Cardiology Fellowship Program

The UTHSC pediatric cardiology fellowship training program is a medium-sized and growing fellowship program that takes three fellows per year. It is based at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, the only subspecialty children’s hospital within a 100-mile radius.

Le Bonheur’s cardiothoracic surgical program is one of only 12 programs to receive the highest possible three-star rating from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS). The cardiology program also provides all pediatric cardiology services for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, a premier research center for pediatric cancer and hematological diseases, and Regional One Health where approximately 4,500 babies are delivered each year.

Growth of the cardiology division from seven faculty in 2006 to the current 35 faculty has supported a focus on interventional cardiology, pediatric cardiomyopathy, cardio-oncology, electrophysiology, cardio-genetics and adult congenital heart disease.

Learn more about UTHSC's Cardiology program and apply.

A Le Bonheur pediatric cardiology fellow, Neil Tailor, interacts with a CVICU patient, Lincoln Hopper.

Research Interests:

  • Extracorporeal Membranous Oxygenation (ECMO) Outcomes in Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome of Childhood (MIS-C) by Noah Miller; poster presentation at PCICS meeting, Dec. 2022
  • Donor Heart Preservation Strategy Using a Cold Storage System for Pediatric Heart Transplantation by Cihangir Buyukgoz, platform presentation at ISHLT annual meeting, April 2023, Denver, CO
  • Role of cardio-ankle vascular index as a predictor of left ventricular hypertrophy in children with hypertension by Evan Harvey, poster presentation at Southern Regional Meeting, February 2023, research travel award winner
  • Strategies and techniques for percutaneous Veno-Arterial ECMO cannulation and decannulation in children, Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions by Cihangir Buyukgoz
  • Incidence of acute neurological events in neonates and infants undergoing cardiac surgery using a high-hematocrit/high-flow bypass strategy by Cihangir Buyukgoz, World Journal for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery
  • Outcomes of Paracorporeal Ventricular Assist Device Support In Infants With Congenital Heart Disease, Cihangir Buyukgoz, WCPCCS, Aug. 2023
  • Ebstein’s Anomaly: a personalized approach to symptomatic neonates by Sarah Parkerson and James Change, The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
  • An innovative cervical approach for the insertion of a miniature microaxial flow ventricular assist device by Evan Harvey, JTCVS Techniques
  • Acute Myocardial Infarction In An Adolescent With Previous Covid-19 Myocarditis, Managed With A Miniature Microaxial Flow Ventricular Assist Device by Cihangir Buyukgoz, WCPCCS 2023
  • Improving surgical hand off in the CVICU, Le Bonheur Quality Improvement Grant, Chris Schmitt

Program Staff: Cardiology

Program Director

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Dr. Yohannan specializes in general pediatric cardiology and non-invasive imaging. Dr. Yohannan is the medical director of inpatient pediatric cardiology within the Heart Institute at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital and the director of the pediatric cardiology fellowship for the Heart Institute at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital and University of Tennessee Health Science Center. He is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics with a cardiology subspecialty and is an associate professor at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.

Associate Program Director

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Dr. Kramer is a dual-trained, triple-boarded cardiac critical care intensivist who is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics in pediatrics, with a cardiology subspecialty and a critical care subspecialty. Dr. Kramer completed fellowships in Pediatric Critical Care Medicine and Pediatric Cardiology at Johns Hopkins Children's Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland before joining the Heart Institute at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital.

Associate Program Director

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Dr. Swaminathan is an associate professor with the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. She is a member of the Heart Institute at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital with expertise in general pediatric cardiology and non-invasive imaging and specializes in fetal echocardiography. Dr. Swaminathan is the associate program director of the Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship for the Heart Institute at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. She is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics with a cardiology subspecialty. Prior to joining the Heart Institute faculty, Dr. Swaminathan completed her Pediatric Cardiology fellowship at Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of New York-Presbyterian, Columbia University Medical Center in New York. She is member of the American Society of Echocardiography, Fetal Heart Society, American Academy of Pediatrics and Association of Pediatric Program Directors.

Fellowship Coordinator

Cody Hinkley
chinkley@uthsc.edu
901-287-6034