Medical College of Wisconsin Adult Congenital Heart Disease Fellowship
The adult congenital heart disease fellowship within the Herma Heart Institute at Children’s Wisconsin provides superior training in one of the nation’s largest adult congenital heart disease programs. Our objective is to prepare fellows for a career in adult congenital heart disease and continue to train future leaders in this emerging field. During the two-year fellowship, we build on categorical cardiology training from either pediatric or adult cardiology, which allows fellows to master the complexity of adult congenital heart disease. ACHD fellows work with a multidisciplinary team, which also fosters individual career interests.
Learn about the Herma Heart Institute
About Our Program
The Wisconsin Adult Congenital Heart (WAtCH) Program is the largest care team in the state formally trained to care for adults with congenital heart disease. Our program is accredited as an Adult Congenital Heart Association ACHD Accredited Program, demonstrating our ability to meet the highest standards of care.
Our core adult congenital cardiology faculty are uniquely qualified to train future adult congenital heart disease physicians, as they were trained in both internal medicine and pediatrics with subsequent advanced training in pediatric or adult cardiology and then subspecialty training in adult congenital heart disease. All core faculty are board certified in adult congenital heart disease and are on staff at Children’s Wisconsin and Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin.
The WAtCH Program has been treating patients since 2005 and training fellows since 2010.
Thank you for your interest in our fellowship program. I believe our program is special in that it combines a world-class, comprehensive cardiac program with a small group feel.
Here’s just a few things you can expect from our ACHD fellowship program:
A comprehensive and in-depth training in congenital heart disease from a variety of experts
Fellows in our program are exposed to the full continuum of ACHD care, seeing patients in the historic Herma Heart Institute at Children’s Wisconsin, as well as at Froedtert Hospital, a large tertiary referral center. This allows fellows to benefit from expertise in pediatrics and internal medicine. With our program, your curriculum will be tailored to complement your background, ensuring you have equal training in and exposure to both pediatric cardiology and adult congenital cardiology. While cardiologists provide the bulk of education, our fellows also learn a great deal from our cardiac surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, sonographers, cath lab techs, and many more.
A tailored approach, customized to your unique clinical interests
During your fellowship, you will be exposed to a wide variety of pathology, from simple bicuspid aortic valves to single ventricles and Eisenmenger’s syndrome. Our fellows are encouraged to tailor the fellowship toward their career interests within adult congenital heart disease. Past fellows have found niches in connective tissue disease, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, advanced imaging and exercise physiology. Fellows can also participate in our heart disease in pregnancy program, which includes a joint cardiology and MFM clinic, as well as regular case conferences.
An opportunity to present research on national and international stages
In addition to clinical experience, fellows have the opportunity to participate in research and present their findings at national and international conferences. The combined resources of the Herma Heart Institute and Medical College of Wisconsin provide our fellows with support in IRB submission, research design, biostatistics and scientific writing. And, through our involvement with the Adult Alliance for Research in Congenital Cardiology and the Pediatric Heart Network, fellows can participate in a wide range of large multicenter to single center studies.
An urban setting, rich with cultural and social pursuits
Our fellowship experience is set against the backdrop of a vibrant, accessible and dynamic city. Milwaukee as a city is a special place – rich with history and unique neighborhoods. Whether you are interested in top-tier sports teams, award-winning restaurants, an active arts and theatre district, or the beauty of the lakefront of Lake Michigan, there is something for everyone here. As a person with no ties to the area, the laid back and friendly Midwestern vibe was especially welcoming when I first arrived. Individuals here will treat you as if they have known you forever, and the attitude inside the hospital reflects this culture, making it a great place to work.
A strong team full of lifelong friendships and camaraderie
I’m extremely fortunate to work closely with a strong team. Our program is made up of adult congenital cardiologists, ACHD nurses, nurse practitioners, a program coordinator and a social worker. Not only do we work well together in the hospital, but we also enjoy each other’s company outside of work. In the past, our close-knit group has competed in and won the Medical College of Wisconsin softball league championship, and we also compete against each other in our annual chili cook-off.
It is because of our team-based approach that fellows here often develop lifelong friendships with their mentors and colleagues. This makes every graduation from the program somewhat bittersweet for me as fellows move on to use their skills and talents at other premier institutions. But, of course, I am then reinvigorated when I see a former fellow at an ACHD conference, succeeding in our field.
Thank you again for your time, and I hope you are able to visit us in Milwaukee. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions.
