--- title: "About the CPMC Cardiology Fellowship Program at Sutter Health" description: "Learn more about the California Pacific Medical Center Cardiology Fellowship Program." url: "https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/fellowships/cpmc-cardiology/about" --- 1. [Home](https://www.sutterhealth.org/) / 2. [Education](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education) / 3. [Graduate Medical Education](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme) / 4. [Fellowships](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/fellowships) / 5. [Cardiology, San Francisco](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/fellowships/cpmc-cardiology) / 6. About the Program # About the Fellowship Program **Section menu** - [Cardiology, San Francisco](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/fellowships/cpmc-cardiology "Cardiology, San Francisco") - [About the Program](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/fellowships/cpmc-cardiology/about "About the Program") - [History](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/fellowships/cpmc-cardiology/about/history "History") - [Conferences](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/fellowships/cpmc-cardiology/conferences "Conferences") - [Faculty](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/fellowships/cpmc-cardiology/faculty "Faculty")  - [Fellows](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/fellowships/cpmc-cardiology/fellows "Fellows")  - [FAQs](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/fellowships/cpmc-cardiology/faqs "FAQs") - [Graduates](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/fellowships/cpmc-cardiology/alumni "Graduates")  - [How to Apply](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/fellowships/cpmc-cardiology/apply "How to Apply") - [Research](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/fellowships/cpmc-cardiology/research "Research") - [Rotations](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/fellowships/cpmc-cardiology/clinical-rotations "Rotations")   - [Testimonials](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/fellowships/cpmc-cardiology/testimonials "Testimonials") - [Cardiology, San Francisco](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/fellowships/cpmc-cardiology "Cardiology, San Francisco") - [About the Program](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/fellowships/cpmc-cardiology/about "About the Program") - [History](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/fellowships/cpmc-cardiology/about/history "History") - [Conferences](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/fellowships/cpmc-cardiology/conferences "Conferences") - [Faculty](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/fellowships/cpmc-cardiology/faculty "Faculty")  - [Fellows](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/fellowships/cpmc-cardiology/fellows "Fellows")  - [FAQs](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/fellowships/cpmc-cardiology/faqs "FAQs") - [Graduates](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/fellowships/cpmc-cardiology/alumni "Graduates")  - [How to Apply](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/fellowships/cpmc-cardiology/apply "How to Apply") - [Research](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/fellowships/cpmc-cardiology/research "Research") - [Rotations](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/fellowships/cpmc-cardiology/clinical-rotations "Rotations")   - [Testimonials](https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/fellowships/cpmc-cardiology/testimonials "Testimonials") The cardiovascular fellowship program at CPMC was founded in 1959 at a time when Presbyterian Medical Center had emerged as a major center of innovation in the treatment of cardiovascular disease. The first open heart surgery on the West Coast was performed here in 1954. In fact, from the time the institution was originally founded as Cooper Medical College in the late 1800s, and as Stanford University School of Medicine in the early 1900s, there has been a strong tradition of medical education and clinical training. CPMC was established as a merger of four of the oldest medical centers in San Francisco, and the institution continues to be one of the busiest cardiovascular centers in the Bay Area. As the largest medical center within the Sutter Health system, CPMC is a tertiary referral center for complex cardiac services from throughout Northern California. Drawing patients regionally, nationally, and internationally, CPMC is an exceptional institution for cardiovascular training. From its inception, the fellowship program has been closely integrated into the Division of Cardiology, and fellows train in an intimate setting, working side-by-side throughout the day with faculty cardiologists and cardiovascular surgeons. A collegial environment is constantly fostered that encourages fellows to participate in patient care as junior attendings. Fellows are also an integral part of the quality improvement processes for both the Division as well as the fellowship program. All fellows attend the monthly institutional cardiovascular process improvement meetings as members of specific workgroups that work on projects throughout the year. In regular group meetings with the program director (weekly, during pandemic), fellows have the opportunity to give immediate feedback regarding rotations and curricula, and collectively play an active role in the direction of this responsive and adaptive program. In the newly opened Van Ness and Mission Bernal campuses, our nine fellows have the opportunity to train, teach and care for patients in state-of-the-art facilities with the latest healthcare delivery innovations and technologies. Through a Technology-in-Cardiology curriculum, fellows are able to utilize and evaluate the newest technology trends, such as wearable ECG monitors and electronic stethoscopes. In