NGMC matches new class of fellows in cardiovascular disease

Published: Friday, December 22, 2023

Photo cutline: (L-R) Habib Samady, MD, president of Georgia Heart Institute; Ugochukwu Egolum, MD, program director of the Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship program; John E. Delzell, Jr., MD, vice president of Medical Education for NGHS and Designated Institutional Official for NGMC.

GAINESVILLE, Ga. – More physicians are on the way to care for patients with cardiovascular disease as Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) learned who is joining the Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship program.

Six Cardiovascular Disease fellows have matched with NGMC, bringing the total to 18 fellows training in heart health. This third class of Cardiovascular Disease fellows continues to complement the commitment of Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS) to provide exceptional heart care for generations.

“The new fellows will work side-by-side with physicians of distinction at the Georgia Heart Institute, as well as collaborate with our current fellows – all to provide excellent care for our patients,” said Ugochukwu Egolum, MD, program director of the Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship program. “As Georgia’s most forward-thinking heart and vascular program, we leverage our exceptional accomplishments in clinical care, research, innovation and education to train the future leaders of cardiovascular care for our region and beyond.”

To become a board-certified cardiologist, doctors must first complete a residency program in internal medicine before beginning a cardiology fellowship. The Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship program is a three-year program that offers six fellowship slots per year.

“The pool of applicants gets more competitive each year for this important fellowship,” said John E. Delzell, Jr., MD, MSPH, FAAFP vice president of Medical Education for NGHS and Designated Institutional Official for NGMC. “Our elite faculty is committed to provide an intellectually stimulating environment for clinical learning that includes experiences beyond the clinic, such as research, education and outreach.”

NGMC will welcome these fellows on July 1:

Cardiovascular Disease Fellows Residency

Moneba Anees, MD – Emory University School of Medicine

Teja Chakrala, MD – University of Florida

Shivani Mehta, MD – Trinity Health Oakland/Wayne State University Program

Toochukwu Okafor, MD – Hartford Healthcare/St. Vincent’s Medical Center

Roshni Prakash MD – University of Florida

Courtney Wills, MD – University of North Carolina

For more information about NGMC’s Graduate Medical Education program, please visit www.ngmcgme.org.

About NGMC

Since 1951, Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) has been on a mission of improving the health of our community in all we do. With hospitals located in Gainesville, Braselton, Winder and Dahlonega, the four NGMC campuses have a total of more than 700 beds and more than 1,200 medical staff members representing more than 50 specialties. NGMC is part of Northeast Georgia Health System, a non-profit that cares for more than one million people across more than 19 counties. Learn more at www.nghs.com.