Meet the Team

When you visit St. Joseph’s Norton Thoracic Institute, you will be treated by experienced, respected experts in lung and esophageal disease. Our dedicated patient care team includes pulmonologists, thoracic surgeons, and a support staff designed to meet all of your needs.



Ross M. Bremner, MD, PhD
Executive Director, Norton Thoracic Institute
Department Chair, Thoracic Disease and Transplantation
Professor of Surgery, Creighton Medical School – Phoenix Regional Campus
Professor of Surgery, University of Arizona College of Medicine Phoenix
Vice Chief of Staff, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center
Thoracic Surgery & Lung Transplantation 




Hesham Abdelrazek, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Creighton Medical School – Phoenix Regional Campus
Advanced Lung Disease and Lung Transplant Pulmonology




Shair Ahmed, MD 
Assistant Professor of Surgery, Creighton Medical School – Phoenix Regional Campus
Thoracic Surgery & Lung Transplantation

Also provides care at East Valley location



Deljean Buenaventura, MSN, FNP
Practitioner: Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) Program
Advanced Lung Disease 



Rebekah Edwards, NP
Program Manager: Interstitial Lung Disease, Alpha-1, Cystic Fibrosis, Pulmonary Fibrosis and Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) Programs
Advanced Lung Disease



Samad Hashimi, MD
Director, Minimally Invasive and Robotic Programs
Director, Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) 
Assistant Professor of Surgery, Creighton Medical School – Phoenix Regional Campus
Also provides care at the East Valley location




Jasmine Huang, MD
Director, Education and Program Development
Co-Director, Lung Cancer Screening Program
Associate Professor of Surgery, Creighton Medical School – Phoenix Regional Campus
Thoracic Surgery & Lung Transplantation




Sumeet Mittal, MD
Surgical Director, Esophageal & Foregut Program
Surgical Director,  NTI Clinical Research Program
Professor of Surgery, Creighton Medical School – Phoenix Regional Campus
Esophageal Surgery

Also provides care at West Valley location




Seema Munir, DO
Obesity Medicine 



Ashraf Omar, MD
Associate Medical Director, Lung Transplantation Program
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Creighton Medical School – Phoenix Regional Campus
Advanced Lung Disease & Lung Transplantation Pulmonology




Chirag Patel, MD
Chirag Patel, MD, is a thoracic surgeon at Norton Thoracic Institute, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center. Patel is board certified in both cardiothoracic and general surgery. 

Also provides care at East Valley location




Ali Saeed, MD
Ali Saeed, MD, is the Medical Director of Interventional Pulmonology at Norton Thoracic Institute, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center. Saeed is board certified pulmonary, critical care and interventional pulmonary physician







Michael Smith, MD
Chief, General Thoracic Surgery
Surgical Director, Lung Transplantation Program
Professor of Surgery, Creighton Medical School – Phoenix Regional Campus
Thoracic Surgery & Lung Transplantation

Also provides care at West Valley location




Sofya Tokman, MD
Medical Director, Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) and Cystic Fibrosis Programs
Associate Professor of Medicine, Creighton Medical School – Phoenix Regional Campus
Advanced Lung Disease & Lung Transplantation Pulmonology



Rajat Walia, MD
Section Chief, Pulmonary Medicine
Medical Director, Lung Transplantation, Lung Transplantation Fellowship, Alpha-1 and Interstitial Lung Disease Programs
Associate Medical Director, Cystic Fibrosis and Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) Programs
Associate Professor of Medicine, Creighton Medical School – Phoenix Regional Campus
Advanced Lung Disease & Lung Transplantation Pulmonology