a program without subspecialty interventional or electrophysiology fellows, our fellows are directly involved in the most advanced levels of cardiovascular care delivery, including cutting-edge coronary and structural interventions, complex catheter ablations, and pacemaker and ICD implantations and extractions. As the center that performed the nation’s first heart transplant outside of a university research setting in 1984, CPMC has continued to pioneer the field of heart failure management and has long provided a uniquely advanced training experience for our general cardiology fellows. In 2021, CPMC is excited to welcome our first fellow into the newly ACGME-accredited Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology subspecialty fellowship program. Through two decades of support from the William E. & Aenid R. Weisgerber Foundation the program has created a rigorous didactic curriculum to accompany its busy clinical rotations, including a weekly cardiology grand rounds series that features national and international experts. The recent generous endowment from Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem will allow expansion of other lecture series, as well as continued support for fellows attending cardiovascular conferences and review courses for subspecialty certifications. While many graduates go on to further subspecialty training, most find positions in group and foundation practices in the Bay Area. Wealth of advanced clinical experience, coupled with resources for expansive learning opportunities, have allowed CPMC to provide training for a new generation of cardiologists that leave the program as exceptional clinicians, well-versed in the forefront of cardiovascular care, and confidently prepared for board examinations as well as for clinical practice in a region known for superior cardiovascular care. ### Living in San Francisco There’s never a dull moment in San Francisco, a national hub for culture, dining, outdoor activities, local events, theater and parades. Experience the mountains, beach, and city in one iconic place that’s an easy drive away from wine country or skiing. [Get to Know the Area](https://www.visitcalifornia.com/places-to-visit/san-francisco/) ### Contact Us **Program Coordinator** Wanda Keith [415-600-5966](tel:+14156005966) 415-447-6322 fax [wanda.keith@sutterhealth.org](mailto:wanda.keith@sutterhealth.org) **Associate Program Director** Rupsa Yee, MD **Program Director** Richard H. Hongo, MD, FACC, FHRS [Get In Touch](mailto:wanda.keith@sutterhealth.org) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalOrganization","name":"Sutter Health","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/#medicalorganization","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org","logo":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/static/images/sutter-health-logo.svg","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"2200 River Plaza Drive","addressLocality":"Sacramento","addressRegion":"CA","postalCode":"95833","addressCountry":"US"},"areaServed":{"@type":"AdministrativeArea","name":"California"},"sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/SutterHealth","https://www.instagram.com/sutterhealth/","https://x.com/SutterHealth","https://www.youtube.com/sutterhealth","https://www.linkedin.com/company/sutter-health","https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutter_Health"]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"WebPage","name":"About the CPMC Cardiology Fellowship Program at Sutter Health ","description":"Learn more about the California Pacific Medical Center Cardiology Fellowship Program.","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/fellowships/cpmc-cardiology/about","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/fellowships/cpmc-cardiology/about#breadcrumblist"}} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/fellowships/cpmc-cardiology/about#breadcrumblist","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Education","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/education"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Graduate Medical Education","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Fellowships","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/fellowships"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":5,"name":"Cardiology, San Francisco","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/education/gme/fellowships/cpmc-cardiology"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":6,"name":"About the Program"}]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"CPMC Cardiovascular Fellowship ","thumbnailUrl":"https://cf-images.us-east-1.prod.boltdns.net/v1/static/817826402001/35b64f06-0339-4981-bdb5-78d925168da8/1eda3454-bfea-4a89-8be3-4dd545f63732/1280x720/match/image.jpg","uploadDate":"2023-11-07T15:56:36.920Z","embedUrl":"https://players.brightcove.net/817826402001/79bcaa57-54d7-453c-9f1f-8ab3ef7b15de/index.html?videoId=6338460297112","description":"This video gives an overview of the CPMC Cardiovascular Fellowship. ","duration":"PT9M7S","transcript":"[GENTLE MUSIC]\n\nRUPSA YEE: There is growth.\nThere is leadership qualities being built into these fellows.\nAnd they really become these incredible, mature adults\nin so many levels who are able to think on their feet\nand yet maintain their sense of compassion.\nIn addition, we laugh a lot.\nThey become my friends and my confidantes at so many level.\nSo it is absolutely what you think of medical.\nWe rely a lot on the fellows to become great teachers\nby interacting with the house staff and the medical students\nthat are on our team.\nSo there are team leaders.\nThey definitely have to know the literature.\nThey do have to know what they're talking about.\nAnd they have to display a sense of confidence and a clarity\nduring their time in the CCU.\nANDREW ROSENBLATT: We have among the highest volumes in San\nFrancisco and draw patients from the entire Northern California\narea in which Sutter serves.