Mission
Statement
Greater Philadelphia Angio Club (GPAC) is an initiative by ACVC within the Education & Learning enterprise as an educational forum to discuss treatments in various aspects of cardiovascular medicine. GPAC was founded in June 2011 recognizing the need for faculty and fellows within the Greater Philadelphia region across 5 medical college-affiliated hospitals (University of Pennsylvania, Jefferson University, Drexel University, Temple University, and Cooper University), and 5 additional training hospitals (Einstein, Lankenau, Bryn Mawr, Chester-Crozer, and Deborah) alongside multiple community hospitals within the greater city radius to facilitate case-based discussions of treatment paradigms across institutions and training facilities. GPAC convenes monthly on the fourth Tuesday or Thursday of the month to alternate topics between coronary, structural, peripheral, and venous vascular medicine.
GREATER PHILADELPHIA ANGIO CLUB (GPAC) TOPICS 2021
Jan 28: Impact of COVID in the Cath Lab
My Most Challenging COVID Case
GPAC Interventional Fellows
Feb 25: Brachytherapy and Current Applications
Michael Savage, Jefferson
Mar 16: Innovations in Endovascular Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair
Richard Kovach, Deborah
Apr 22: Structural Heart Interventions and What’s Next
Howard Herrmann, Penn
May 27: Evolution of Clinical Trials in Interventional Cardiology
SCAI (April 28-May 1) and ACC (May 15-17) Update
David Fischman, Jefferson
Jun 17: A Look Back at My Tenure in the Cath Lab
Best and Worst Cases as a Graduating Fellow
GPAC Interventional Fellows
Jul 29: Where is Pulmonary Embolism Response Headed?
Riyaz Bashir, Temple
Aug 26: Coronary Bifurcation Strategies
Sean Janzer, Einstein
Sep 23: Complex Peripheral Endovascular Interventions
Rajesh Dave, Penn State
Oct 14: The Next Frontier for Interventional Cardiology
Bill Gray, Lankenau
Nov 18: TCT (Sept 23-27) and VIVA (Nov 2-5) Update
Dan McCormick, Jefferson
Dec 16: Cath Lab Complications
My Unexpected Cath Lab Experience
GPAC Interventional Fellows
“All meetings are temporarily on hold due to COVID-19. We will resume as soon as quarantine restrictions are lifted and it is safe to meet together in public. We are currently evaluating the feasibility of virtual meetings. Please stay tuned for updates.”
Advisory Board members
Jon George, MD
Interventional Cardiologist, President ACVC
Dr. Jon C. George, completed his medical training at University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in Cincinnati, Ohio; Internal Medicine residency and Cardiovascular Disease fellowship training at University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio; and Interventional Cardiology and Endovascular Medicine subspecialty fellowship training at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He serves as Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory and Director of Interventional Research at Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Clinical Professor of Medicine at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He has published more than 100 papers in reputed journals, book chapters, and textbooks, and serves as a reviewer and editorial board member for multiple journals. He is also Editor of the top-selling Evidence-Based Guide to Interventional Cardiology and Endovascular Medicine. In addition, he has received numerous honors and awards for his contributions to research and clinical cardiology including Top Doc recognition in Philadelphia in several consecutive years.
Sahil Banka, MD
Interventional Cardiologist, Einstein Medical Center
Dr. Sahil Banka, is native Philadelphian and an interventional cardiologist. Currently, he practices at Einstein Cardiology Associates. Dr. Banka completed his bachelor's degree at the University of Pennsylvania. He earned his medical degree from Howard University. He went on to complete a residency in internal medicine at Washington University, St. Louis, Barnes-Jewish Hospital. Subsequently, he completed fellowships in interventional cardiology and cardiovascular disease at Drexel University, Hahnemann Hospital. Dr. Banka is certified in cardiovascular disease and interventional cardiology by the American Board of Internal Medicine. His interests include CHIP PCI, coronary CTO PCI, peripheral vascular interventions and using novel technologies in the interventional space to improve outcomes. He enjoys training fellows, teaching and learning percutaneous techniques.
Tai Kobayashi, MD
Interventional Cardiologist, Hospital of University of Pennsylvania
Dr. Tai Kobayashi, is an interventional cardiologist at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He obtained his medical degree from the Case Western Reserve School of Medicine. He completed his internship and residency at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He then completed his general cardiovascular fellowship and interventional cardiology fellowship at the Hospital of the university of Pennsylvania. His clinical and research interests include advanced coronary artery disease including left main coronary artery disease, coronary imaging, complete total occlusions in the coronary arteries, high risk coronary interventions requiring percutaneous ventricular assist devices, advanced treatment options for pulmonary embolism, renal denervation for refractory hypertension and TAVR. He is also a Lieutenant Commander in the Medical Corps for the US Navy Reserve.
Vladimir Lakhter, DO
Interventional Cardiologist, Temple University Hospital
Dr. Vladimir Lakhter, received his medical degree from New York College of Osteopathic Medicine. He went on to complete the internal medicine residency, general cardiology and interventional cardiology fellowships at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia. After Temple, he went on to do a one-year Vascular Medicine and Endovascular Intervention fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Dr. Lakhter is currently an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Temple University Hospital in the subsection of Interventional Cardiology. His research interests include endovascular management of acute and chronic venous thromboembolic disease.
Nicholas Ruggerio, MD
Interventional Cardiologist, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
Dr. Nicholas J. Ruggiero II, was born and raised in Wilkes-Barre, PA. He graduated summa cum laude from King’s College in Wilkes Barre, PA majoring in Biology and minoring in Molecular Genetics. He then attended Jefferson Medical College where he graduated Magna Cum Laude. He completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and served an extra year as chief medical resident. He completed his fellowship in Cardiovascular Diseases at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. He then completed 2 additional fellowships at the Massachusetts General Hospital studying interventional coronary and structural cardiology and vascular medicine and interventions. While there served on the faculty of Harvard Medical School as an instructor in the cardiac catheterization lab. Upon finishing his fellowships, he was awarded the Gregory P. Braden Memorial award, given to the top graduating interventional cardiology fellow in the country from the Society of Coronary Angiography and Intervention and the CRT Young Leaders Award. He was recruited back to Jefferson to begin his own section as the Director of Structural Heart Disease and Non-coronary interventions. During his tenure, he has developed the transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) program, Mitraclip program and left atrial appendage occlusion (Watchman) program, He serves as the Director of the Jefferson Heart Institute vascular laboratory, Associate Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory and Associate Program Director of the Cardiology fellowship. He has published over 50 peer reviewed papers, authored numerous book chapters and abstracts, edited multiple textbooks, delivered multiple lectures at national and international meetings, served on many national and international committees and is on the editorial board of multiple journals. He is board certified in internal medicine, cardiology, and interventional cardiology. He is a fellow of many medical societies and is currently at the rank of Associate Professor at the Sidney Kimmel Medical College. He is an active researcher and is considered a national thought leader in structural heart disease and peripheral vascular interventions. He is currently the President of the Sidney Kimmel Medical College Alumni Association.
Vincent Varghese, DO
Interventional Cardiologist, Deborah Heart and Lung Center
Dr. Vincent Varghese, is an Interventional Cardiologist at Deborah Heart and Lung Center in New Jersey. He is the Director of the Interventional Cardiology Fellowship Program, which trains 4 fellows per year. He specializes in complex coronary intervention, endovascular medicine, and structural heart interventions. He has been the principal investigator and co-investigator of numerous clinical trials.
GPAC
GALLERY
