Meet Our Team

The Center for Advanced Heart Failure at Norton Thoracic Institute physicians work to make sure that all patients are taking the guideline directed medical therapy medications needed to prevent the disease from progressing (and even in special cases help with recovery of function), keep patients out of the hospital, and reduce death.

We work closely with a team of experienced nurses, dietitians and cardiac rehabilitation team counsels’ patients on diet, exercise and lifestyle changes to help patients maintain quality of life and reduce symptoms.

 

 

Kevin Brady, MD
Surgical Director, Mechanical Circulatory Support Devices
Surgical Director, Center for Advanced Heart Failure
Chair of the Cardiovascular Surgery

Rajakrishnan Vijayakrishnan, MD FACC

 

 

Rajakrishnan Vijayakrishnan, MD FACC
Medical Director, Mechanical Circulatory Support Devices
Medical Director, Center for Advanced Heart Failure
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Creighton Medical School – Phoenix Regional Campus

Linda Staley

 

 

Linda Staley, RN, MSN, NP
Lead Nurse Practitioner
Center for Advanced Heart Failure/Mechanical Circulatory Support Devices

Kelly Wesselhoff

 

 

Kelly Wesselhoff, MSN, AGACNP-BC, CCRN, CVN
Advanced Heart Failure Coordinator- Nurse Practitioner
Center for Advanced Heart Failure/Mechanical Circulatory Support Devices

 

 

Hursh Naik, MD
Director, Structural Heart Disease Program
Chief of Cardiology Department, Heart and Vascular Institute

Samad Hashimi, MD

 

 

Samad Hashimi, MD
Director, Minimally Invasive and Robotic Programs
Director, Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) 
Assistant Professor of Surgery, Creighton Medical School – Phoenix Regional Campus

Brandi Krushelniski

 

 

Brandi Krushelniski, RN, BSN, MBA
Vice President of Transplant Services & MCS
Norton Thoracic Institute, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center

 

 

Dawn Flynn, BSN, RN, CHFN
Cardiovascular Program Specialist
Certified Cardiovascular Care Coordinator

Dr. Catherine Garcia

 

 

Catherine V. Garcia, AG ACNP-BC, CCRN-CMC