The cardiac surgical team is comprised of almost fifty trained professionals. Our anesthesiologists, surgeons, perfusion staff, and operating room assistants, function seamlessly as a seasoned orchestra provide exceptional surgical results. After the procedure, our nursing staff, nutritionists, physical therapists, and respiratory therapists provide compassionate, tailor-made post-operative care.
I dedicated my life to cardiac surgery after watching a NOVA episode on public television at the age of 11. My journey began with an internship in General Surgery at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. After seven years of rigorous training, including two years focused on human gene therapy, I moved to New York and specialized in Cardiac Surgery at Columbia University Medical Center. I continued at Columbia as an Assistant Professor from January 2005 to November 2013, specializing in complex aortic surgery as well as Heart Transplant and Artificial Heart Surgery.
In November 2013, I was recruited to lead the Center for Aortic Disease at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, where I was later promoted to Associate Professor of Cardiovascular Surgery. Additionally, I served as the Medical Director for Mount Sinai International, consulting globally on cardiac service line development.
Seeking to make a more profound global impact, I moved to Miami in 2014 to become the Medical Director and Chief of Cardiac Surgery at HCA Healthcare East Florida Division. Here, I focused on establishing a premier destination for cardiovascular care in Miami, with a particular emphasis on serving Latin America and the Caribbean. Notable achievements include creating structural heart programs in three Dade County hospitals and establishing the Dade County Aortic Emergency Reference Center.
With a sub-specialty in Aortic Surgery and transcatheter valves, I have authored over 50 manuscripts and book chapters. I have been a principal investigator in several major clinical trials, including TAVR trials (PARTNER I, II, SURTAVI, SENTINAL) and thoracic endograft trials (Bolton RELAY, THORAFLEX HYBRID). I graduated from the inaugural class of the Surgical Leadership Program at Harvard Medical School in 2019, reflecting my commitment to continuous learning.
I have operated on six continents and in 21 countries. My contributions have earned me recognition in Castle Connolly’s Best Doctors in America, New York Magazine’s Best Thoracic Surgeons, and the Most Honored Doctors list for eleven consecutive years. I am a member of the American Association of Thoracic Surgeons, Society of Thoracic Surgeons, American College of Surgeons, and American College of Cardiology.
I define myself primarily as a teacher and am most proud of training over twenty-four physicians in aortic surgery, eleven of whom now hold the title of Director of Aortic Surgery in various institutions across the United States, Japan, and Israel. Outside of the operating room, I promote heart-healthy living as a cyclist, marathon runner, and triathlete.
I have been featured in the medical documentary NY MED, and have appeared on shows such as The Rachel Maddow Show, Fox News, Good Day NY, and the Today Show. I am also the subject of the book Barefoot in New York.
I have the honor of being Dr. Stewart’s practice manager and Administrative Assistant for his entire professional career. I am a first generation American, born of Puerto Rican parents and raised in New York City. I have a unique empathy for the patient experience, as I had my first cardiac surgery at 45 years-old because of rheumatic heart disease. I was given a mechanical mitral valve and was maintained on Coumadin for 20 years. After recovering from that surgery, I was hired at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center to help start the practice of a new surgeon named Dr. Allan Stewart. Because I am fluent in Spanish, I rapidly learned about all aspects of cardiac surgery, since I had to translate each day. His practice rapidly expanded and, after ten years, he moved to Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. I moved with him and we expanded our practice to reach far outside of the United States. After five years, he decided to move to Miami, to have a greater impact on the delivery of cardiovascular care. My husband and I moved with his family, to Miami.
During this time, my health began to deteriorate. After being reassured that my heart was fine by multiple doctors, I finally expressed my frustration with my health to Dr. Stewart. He looked at my recent echocardiogram and found that my mitral valve was stuck. I needed a complex, re-operative double valve replacement. I asked Dr Stewart to do my surgery and now I am feeling amazing. This experience gave me new insight into the struggle to find exceptional care in South Florida, the emotional toll of surgery as a working woman, and the anxiety of having an operation with my family scattered throughout the United States. This insight has greatly enhanced my ability to guide patients, during their journey.
My name is Orlando Diaz, I became a nurse practitioner recently, but I have been an ICU nurse for over 5 years now. I have surrounded myself with cardiac patients my whole career and it is a great satisfaction to know I am taking care of one of the most important organs in the body, if not the most. I love taking care of patient’s and seeing how our impact can improve their quality of life.
Why did I decide to become a Nurse Practitioner?
For me there is nothing more rewarding than being a Nurse Practitioner. Patient satisfaction and gratification is the greatest reward. Being approached by patient’s months and years after surgery to be thanked for all we’ve done for the them is the best feeling in the world. It was so important for me to find my passion, and I achieved that as a cardiac nurse practitioner.
I was born in Cuba and have a mixed heritage from China and Cuba. I left Cuba and ultimately settled in the United States and became a nurse. While working in the Cardiac ICU, fell in love with post-operative patient care. I decided to pursue further studies and became an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner. I can fully communicate with patients in English and in Spanish. I treat each patient with compassion, as if they were my own family. I am an integral part of Dr Stewart’s team and am intimately involved with a every aspect of care from the office visit, until discharge after surgery. I frequently communicate with patients and families during the surgery and throughout their hospital stay.
I began my training in nursing at Florida International University (FIU) and was hired immediately afterward in the Cardiac Surgery ICU at Aventura Hospital. During this time, I fell in love with cardiac physiology and decided to continue my studies as a cardiac surgery acute care nurse practitioner. Once completing my master’s degree, I began my career as a Nurse Practitioner, in December 2018. I pride myself on compassionate care. I am a skilled communicator who listens carefully before speaking. I am self-motivated and highly energetic with an extreme focus on perfect outcomes. I always seek innovative solutions and partner with my patients to help them recover from surgery.
