Meet Our Heart Institute Team
The Heart Institute at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital uses the combined expertise of an advanced pediatric cardiac team to provide specialized care for children with congenital heart disease. Pediatric cardiologists, pediatric cardiothoracic surgeons, cardiac intensivists, pediatric intensivists and anesthesiologists make up the Heart Institute. Advanced practice nurses, perfusionists, cardiac nurses, respiratory therapists and lab and imaging technicians are specially trained in pediatric cardiology care.
Heart Institute Leadership
Dr. Knott-Craig is the co-director of the Heart Institute and professor of surgery at The University of Tennessee Health Science Center. He is certified by the South African Medical & Dental Council in Cardiothoracic Surgery and specializes in minimally invasive valve surgery, infant cardiac surgery and has pioneered surgical treatments for Ebstein’s anomaly. Knott-Craig is a founding member of the World Society of Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery and recipient of South Africa's Officio tua Dilligmus Award for humanitarian service in the field of medicine.
Dr. Towbin co-leads Le Bonheur’s Heart Institute and also serves as chief of Pediatric Cardiology for the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Towbin specializes in diagnostic and therapeutic advances for cardiomyopathies (heart muscle disease), heart failure, heart transplantation and cardiovascular genetics. His research work and clinical expertise in pediatric heart failure is internationally known, and he is widely thought of as a leader in pediatric cardiology.
Cardiology
Dr. Absi is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics with a cardiology subspecialty and is an assistant professor at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. He is certified in advanced cardiac life support.
Dr. Agrawal is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics. He is an assistant professor with the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.
Dr. Beasley is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics. He is an assistant professor with the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.
Dr. Goldberg is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics. He is an assistant professor with the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.
Dr. Guerrier is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics with a cardiology subspecialty. She is an assistant professor with the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.
Dr. Hendrickson is an assistant professor with the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. He specializes in Adult Congenital Heart Disease.
Dr. Johnson is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics with a cardiology subspecialty. He is an assistant professor with the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. His areas of focus include non-invasive imaging including advanced echo, fetal cardiology and cardiac MRI.
Dr. Joshi is medical director of Noninvasive Cardiology, and is associate professor at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. He is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics with a cardiology subspecialty and specializes in fetal cardiology and imaging, echocardiography and sports related cardiology.
Dr. Martinez is an Assistant Professor at The University of Tennessee Health Science Center. He is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics with a cardiology sub-specialty. His areas of focus include Pediatric Transplant Cardiology, Cardiomyopathies, Cardio-Genetics and Cardio-Oncology.
Dr. Briceno-Medina is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics with a cardiology subspecialty. He is an instructor with the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.
Dr. Merlocco is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics with a cardiology subspecialty. He is an instructor with the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.
Dr. Naik is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics with a cardiology subspecialty and is an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. He specializes in non-invasive imaging including stress echocardiography, fetal echocardiography, 3-D echocardiography."
Dr. Parashar is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics. He is an assistant professor with the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.
Dr. Paudel is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics with a cardiology subspecialty. He is an assistant professor with the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.
Dr. Ranjit Philip is an instructor at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. He specializes in telemedicine, 3-D echocardiography and non-invasive cardiology.
Dr. Rebolledo is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics with a cardiology subspecialty. He is an associate professor with the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. He specializes in transthoracic, transesophageal and fetal echocardiography, as well as congenital and acquired pediatric heart disease.
Dr. Ryan received her medical degree from Temple University School of Medicine. She was a PGY-6 Pediatric Cardiology Fellow at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center/Le Bonheur Children's Hospital.
Dr. Sathanandam is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics with a cardiology subspecialty and is an assistant professor at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. He specializes in interventional cardiology, transcatheter valve implantation and catheter based intervention for complex congenital heart disease.
Dr. Surendran is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics. She is an Assistant Professor with the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.
Dr. Swaminathan is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics with a cardiology subspecialty. She is an assistant professor with the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.
Dr. Waller is the medical director of cardio-imaging, certified by the American Board of Pediatrics with a cardiology subspecialty and is an associate professor at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. He specializes in interventional pediatric cardiology, including therapeutic catheterizations for critically ill neonates, critically ill preoperative patients and complex cases of adults with congenital heart disease; transcatheter closure of intracardiac shunts.
Dr. Wetzel is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics with a cardiology subspecialty and is a professor at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. He specializes in electrophysiology, cardiac arrhythmias, radiofrequency ablation and cryoablation.
Dr. Yohannan is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics with a cardiology subspecialty and is an instructor at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. He specializes in non-invasive cardiology, preventive cardiology, cardiomyopathies, cardiac failure and cardiac transplantation.
Cardiothoracic Surgery
Dr. Boston is the surgical director of the heart transplant and ventricular assist device program at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, surgical director of Le Bonheur's adult congenital heart disease program. He specializes in the transplantation of infants with complex congenital heart disease. Dr. Boston is actively involved in teaching and research in Pediatrics and Cardiothoracic Surgery, and has published on many subject matters, including Ebstein's Anomaly and ventricular device support in the pediatric population.
Dr. Sainathan is an assistant professor of surgery for the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. He is board certified by the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Thoracic Surgery with a congenital subspecialty certification. He completed his cardiothoracic surgery residency at Yale-New Haven Hospital, Yale School of Medicine.
Cardiac Anesthesiology
Dr. Willis is a Cardiac Anesthesiologist.
Dr. Head is a Cardiac Anesthesiologist.
Dr. Pereiras is a Cardiac Anesthesiologist.
Critical Care Intensivists
Dr. Kimura is a Critical Care Intensivist.
Dr. Sandhu is a Critical Care Intensivist.
Dr. Shah is a Critical Care Intensivist.
Dr. Tadphale is a Cardiac Critical Care Intensivist.
Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistant
Ryan Stephens is a nurse practitioner for the Le Bonheur ACHD program. Stephens was born with tetralogy of Fallot and underwent surgical repair as a child. He now enjoys an active life with few limitations.
Perfusionists and Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists
Perfusionists
Jerry Allen, CCP, Chief Perfusionist
Mike Solimine, CCP
Andrew Sclesinger, CCP
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists
Gordon Corder, CRNA
Genevieve DuPuis, CRNA
Kim Graves, CRNA
Janet Sessums, CRNA
Jack Tipton, CRNA
