Clinical Rotations

During the 3 year fellowship each fellow will spend time in the following rotations as required by the ACGME:

During this rotation, fellows learn various invasive procedures, their indications and contraindications, and the correct interpretation of the data obtained. The procedures performed include: right heart catheterization, left heart catheterization, left ventriculography, aortography, coronary angiography, and bypass graft angiography and pericardiocentesis. Fellows may also observe and assist coronary angioplasty procedures.

In addition, in the second and third years, fellows will have an opportunity to become familiar with more advanced cardiac catheterization diagnostic procedures (such as IVUS, fractional flow reserve assessment, and complicated hemodynamic assessments) and with advanced percutaneous coronary interventions (such as rotoblator, and athrectomy, IABP placement, pericardiocentesis, and percutaneous transvalvular replacement-TAVR).

Director: Sudhir Mungee, MD

Throughout this rotation, fellows learn how to evaluate and treat patients with cardiac arrhythmias and patients with devices (e.g. pacemakers, implantable cardiac defibrillators, cardiac resynchronization therapy, and loop recorders). The fellows will read Holters and event monitor recordings with the faculty. Fellows will also have the opportunity to observe and assist in the ablation of various cardiac arrhythmias, interpret Holter recordings and event monitors, implant and troubleshoot pacemakers and cardiac defibrillators, and perform and interpret simple cardiac electrophysiology studies.

In addition, in the second and third years, fellows will have an opportunity, to become familiar with more advanced electrophysiology procedures such as intracardiac electrograms, intracardiac mapping, radiofrequency ablation and percutaneous lead extraction.

Director: Timir Baman, MD

This rotation allows fellows to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to provide optimal care for cardiac patients in the CCU, step down unit, and on general cardiology units of OSF Saint Francis Medical Center. The fellow will work with faculty physicians and residents as well as nurses and students. One faculty attending is assigned to work with the fellow for one or two weeks and is responsible for the care of the patients seen with the fellow, medical residents and students.

Director: Tinoy Kizhakekuttu, MD

In this rotation fellows learn to correctly perform various echocardiographic tests and interpret the results with the faculty members. Skills in performing special procedures like stress echocardiography, transesophageal echocardiography and dobutamine stress echo are also developed. Interpretations of the results are performed together with the faculty physicians.

The fellow is also present during acquisitions of magnetic resonance imaging and computerized coronary angiography in the laboratories. He/she interprets the images with the cardiology faculty.

Director: Tinoy Kizhakekuttu, MD

In this rotation fellows learn to correctly perform various nuclear tests and interpret the results with the faculty members. Studies are commonly compared with data from other diagnostic modalities, such as coronary angiography, CT, or MRI, to enhance the fellow’s educational experience.

Director: Keattiyoat Wattanakit, MD

In this rotation fellows will receive intensive exposure to patients with advanced heart failure despite maximal conventional therapy. Fellows spend time in Cardiac Transplant Clinic, VAD Clinic and Pulmonary Hypertension Clinic as well as Inpatient Advanced Heart Failure Service.

In this rotation, which occurs at the RiverPlex, fellows will see phase 2 and phase 3 cardiac rehabilitation for post myocardial infarction and cardiac surgery patients, weight reduction program patients, post stroke exercise program patients, etc.  Fellows will also learn preventive cardiology, such as lipid and blood pressure management, dieting for weight loss, exercise for cardiology patients, etc.

During this rotation fellows work with faculty (including both pediatric and adult cardiologists) with expertise in evaluating adult patients with various congenital heart diseases. Fellows will participate in Adult Congenital Heart Disease Clinic. In addition, the fellow will participate during cardiac catheterizations with the faculty physician to evaluate cardiac anatomy and to learn physiology of cardiac shunts, valvular and other abnormalities in patients.

This rotation provides fellows exposure to the patient who has recently undergone various cardiac surgical procedures.  This allows fellows to understand the role of the cardiologist in post-operative patients and to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to provide optimal care for these patients.  In addition, fellows will develop an understanding of the thought process with which cardiac surgeons evaluate candidates for CABG and valvular surgeries.  Fellows will interact closely with both cardiac surgeons and cardiologists in the CVICU and step down units of OSF Saint Francis Medical Center.

Director: Rebecca Baumann, MD

In this one half day per week rotation, fellows will work with cardiology faculty at the offices of OSF HealthCare Cardiovascular Institute on Knoxville Avenue in Peoria.  Fellows will provide care to patients with a variety of heart diseases at various stages of their illnesses.  In each clinic session, the fellow will see four to eight patients, present the cases to the faculty for further evaluation and management, and write notes that will be co-signed by the faculty.  Fellows should be notified of the status of their continuity patients when such patients are hospitalized, to allow both optimal education and to allow the fellow to participate in their patient’s inpatient care.

Ambulatory Clinic: Tinoy Kizhakekuttu, MD

In this rotation the fellows work with faculty (both cardiologists and vascular surgeons) with expertise in peripheral vascular disease. Fellows will engage in the evaluation and treatment of patients with various peripheral vascular diseases (e.g. femoral artery stenosis, carotid artery stenosis, abdominal aortic aneurysm, etc.) Fellows will observe and interpret various doppler and duplex studies and develop expertise in their interpretation. Fellows will participate in percutaneous vascular interventions such as femoral / iliac stenting, carotid stenting and AAA stenting.

Director: Keattiyoat Wattanakit, MD