Scott Cohen MD, MPH
Associate Professor
Director, Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program
sbcohen@mcw.edu
Inpatient
- Patients are admitted to both Children’s Wisconsin and Froedtert Hospital, based on considerations of comorbidities and adult congenital heart disease complexity.
- 3 Congenital Surgeons
- > 200 hospital admissions per year
- > 70 surgeries/interventions per year.
- Care for ACHD patients during medical and post-operative admissions
- Care for ACHD patients during pregnancy
- Coordination of multidisciplinary care with multiple subspecialties
Outpatient
- Daily ACHD clinic during ACHD rotations
- Over 2,500 clinic visits per year
- Multidisciplinary Heart Disease in Pregnancy Program
- Marfan and Related Connective Tissue Disorders Program
- Fontan Survivorship and Advanced Therapies Program
- ACHD Nurse-Directed Transition Program for adolescent pediatric cardiology patients. We include virtual reality in our education of patients and families about specific types of congenital heart disease.
- Experts in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy and Lysosomal Storage Disease
- Opportunities to attend outreach ACHD clinics that serve patients throughout Wisconsin, Northern Illinois, Upper Peninsula of Michigan
Imaging
- 10,000 congenital heart echocardiograms annually at Children’s Wisconsin
- Perform preoperative and postoperative transesophageal echocardiograms in the OR
- Participate in structural and interventional transesophageal echocardiograms
- Dual ACHD and Level III CMR faculty
- Over 500 CMR annually at Children’s Wisconsin
Our core ACHD faculty have been awarded for their teaching and mentoring, recognized with numerous awards for Best Doctor and Expert Clinician among other honors.
Scott Cohen, MD, MPH
Adult Congenital Heart Disease Medical Director, Medical College of Wisconsin/Children’s Wisconsin
Adult Congenital Heart Disease Fellowship Program Director, Medical College of Wisconsin/Children’s Wisconsin
Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin
Training:
-Brown University, Internal Medicine Pediatric Residency, 2003-2007
-Brown University, Adult Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship, 2007-2010
-Brown University, Preventative Cardiology, 2010-2011
-Medical College of Wisconsin/Children’s Wisconsin ACHD Fellowship, 2011-2012
Interests: Pulmonary hypertension secondary to congenital heart disease, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, echocardiography, adult cardiology, pregnancy
Children's Wisconsin Physician Profile
Peter Bartz, MD
Clinical Vice President of Ambulatory Services, Children’s Wisconsin
Section Chief and Medical Director, Herma Heart Institute, Children’s Wisconsin
Professor of Pediatrics and Internal Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin
Training:
-Western Michigan University, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics Residency, 1999-2003
-Mayo Clinic, Pediatric Cardiology Disease Fellowship, 2003-2006
Interests: Pediatric cardiology, adult congenital heart disease, echocardiography
Children's Wisconsin Physican Profile
Matthew Buelow, MD
Medical Director for Regional Services – Northeast, Children’s Specialty Group
Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin
Training:
-Medical College of Wisconsin, Internal Medicine Pediatric Residency, 2009-2013
-Medical College of Wisconsin/Children’s Wisconsin Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship, 2013-2016
Interests: Pediatric cardiology, adult congenital heart disease, echocardiography
Children's Wisconsin Physican Profile
Jennifer Gerardin, MD
Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
Training:
-Michigan State University/Grand Rapids Medical Education and Research Center Internal Medicine Pediatric Residency, 2006-2010
-University of Minnesota Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship, 2012-2015
-Emory University ACHD Fellowship, 2015-2017
-Emory University, Level III trained CMR and Level II trained Cardiac CT, 2015-2017
Interests: Pediatric cardiology, adult congenital heart disease, lysosomal storage disease, cardiac MR and cardiac CT
Children's Wisconsin Physician Profile
Salil Ginde, MD, MPH
Marfan and Related Connective Tissue Disorders Director
Fontan Survivorship and Advanced Therapies Program Co-Director
Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
Training:
-University of Chicago Medical Center Internal Medicine Pediatric Residency, 2005-2009
-Medical College of Wisconsin/Children’s Wisconsin Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship, 2009-2012
-Medical College of Wisconsin/Children’s Wisconsin ACHD Fellowship, 2012-2013
Interests: Pediatric cardiology, adult congenital heart disease, echocardiography, connective tissue disease, long term complications of single ventricle patients
Children's Wisconsin Physician Profile
In addition to the core ACHD faculty, WAtCH Program fellows learn from an extensive multidisciplinary team which involves pediatric and adult cardiology programs, interventional cardiology electrophysiology, cardiac imaging, heart failure/transplant, pulmonary hypertension, cardiac intensive care, cardiothoracic surgery, cardiac anesthesia, OBGYN/MFM, genetic counselors, and more.
