Niberto Moreno, M.D., Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery

Dr. Moreno is one of the pioneers in the area of beating-heart surgery, in which the heart is allowed to continue to pump blood to the body while intricate operating techniques are used by the surgeon. He did the first beating-heart operation in South Florida in 1994 and the first minimally invasive aortic and mitral valve surgeries the following year. He has been affiliated with Baptist Health for 22 years, joining the medical staff at Baptist and South Miami Hospitals in 1987 and holding a variety of leadership positions throughout the years. Dr. Moreno is Board-certified by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery. He has published results of cardiovascular surgery studies in numerous medical journals and has trained other physicians extensively, particularly in Central and South America and the Caribbean. His postgraduate training includes residencies at the University of Illinois and Metropolitan Group Hospitals, and fellowships at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Ill., and Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago. In 2007, he received “A Physician Who Cares” award from the Florida Medical Association.

Lynn Harrison, M.D., Clinical Director of Cardiac Surgery

Dr. Harrison is credited with leading the transformation of the University of Massachusetts’ cardiac surgery program into one of the top 100 programs in the United States. UMass Memorial Medical Center is ranked number two in the United States for surviving a heart attack by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Dr. Harrison received his medical degree from the University of Oklahoma School of Medicine, and his training in general and cardiothoracic surgery from Duke University, where he was a Teaching Scholar in Cardiac Surgery. He came to UMass from Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans, where he served as the Craighead professor of surgery and chief of cardiothoracic surgery. Dr. Harrison is a Diplomate of the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Thoracic Surgery and has trained other physicians in a variety of surgical techniques. In addition, his research and clinical findings have been widely published.

Lisardo Garcia-Covarrubias, M.D.

Dr. Garcia-Covarrubias has a special interest in the area of end-stage heart disease and mechanical circulatory support. His extensive postgraduate training includes a cardiothoracic transplant fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, which followed a thoracic surgery residency and transplant fellowship at the University of Miami-Jackson Memorial Hospital, where he was also chief administrative cardiothoracic resident. He came to Miami when a trauma and surgical critical care fellowship at Tulane University School of Medicine was interrupted by Hurricane Katrina. Prior to the fellowship, he completed a residency in general surgery at Tulane. He also completed research and clinical fellowships in hyperbaric medicine. He is Board-certified by the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Thoracic Surgery.

Alvaro Montoya, M.D.

Dr. Montoya is a leader in the field of cardiovascular and thoracic surgery, having performed more than 15,000 procedures. He received his bachelor’s degree from Pontificia Bolivariana University in Medellin, Colombia, and his medical degree from Antioquia University School of Medicine in Medellin, Colombia. Dr. Montoya completed his residency in general surgery and cardiovascular and thoracic surgery at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Illinois. He has held various academic positions, including most recently, serving as a clinical assistant professor of surgery at the University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center. He is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology, American College of Surgeons and American College of Chest Physicians. Dr. Montoya has lectured nationally and internationally on coronary bypass surgery and heart and lung transplantation and published widely on subjects relating to cardiovascular and thoracic surgery. He is Board-certified in surgery and thoracic surgery.