Our program offers exposure to a wide variety of patients including a private university teaching hospital, Veteran's Hospital, and underserved communities. Our training encompasses a broad spectrum of experiences including high risk patients with advanced interventional needs. Our hospital had advanced experience with structural cardiology and the ability to train our fellows with advanced procedures.

Program Highlights

  • Primary Training Facility: Loma Linda University Medical Center is a leading tertiary academic hospital equipped with 350 beds and is a major recipient of referrals in the Inland Empire and High Desert for complex interventions and cardiogenic shock. 
  • Secondary Training Site (Loma Linda VA): The Jerry L Pettis Memorial Veteran’s Hospital provides services to more than 78,000 Veterans in San Bernardino and Riverside Counties. Its interventional cardiology service offers evidence based contemporary practice including ischemia driven (iFR, FFR, RFR) and imaging optimized (IVUS, HD-IVUS, OCT) PCI.
  • Comprehensive Interventional Cardiology Training: Fellows will experience hands-on training across the full spectrum of interventional cardiology.
  • Multidisciplinary Care: Fellows collaborate closely with various sub-specialties, ensuring whole-person care. 
  • Scholarly Excellence:  Our division encourages scholarly presentations at local and national conferences, as well as collaboration with faculty for research publications.

Program Components

Comprehensive Interventional Cardiology Training

  • Complex coronary interventions, including unprotected Left Main PCI, rotational and orbital atherectomy, and MCS supported interventions.
  • Routine intracoronary imaging in PCIs.
  • Alternative access, including percutaneous axillary insertion for Impella and carotid cutdown for TAVR.
  • A robust structural heart program with hands-on training primarily in TAVRs, but also exposure to MitraClips, PFO/ASD closure, alcohol septal ablations, among a variety of structural heart interventions.
  • A growing endovascular interventional program.

Curriculum

Our curriculum is carefully structured to provide a well-rounded and rigorous educational experience that prepares our fellows for a successful career in interventional cardiology.

  • Comprehensive ACGME and ABIM Alignment: Our curriculum is meticulously designed to meet the rigorous certification requirements set forth by the ACGME (Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education) and ABIM (American Board of Internal Medicine) for interventional cardiology.
  • Hands-On Procedural Training: We prioritize hands-on training for procedures, providing fellows with a graduated progression to proficiency. Our fellows have no difficulty reaching procedural requirements as set forth by the ACGME. 
  • Fellow-Driven Conferences: Our robust conference schedule is predominantly fellow-driven and faculty-facilitated, creating an interactive and engaging learning environment. The curriculum encompasses:
    • Lecture Series: Weekly board-review style didactics provided by faculty.
    • Cath Conferences: Delving into real-world cases to enhance clinical reasoning.
    • Journal Clubs: Analyzing the latest research and developments in the field.
    • STEMI Conferences: Reviewing cases and systems for quality and improvement.
    • Cath Lab QI: Reviewing cases to identify opportunities for improvement and learning.
    • Cardiogenic Shock Conference: Monthly conference reviewing shock activations, patient management, hemodynamics, and opportunities for improvement.

Multidisciplinary Care

Our multidisciplinary approach includes:

  • Advanced Heart Failure Service: Over 20 heart transplants performed annually.
  • Cardiothoracic Surgery
  • Electrophysiology 
     

Recognitions

  • ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) Receiving Center
  • ACC Accredited Chest Pain Center
  • Center for durable VAD and heart transplant

Training Sites

LLUMC

Loma Linda University Medical Center

Our new 16 story hospital is a 320-bed facility with state-of-the-art catheterization laboratories, echocardiogram, and advanced imaging facilities. Our medical center serves an area roughly equal to 25% of the state of California. As a tertiary care facility, the center commonly receives patients with unusual or complicated medical conditions. There is an active medicine service, cancer center, intensive care unit, and coronary care unit.