Mercy Health expands cardiology care team

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SPRINGFIELD – Just in time for American Heart Month, Mercy Health – Springfield is announcing the expansion of its cardiology care team. As part of its ongoing commitment to fighting heart disease, Mercy Health welcomes Dr. Jose Rodriguez and Dr. Michael Siegenthaler, two cardiothoracic surgeons who will officially come aboard in February.

“We’re very excited to be welcoming these new providers to the Springfield market,” said Adam Groshans, president of Mercy Health – Springfield. “Their arrival will mark the latest chapter of growth for our heart and vascular services in this community, which will increase accessibility to specialized cardiac care and provide comprehensive inpatient and outpatient services closer to where our patients live.”

A cardiothoracic surgeon can operate on the heart, lungs, and other parts of the chest. It’s common for lung cancer, heart disease, aneurysm, and stroke patients to require these types of procedures. While some conditions require open surgery, many can now be treated with less invasive procedures. Rodriguez and Siegenthaler are both board-certified thoracic surgeons, with extensive training in minimally invasive cardiothoracic surgery. Between them, they share 35 years of experience in the field.

Rodriguez completed his initial University and Medical School training in Puerto Rico in 1999 before completing a General Surgery Residency at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He went on to complete his cardiothoracic surgery fellowship at The University of Alabama in Birmingham, Alabama in 2007. Rodriguez has worked as a cardiothoracic surgeon in Ohio since graduating, including time spent at Mercy St. Rita’s Medical Center in Lima, and multiple locations in the Dayton area including Miami Valley Hospital.

Meanwhile, Siegenthaler most recently served as Medical Director of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the Mount Carmel Health System in Columbus before joining the team at Mercy Health and has a successful track record of building multidisciplinary cardiovascular programs with quality results.

He completed his medical doctoral degree in Bern, Switzerland, and graduated from the University of Connecticut General Surgery Residency before successfully completing his cardiothoracic training at the Texas Heart Institute. Siegenthaler also spent more than a decade at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Maryland, where he was an integral part of the structural heart and aortic disease programs. He has the academic rank of an Associate Professor of Surgery with more than 50 peer reviewed publications.

Dr. Waseem Sajjad also recently joined the Mercy Health team, becoming Mercy Health’s seventh interventional cardiologist on staff. He currently practices at Mercy Health — Heart House locations in Enon, Springfield, and Urbana. He is a board-certified cardiologist who earned his medical degree at Allama Iqbal Medical College in Pakistan and completed his residency in internal medicine at Lincoln Medical Center in New York.

Sajjad has also contributed to several published scholarly articles and presentations, which include studies focused on atrial fibrillation, congenital arrythmia syndromes, and other cardiovascular diseases. He brings to the team a variety of experience ranging from electrophysiology to interventional cardiology.

“I like to get to know my patients,” said Sajjad. “Every patient is unique with their own needs. They may have the same symptoms, but treatment plans can be quite different.”

With the addition of these new providers, Mercy Health’s cardiology team is now made up of 17 physicians and advanced practice clinicians who are using the latest technology and most up-to-date techniques to help patients prevent, manage, treat, and recovery from heart diseases and conditions.

“Each of our providers offers a different specialty and perspective when it comes to providing patients with the exceptional care they need and deserve to live a healthy life. We’re proud to have such a robust team of experts working together to offer the highest quality of care right here in Springfield and Urbana,” said Groshans.

You can learn more about our providers and the cardiology services we offer at www.mercy.com.

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