Allegheny Health Network

Dr. Ghosh received her medical degree from Northeast Ohio Medical University in Rootstown, OH. She completed a residency in internal medicine and pediatrics at Case Western Reserve University/University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland, OH. She furthered her training with a three-year fellowship in pulmonary and critical care and a second, one-year fellowship in interventional pulmonary, both at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Dr. Ghosh is a member of the American Association for Bronchology and Interventional Pulmonology, the American Thoracic Society, and the American College of Chest Physicians. She has authored numerous articles, presented multiple abstracts for research, and has lectured to students and medical audiences around the country.

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AHN Physician Spotlight

Dr. Kislovskiy is an OB-GYN with special training in reproductive infectious disease. She provides comprehensive care for patients within AHN Women who live with HIV, peripartum challenges, and severe gynecologic infections. She also focuses her efforts on preventive health solutions and treatment for various sexually transmitted diseases.

Dr. Kislovskiy earned her medical degree from Michigan State University College of Human Medicine in East Lansing, Michigan. Her residency was completed at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Magee-Womens Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She remained with this same hospital for completion of her fellowship in Reproductive Infectious Diseases and Immunology.

Dr. Kislovskiy holds certification with the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, as well as the American Academy of HIV Medicine. Her academic contributions include serving as clinical instructor for the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at Magee-Womens Hospital. Patients can make an appointment to see Dr. Kislovskiy at Allegheny Women’s Health in either Pittsburgh or McCandless.

https://findcare.ahn.org/Yasaswi-Kislovskiy

Dr. Homa specializes in reproductive endocrinology and infertility. She treats women with fertility problems, fibroids, hormone disorders, and disorders of sexual development. She also offers gynecological care to children and adolescents. She is experienced at minimally invasive surgery. Her clinical interests include fertility problems, fibroids, hormone disorders, sexual development, and pediatric and adolescent gynecology. She speaks English.

Thomas Krivak, MD is the director of the Ovarian Cancer Center of Excellence and co-chair of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology Research Institute. He specializes in treating ovarian, uterine and other gynecologic cancers and has particular expertise in minimally invasive surgical techniques, as well as non-invasive options.

Dr. Krivak received his medical degree at Ohio State University College of Medicine and performed his residency at David Grant Medical Center, Travis Air Force Base in California. He completed his fellowship at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC and at the National Cancer Institute, Rockville, Maryland. Dr. Krivak is board-certified by the American Boards of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Gynecologic Oncology. He was named one of Pittsburgh Magazine's "Best Doctors" in 2019.

Dr. Turner earned her medical degree from the Loyola University in Maywood, Ill. She completed her obstetrics and gynecology residency at the Magee-Women’s Hospital of UPMC in Pittsburgh, Pa., where she was chief resident. She continued at Magee-Women’s Hospital to complete a fellowship in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery. During her fellowship, she completed a master’s degree in clinical research.

She is a member of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Urogynecologic Society. She is well-published in various medical journals, including the International Urogynecology Journal and the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

AHN Physician Highlights

Allegheny Health Network’s (AHN) Cardiovascular Institute

 has earned its latest accolades from the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) for the quality of its care across cardiac arrest and surgical care cases, respectively.

AHN Jefferson and West Penn were named among the nation’s top performing hospitals for treatment of heart attack patients, earning the National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NCDR®) Chest Pain – MI Registry Silver Performance Achievement award. For patients with acute myocardial infarction, the award takes into consideration factors such as response time, surgical outcomes, medical therapies after discharge and proper referrals to cardiac rehabilitation.

Allegheny General Hospital (AGH), the network’s flagship cardiovascular hospital, was also recognized for excellence in mitral valve repair/replacement (MVRR), receiving the maximum three-star rating from STS. The designation follows the hospital’s 

 announcement of earning the same rating for care across transcatheter aortic valve replacement (AVR), coronary bypass grafting (CABG) and aortic valve replacement with CABG. This latest three-star rating from the STS puts AHN’s cardiac surgery program among the most elite, nationwide; less than 10 percent of STS registry participants receive the three-star rating for AVR and CABG surgery.

Jefferson and West Penn join just 130 hospitals across the country to receive the honor from the ACC, and AGH is the only facility in western Pennsylvania with a maximum three-star rating across four surgical categories.

“The AHN Cardiovascular Institute, system-wide, has a proven track record of optimal patient outcomes, adherence to clinical guidelines and overall quality of patient experience. These recognitions are a testament to our outstanding clinicians and their unmatched expertise, which is especially noteworthy against the current backdrop of heart disease rates across the country,” said Stephen Bailey, MD, cardiothoracic surgeon and co-chair of AHN Cardiovascular Institute.

Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

 in fatalities for heart disease and diabetes, stating that 2020 deaths caused by cardiovascular disease (CVD) showed the biggest increases in the last two decades. The jump, of more than 3%, surpassed the less than 1% increase seen in 2015.

“The increase of fatalities for CVD was in part caused by patients delaying either emergency or preventative care due to fear of COVID-19 transmission, which in turn impacted long-term outcomes,” said Chong Park, MD, cardiothoracic surgeon and president of AHN Jefferson. “As a health system, we continue to make a concerted effort to encourage our cardiac patients to schedule their annual wellness visits or if heart attack symptoms are present, head to the emergency room immediately. Today’s announcement is a great opportunity for us to instill even more confidence in the public and highlight our team’s ongoing reputation of world-class, safe care.”

