Andrea M Vitello, MD

Nish Patel, M.D., is an interventional cardiologist at Baptist Health. Dr. Patel specializes in catheter-based therapies for valvular heart disease, structural heart disease and coronary artery disease. He is fluent in English, Hindi, Gujarati and Urdu. Before joining the cardiology team at Baptist Health in 2022, he served as director of the structural heart program at St. Peter’s Health Partners in Albany, NY. Dr. Patel completed both interventional cardiology and structural heart disease fellowships at The Mount Sinai Hospital and Icahn School of Medicine in New York City. Prior to his fellowships, he served as chief resident of internal medicine at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. Dedicated to excellence in patient care and research, he received the Outstanding Internal Medicine Resident award and the Outstanding Cardiology Fellow award. Dr. Patel has also published numerous research articles in journals including Circulation, JACC, JAMA Cardiology, International Journal of Cardiology and Resuscitation. Through his work, Dr. Patel strives to be a pillar of support to his patients. He uses his medical and clinical expertise to tailor custom heart health plans. He endeavors to be a doctor of the patient, by the patient and for the patient. When he is not working, Dr. Patel loves keeping his heart healthy by jiving to beats. He particularly enjoys salsa dancing and the American tango.

Harneet Walia, M.D., FAASM, is the medical director of sleep medicine at Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute and chief of clinical transformation for Baptist Health. She is also a professor at Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. Dr. Walia joined Baptist Health in January 2021 from Cleveland Clinic, Ohio. She is a national thought leader and has contributed substantially to mentorship and outreach. She has presented on more than 100 international and national platforms and in media relations to raise awareness of sleep disorders. Dr. Walia has led numerous clinical trials and real-world research projects on sleep apnea treatment, including upper airway stimulation and health outcomes, ranging from patient-reported outcomes to cardiometabolic disorders. She and her team have demonstrated that improving sleep disorders can improve patients’ quality of life, depressive symptoms and insomnia symptoms, and have garnered various national awards. Her research has also shown that obstructive sleep apnea is associated with recalcitrant blood pressure and that treatment can improve blood pressure. Her research has been published in several high-impact, peer-reviewed journals such as CHEST, JAMA Otolaryngology and Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. She serves on numerous local and national committees for sleep medicine. As chief of clinical transformation at Baptist Health, Dr. Walia continues to drive innovation and excellence in healthcare delivery. Her leadership is instrumental in implementing evidence-based practices and fostering a culture of continuous improvement to meet the evolving needs of patients and the community. She has also led multiple professional and leadership development initiatives. She has been recognized for her leadership and scholarly achievements, and received the prestigious Gidwani Mid-Career Scholarship from the Women’s Professional Staff Association at Cleveland Clinic in 2020. This scholarship facilitated her professional development at Harvard Medical School’s leadership course, where she honed her leadership skills and strategic vision in healthcare transformation.

The team at Baptist Health Cardiology in Kendall (Galloway) offers a personalized approach to our cardiology care.