Ascension Saint Thomas Heart is proud to invest in the healthcare heroes of the future with the launch of an ACGME-accredited Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship. Sponsored by the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine, this is the first Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education accredited fellowship at Ascension Saint Thomas.

The first cohort of fellows will begin the 3-year program in summer 2022 and will spend time rotating between the Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital Midtown and West campuses. Fellows will be recruited from internal medicine residency programs across the country. Applications will be accepted through the Electronic Residency Application Service® (ERAS®), and more information about the program will be live by June 2021 at the UTHSC Nashville website.

"We are honored to play a part in educating the next generation of cardiologists," said Dr. Geoffrey Smallwood, Chief Academic Officer, Ascension Saint Thomas. "In addition to gaining extensive hands-on experience in the nation's health care capital, our fellows will benefit from the mentorship and example of our compassionate, dedicated, and innovative caregivers."

Timir Paul, M.D., P.h.D., M.P.H., has been selected as Program Director. He most recently served as Director of Interventional Cardiology, Associate Program Director of the Cardiology Fellowship, and Director of Cardiovascular Research at East Tennessee State University's Quillen College of Medicine.

"Ascension Saint Thomas Heart is very excited to welcome Dr. Timir Paul, Program Director, who will be working with Dr. Elias Haddad, Associate Program Director, as they embark on building our newly approved Cardiology Fellowship," said Dr. Evelio Rodriguez, Co-Director, Ascension Saint Thomas Heart. "This is the next natural step in the evolution of our Cardiovascular Service Line so that we can continue to provide best-in-class cardiac care."

"We are delighted to expand our educational partnership with Ascension Saint Thomas, launching the UTHSC-Nashville Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship program," said Dr. Scott E. Strome, Robert Kaplan Executive Dean and Vice Chancellor for Clinical Affairs, University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine. "This fellowship reflects UTHSC's commitment to educating advanced care providers across the state to improve access and quality of care for all Tennesseans."