Carol Troesh Medical Campus’ new state-of-the-art cardiodiagnostic imaging lab enables us to meet increased demand for cardiology services. Our imaging team performs many different imaging studies, including nuclear, computed tomography, and MRI modalities, in a cross-departmental collaboration with the department of radiology.

Echocardiography continues to be the backbone of our cardiovascular program; this year we will perform over 18,000 ECHO studies. The quality and growth of the diagnostic lab continues under the leadership of Ramesh Bansal, MD, who has served as our lab director since 1983. In 2021, LLUH became the third program in California to be accredited as an adult congenital heart disease center. This program is directed by Ahmed Kheiwa, MD, and is growing quickly.

Antoine Sakr, MD, is the medical director of our advanced heart failure and transplant program. We follow 2,500 patients in this program and have initiated a multidisciplinary cardiogenic shock program as well. We are pleased to announce that we will begin an accredited advanced heart failure fellowship in 2022.

Ravi Mandapati, MD, is our electrophysiology (EP) program medical director. Last year, we did over 600 ablations and 400 device implants and left atrial occlusion procedures. We have received accreditation and will begin our two-year EP fellowship in 2022, with Tahmeed Contractor, MD, serving as the program director.

Vinoy Prasad, MD, is our interventional cardiology medical director and program director for the  interventional fellowship, which began in 2018 and recently added a second fellow. Last year, we had nearly 200 STEMI activations, performed 200 structural cases and 600 percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs), and placed over 100 percutaneous left ventricular assist devices, performing nearly 3,000 total cases. Both our interventional and EP teams are looking forward to doubling our cath lab space in the new hospital, expected in November 2021.

Led by Rajagopal Krishnan, MD, and Danish Siddiqui, MD, our regional programs at Riverside University Health System (RUHS) and Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC) continue to expand. We are pleased to begin our PCI program at RUHS and excited to see the department of cardiothoracic surgery will soon start heart surgery at ARMC. We benefit from a close and collaborative relationship with hospital leadership at these sites, allowing us to build world class heart programs. In the last year, we have been fortunate to begin new partnerships with Beaver Medical Group in Redlands and Banning, as well as with St. Mary’s Hospital in Apple Valley.

Our foundational responsibility as faculty of the School of Medicine is to engage in clinical research and education. Shammah Williams ’11 and Nirav Mamdani, MD, lead the medical student and residency blocks, respectively. Liset Stoletniy, MD, and Jason M. Hoff ’13 serve as program director and associate program director of our general cardiology fellowship program. Under Dr. Stoletniy’s careful watch, our three-year fellowship program is routinely ranked as a top performing program and has grown from three to five fellows over the last 10 years. This year we had 601 applicants for these five spots! Our research activity continually grows; in 2019–2020 our faculty published nearly 100 peer-reviewed articles and gave numerous grand rounds and other invited lectureships around the country and at many national scientific meetings.

I am honored to serve as the fifth chief of cardiology at LLU, but no alumni update would be complete without acknowledging the 86 years of visionary work by my predecessors: Donald E. Griggs ’24 (1934–1964), Varner J. Johns Jr. ’45 (1964–1977), Roy V. Jutzy ’52 (1977–1991), and Kenneth R. Jutzy ’77-A (1991–2019).

Dr. Hilliard has served on the faculty at LLUSM since 2009. When he isn’t seeing patients or tending to administrative duties, he is most likely playing or watching any type of sporting activity or tending his fruit trees or garden. He is married to his high school sweetheart, Tammy, and is the proud father of Sophia (17) and Maxwell (15).

CARDIOLOGY FACULTY SPOTLIGHTS:

 Jason M. Hoff ’13

Jason M. Hoff ’13 was born and raised in Southern California. He graduated from Loma Linda Academy and then went on to earn his undergraduate degree at La Sierra University. Dr. Hoff graduated from Loma Linda University School of Medicine in 2013—a member of the centennial class. He then pursued an internal medicine residency at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas.

He returned to Loma Linda University to complete his general cardiology and interventional cardiology fellowships. During his training Dr. Hoff received recognition as Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges, served on the medical school student senate, and earned the Society of Residency Educators Certificate. Dr. Hoff also received the prestigious California American College of Cardiology Excellence in Cardiology Fellowship Award.

As an interventionalist, he focuses his clinical practice on preventive cardiology, structural heart interventions, and resident and fellowship education. He and his wife, Makenzi, have four children: Brooklyn (6), Brock (4), Blake (4), and Beckham (1). He loves the outdoors and any sport that involves water.

Liset Stoletniy, MD

Liset Stoletniy, MD, currently serves as program director of the general cardiology fellowship. She was born and raised in Uruguay. Her mother was a teacher and her father a farmer. From a very young age, the value of education was emphasized to Dr. Stoletniy. She enrolled in combined university medical education at the University of Montevideo Faculty of Medicine and graduated at age 23.

She worked at the local Adventist hospital and, after completing her USMLE Step series, she came to Loma Linda University to complete an internal medicine residency (1994) and general cardiology fellowship (1997). Dr. Stoletniy believes that God guided her journey to Loma Linda through several key individuals who put in a good word for her during her interviews for residency. After completing her visa waiver commitment, she returned as faculty in 2000.

In 2005, Dr. Stoletniy began serving as  the director of the advanced heart failure and transplant program (a role she held until 2019) and associate program director of the general cardiology fellowship. She transitioned to the program director of the general cardiology fellowship in 2010, a position she continues to hold today.

Throughout her career she has received many awards surrounding education and leadership. However, she was most humbled by an award from her medical staff peers—Educator of the Year.

Outside of work she is referred to as “Tia Flaka” by her 4-year-old and 6-year-old nephews and has led the Spanish Sabbath school class at Azure Hills Church for the past 15 years. Words of advice she gives to the fellows are, “Be an owner in all that you do.”