\nFellowship programs always evolve,\nand they're never static.\nIt's no good to be static.\nThe major changes that occurred over the last few years\nhave really been changes that mimic or track\nchanges in cardiology, in heart failure,\nin structural heart disease, and really\nremained on the cutting edge of cardiology.\nWe are very interested and capable\nof having our fellows suggest and perform in particular areas\nthat are of greatest interest to them.\nAnd we will support them in that endeavor.\nCHRISTIAN SPIES: That I have now 12 years of post graduate\nexperience, post fellowship experience.\nAnd as an interventionist, you accumulate a lot of little tips\nand tricks along the way, which you sometimes\nlearn as a success, sometimes as a failure.\nAnd it's extraordinarily enjoyable\nto teach a lot of those tips and tricks\nbecause you know that someone in the future,\nwhether that's a year from now or 10 years from now,\nthat fellow within the OR will remember that moment\nthat you said this and will avoid a mistake.\nJARED HERR: Patients here at CPMC on the heart failure\nservice are incredibly complex.\nWe see patients who come from all over Northern California.\nWe are a large referral center for cardiogenic shock.\nWe have a large temporary mechanical circulatory support\nprogram.\nWe perform a large number of heart transplants\nand durable mechanical support device implants every year.\nSo fellows have the opportunity to see and take\ncare of patients who are critically\nill on a regular basis.\nOne of the best parts of my job is\nbeing able to work with the fellows\nand having seen them grow over the course of three years.\nAnd each individual fellow in their own way\nbecomes their best clinician that they can be.\nI think that the training here and the teaching at CPMC\nis really top notch.\nI think the size of the program is\na real advantage to the fellow and allowing\nthem to really individualize the kind of education\nthat they want, make sure that they get exposure in all things\nthat they need to be a good cardiologist,\nbut also have an opportunity to be\nable to tailor their interests and be\nable to become very successful in whatever field they choose.\n\nHO-HIN CHOY: When people ask me about what\nit's like to be a cardiology fellow at CPMC,\nmy answer usually is, it's been an amazing experience.\nWhat makes CPMC special, in my opinion,\nis that as fellows we really are very closely and heavily\ninvolved in all aspects of cardiology in this hospital,\nwhether that be on the floors leading the primary cardiology\nservice or in the cath lab doing procedures\nand diagnostic caths.\nWe really are able to get our hands dirty\nand really get in there and learn firsthand what\nit means to be a cardiologist.\nI think what I am going to miss the most is really being part\nof this family-- all the attendings that I look up to,\nall the attendings that I consider my mentors,\nmy cofellows and all the amazing, hilarious times\nthat we've had, and really being an integral part\nof this cardiology family here at CPMC\nI think is what I'm going to miss the most.\nSTEPHANIE MATTAHIL: Well, our fellowship--\nwe are nine fellows.\nWe are a pretty tight, close-knit bunch.\nWe spend a lot of time together even though we have rough days.\nWe have actually a mix of people all different personalities\nthat gel together.\nWe are strong, opinionated people,\nbut we also interact well together as a group.\nWe all kind of had similar feelings beginning fellowship\nand grew together where we knew absolutely nothing\nabout cardiology.\nYou don't really know what you're doing.\nYou hope what you're doing is right.\nWe would call each other.\nAnd you get to bounce ideas off of them\nand discuss complex patient management.\nAnd no one's there to judge you.\nAnd having the freedom to do that and them having your back\nand telling you what they think, even\nif they're not on-call, that is actually--\nthat's been a great support and one\nhighlight of the fellowship.\nRICHARD HONGO: I remember when I interviewed as an applicant--\nthat was 20 years ago--\nleaving the interview day really feeling like there\nwas a family bond between the fellows and the faculty here.\nAnd that holds true till today.\nI credit that to Dr. Rosenblatt.\nAndy was the program director for 20 years\nand really shaped this program.\nHe, I think, really rallied the faculty around the fact\nthat we, as a service, as an program,\nare really here for support the training\nand the development for fellows.\nWe are in a very exciting time right now within cardiology\nwhere structural heart, advanced heart failure are all\nseeing significant advancements to what we do in cardiology.\nHere at our institution, those services have also expanded.\nAnd in response to that, this fellowship program\nhas changed its curriculum almost on a yearly basis.\nThis process heavily involves the fellows.\nI think what makes this fellowship the most unique is\nthe fact that this fellowship really\ntries to tailor each fellow's training experience,\ntheir own career goals.\nThis is a program that will spend time trying to figure out\nwith each fellow what they're actually trying to achieve\nin their training and gives them the flexibility to tailor\ntheir experience here .\n\nSTEPHANIE HSIAO: One thing I really\nlike about CPMC is the collaborative effort\nof all cardiology subspecialties, which\nhas structural cardiology, heart failure, CT surgery, to provide\npatients the best care possible.\nThis was just one of my most memorable cases\ninvolving a patient with an impossible valve problem\nto fix.\nAnd we were fortunate enough to have the expertise\nto offer him a procedure that has rarely ever been done.\nAnd I hope that this patient continues\nto make a meaningful recovery.\nAnd nothing is as rewarding as knowing now there\nis a chance that they could potentially spend more quality\ntime with family and loved ones.\n[MUSIC PLAYING]"} ```