Herma Heart Institute Faculty
Adult Cardiovascular Division Faculty
Bradley Johnson, MD
Current fellow
Lindsey Katzmark, NP
Nurse Practitioner
Melanie Parent, NP
Nurse Practitioner
Patricia Stoll, MSN
Social Worker
Kristen Andersen, BA
Program Coordinator
Melissa Hodgson, BSN
Nurse Clinician
Emily Reinhardt, BSN
Nurse Clinician
Joel Robers, BSN
Nurse Clinician
Jane Sowinski, BSN
Nurse Coordinator
Catherine Weinberg, MD
St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital Center, Internal Medicine Residency, 2004-2007
St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital Center, Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship, 2007-2010
Medical College of Wisconsin/Children’s Wisconsin ACHD Fellowship, 2010-2011
Current Position: Dr. Weinberg is the Program Director of the Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program and High Risk Cardiovascular Obstetrics at Lenox Hill Hospital, Northwell Health. Hempstead, New York.
Scott Cohen, MD, MPH
Brown University, Internal Medicine Pediatric Residency, 2003-2007
Brown University, Adult Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship, 2007-2010
Brown University, Preventative Cardiology, 2010-2011
Medical College of Wisconsin/Children’s Wisconsin ACHD Fellowship, 2011-2012
Current Position: Dr. Cohen is the Medical Director of the ACHD Program at the Medical College of Wisconsin/Children’s Wisconsin. He is also the Director of the ACHD Fellowship and the Co-Director of the Heart Disease in Pregnancy Program. Practices in adult cardiology and ACHD cardiology.
Salil Ginde, MD, MPH
University of Chicago Medical Center Internal Medicine Pediatric Residency, 2005-2009
Medical College of Wisconsin/Children’s Wisconsin Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship, 2009-2012
Medical College of Wisconsin/Children’s Wisconsin ACHD Fellowship, 2012-2013
Current Position: Associate Medical Director of the ACHD Program and Medical Director of the Marfan and Related Connective Tissue Disorders Program at the Medical College of Wisconsin/Children’s Wisconsin. He is also Co-Director of the Fontan Survivorship and Advanced Therapies Program at Children’s Wisconsin. Practices pediatric and ACHD cardiology.
Jonathan Cramer, MD
University of Louisville, Internal Medicine Pediatric Residency, 2006-2010
Medical College of Wisconsin/Children’s Wisconsin Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship, 2010-2013
Medical College of Wisconsin/Children’s Wisconsin ACHD Fellowship, 2013-2014
Current Position: Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program Director at University of Omaha. Practices pediatric and ACHD cardiology.
Daniel Cox, DO
Maine Medical Center, Internal Medicine Pediatric Residency, 2008-2011
Medical College of Wisconsin/Children’s Wisconsin Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship, 2011-2014
Medical College of Wisconsin/Children’s Wisconsin ACHD Fellowship, 2014-2015
Current Position: Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program Director at University of Utah. Practices pediatric and ACHD cardiology.
Roni Jacobsen, MD
Phoenix Children’s Hospital/Maricopa Medical Center
Internal Medicine Pediatrics Residency, 2008-2012
Medical College of Wisconsin/Children’s Wisconsin Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship, 2012-2015
Medical College of Wisconsin/Children’s Wisconsin ACHD Fellowship, 2015-2017
Current Position: Pediatric and ACHD Faculty at University of Colorado/Children’s Hospital of Colorado
Eve Chongthammakun, MD
Cleveland Clinic Foundation Internal Medicine Residency, 2012-2015
Jackson Memorial Hospital/University of Miami, Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship, 2015-2018
Medical College of Wisconsin/Children’s Wisconsin ACHD Fellowship, 2018-2020
Current Position: Practices ACHD, adult cardiology, and Cardiac MR at Centra Health, Lynchburg, Virginia
James Kimber, MD
Lehigh Valley Health Network, Internal Medicine Residency, 2014-2017|
Lehigh Valley Health Network, Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship, 2017-2020
Medical College of Wisconsin/Children’s Wisconsin ACHD Fellowship, 2019-2021
Current Position: Practices ACHD, adult cardiology, and Cardiac MR/echocardiography at Penn State Health
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Our Fellowship in Pictures
