Cardiovascular Surgery Critical Care Track

The Cardiovascular Surgical Critical Care track of the PHI PA/NP Fellowship program primarily focuses on the management of post-operative patients who have undergone surgical therapies such as Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG), valve repair/replacement, Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) placement, heart transplant, Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO), and vascular surgeries. The CVICU is a 43 bed unit that provides the highest level of care for our critically ill population. In addition to the CVICU, fellows will rotate through cardiovascular subspecialties including electrophysiology, advanced heart failure, cardiac surgery, vascular surgery, and other critical care units. Elective rotations offer exposure to other subspecialties including advanced imaging techniques, interventional cardiology, or percutaneous valve therapies. There will be ongoing opportunities to obtain Category I CME throughout the year.

As a CVICU fellow, you will get to work alongside industry experts at one of the nation’s top hospitals for heart surgery. Piedmont Atlanta is one of the highest LVAD and Heart Transplant centers by volume in the country. In addition, the ECMO program at Piedmont Atlanta hospital has earned a Gold designation from the international Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) and is the first hospital in the US to earn Extracorporeal Life Support (ECLS) certification from DNV-GL Healthcare.

Core Curriculum

Didactic – 20%

• Difficult Airway Course
• Fundamental Critical Care Support Course (FCCS)
• Cardiac Surgical Unit Advanced Life Support Course (CSU-ALS)
• CT Surgery M&M
• Journal Club
• Rotation-based case presentations
• 3 exams
• Online learning modules
• Daily self-study
• Weekly readings
• 2 CME weeks

Clinical – 80%

• Admit and manage patients in the CVICU
• Present in daily multi-disciplinary rounds
• Work directly alongside intensivists and consult with other specialties
• Learn core critical care management including hemodynamics, ventilators, mechanical cardiac support, advanced heart failure, sepsis, ARDS, multi-system organ failure
• Respond to “Code Blue” cardiac arrests
• Exposure to the CVOR with opportunities to participate in open heart surgeries
• Rotate through other cardiac specialties as listed below
• The fellows will be exposed to/credentialed for the following technical skills and procedures:
  • Placement of central line catheters
  • Placement of arterial lines
  • Placement of Swan Ganz catheters
  • Placement of temporary venous pacemakers
  • Placement of thoracostomy tubes
  • Thoracentesis
  • Removal of epicardial pacing wires
  • Intra-aortic Balloon Pump (IABP) removal
  • First assist in ECMO cannulations
  • Emergent chest re-entry (CALS)
  • Point of Care Ultrasound

Cardiovascular Surgery Critical Care Track Rotations

*order and timing of rotations will be determined at the start of the program and are subject to change.

Apply Now Fellowship Homepage

Contact Us

For more information, e-mail Lara Hyde, AGACNP-BC.