AGH, Jefferson, and West Penn participate in respective registries to report out on clinical outcomes as well as their framework for rapid adoption of clinical guidelines and process improvement plans. Together, these areas provide a comprehensive picture of the patient experience and overall quality of care which is then compared to other health systems nationwide.

“As a Silver Performance Award recipient, these respective AHN facilities have established themselves as leaders in setting the national standard for improving quality of care in patients with acute myocardial infarction. By meeting the award requirements set forth in the registry, they have demonstrated a commitment to providing reliable, comprehensive treatment for heart attack patients based on current clinical guideline recommendations,” said Michael C. Kontos, MD, FACC, chair of the NCDR Chest Pain – MI Registry Steering Subcommittee, and cardiologist at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center.

“From diagnosis and prevention to acute care and surgical teams, the AHN Cardiovascular Institute continues to be a national leader for highly-specialized cardiac care,” said Srinivas Murali, MD, cardiologist and AHN system chair of the department of cardiovascular medicine. “Year after year, the AHN cardiovascular teams earn prestigious recognitions for their ongoing work to deliver outstanding, multidisciplinary patient care and we couldn’t be more proud of their latest achievement.”

For more information on the AHN Cardiovascular Institute, visit ahn.org.

Jefferson and West Penn join just 130 hospitals nationwide to receive the honor from the ACC, and AGH is the only facility in the region with a maximum three-star rating across four surgical categories



AHN Cardiovascular Institute Earns Highest Accolades from American College of Cardiology, Society of Thoracic Surgeons for Excellence in Cardiac Care

 A team of vascular surgeons at Allegheny General Hospital (AGH), part of Allegheny Health Network (AHN), is one of the first in the country to advance the care of complex aortic aneurysms by utilizing a cutting-edge intra-operative positioning system (IOPS) by Centerline Biomedical. The minimally invasive, technology platform creates three-dimensional perspectives of the vascular system to improve navigation, quickly locate aortic aneurysms and precisely implant stent grafting to perform complex endovascular aortic interventions.

, director of vascular surgery at AGH, AHN will also be the first health system to offer this technology in the state. In addition to Dr. Muluk, Drs., Bart Chess and Carlos Rosales of the AHN Cardiovascular Institute also perform the procedure using IOPS.

Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) are weakened sections of an artery wall, in the lower part of the aorta, which cause the area to bulge beyond a blood vessel’s normal width. They’re typically managed with close monitoring, medical therapies and modifications of certain lifestyle factors.

However, if the AAA is at risk of a life-threatening rupture or significantly increases in size, patients will undergo either open or minimally invasive endovascular procedures to repair the aneurysm. During the latter, a vascular surgeon goes through the groin with a catheter and places a stent within the aorta which allows for eased blow flow and results in a decompression of the aneurysm.

The procedure requires significant navigation from the point of entry through the vascular system to the abdominal area. To view the aneurysm and accurately perform the repair, physicians have to use fluoroscopy — imaging that’s like an X-ray– and also inject an iodine-based contrast agent into the patient to see their blood vessels clearly.

“Previously, we would navigate catheters and wires through the body and rely primarily on fluoroscopy and dyes. This method has served us well, but it involves a lot of radiation exposure to the patient and the clinicians in the operating room,” explained Dr. Muluk. “IOPS is an exciting breakthrough for the field as it allows for improved visualization of the vascular system. This advanced technology significantly improves the accuracy of catheter placement, reducing procedural time and minimizing patient and healthcare provider exposure to harmful radiation.”

IOPS uses a low-intensity electromagnetic tracking system, or a GPS-like guide, to help surgeons navigate to a patient’s aortic aneurysm. The program uses pre-op CT scans to generate a computerized map of the anatomy and blood vessels.

The IOPS cart is wheeled into the OR and attaches to the tracking system that’s located on the operating table. The OR team places the tracking pad — a sticky device with three clear sensors — onto the patient in the location of the aneurysm; from there, the process mimics the existing process provided by fluoroscopy.

“IOPS technology gives us a three-dimensional view of the vascular system during the entire procedure rather than our current two-dimensional view, and we also have added control of the instrumentation,” continued Dr. Muluk. “The tracking system on the table under the patient has a grid that can sense the catheters and wires that we place into the patient, all in real time.”

The increase of clarity has proven highly effective in minimizing radiation and significantly reducing procedure times. A recent study, conducted by Centerline, found that the mean time necessary to introduce thin tube through an artery using 3D navigation was nearly cut in half compared to 2D.

According to the Society for Vascular Surgery, every year approximately 200,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with AAA, and its rupturing is among the top 20 leading causes of death in the country and the 10th leading cause of death in men older than 55.

“We are thrilled to partner with Dr. Muluk and Allegheny General Hospital’s world class Cardiovascular Institute and believe our IOPS technology addresses four key tenets of healthcare today: improved patient experience, improved health of populations, reducing healthcare costs, and minimizing staff burnout,” said Centerline CEO Phil Rackliffe.

To make an appointment or learn more about the AHN Cardiovascular Institute, please visit ahn.org or call 412-DOCTORS.

Allegheny Health Network Vascular Surgeons First in Pennsylvania to Use Groundbreaking Surgical GPS-like Navigation System, Advancing Care for Complex Aortic Aneurysms