Shahriyar Tavakoli, M.D., FCCP, MHA
Chair

Specialties

• Pulmonary Medicine

• Critical Care Medicine

• Neurocritical Care Medicine

• Civil Surgeon

​

Dr. Tavakoli is Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Critical Care Medicine, Pulmonary Medicine and Neurocritical Care Medicine.  Currently, he is an assistant professor at Loma Linda University Medical Center in the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Hyperbaric, Allergy and Sleep Medicine. He remains active in the clinical practice of both pulmonary and critical care. He was Chair of the Critical Care Conference held at the Annenberg Center at Eisenhower Medical Center for 15 years. He is now pioneering a new educational foundation with the establishment of Desert Institute of Continuing Education, Inc. this being the first annual Pulmonary/Critical Care conference.  He has also authored several publications within his field and is interested in teaching and clinical research.

​

Ara Klijian, M.D.
Co-Chair

Specialties

• Cardio-thoracic Surgeon

​

Ara Klijian, MD, is the Director of the Minimally Invasive Cardiovascular and Thoracic Institute of San Diego and is an attending in Cardio-thoracic and Vascular Surgery at Sharp, Scripps Hospitals of San Diego, California. He specializes and is considered to be a pioneer in Awake Video Assisted Thoracic Surgery (AVATS). He also specializes in minimally invasive cardiac and thoracic surgery, lung and esophageal surgery for benign and malignant disease and advanced lung cancer resections.  He has authored many publications and is very interested in teaching and clinical research.  He is a member of the planning committee for the Pulmonary/Critical Care Conference of the Desert.

 Slide Handouts

Paul Wisniewski, DO
Trauma/Critical Care Surgeon

Ballistics: The Physics Behind the Tragedy

Specialties

• Trauma Surgeon

• Critical Care Medicine

​​

Dr. Wisniewski is the current Director of Trauma Services at Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs.  In addition, he was the Director of Navy Trauma Training Center at USC + LAC and he has held the position of Trauma Surgeon at multiple Southern California major Medical Centers and many military hospitals around the world, such as Kandahar, Afghanistan;  Fallujah, Iraq and Okinawa, Japan.  He has received many military honors and awards, the Romanian Emblem of Honor for Military Medicine, Navy Commendation Medal, and Combat Action Ribbon just to name a few.  He is a rifle marksman and pistol expert.  He is actively involved in teaching and has numerous publications and book chapters.

Ara Chrissian, M.D., FCCP, DAABIP

Pleural Effusion:  Linking Pathophysiology with Management

Specialties

• Internal Medicine

• Pulmonary Disease

• Critical Care Medicine

Dr. Ara A. Chrissian is a board-certified Interventional Pulmonologist and Intensivist, serving as faculty at Loma Linda University Medical Center, where he is the Director for Adult Bronchoscopy and Interventional Pulmonology.

Dr. Chrissian is also heavily involved in medical education.  During his time at Loma Linda, he has served as the Associate Director of the Pulmonary and Critical Care fellowship and has been nominated for and received several awards and distinctions for teaching both residents and fellows.  He has established and been involved in maintaining several innovative curricula, such as those for bronchoscopy, lung cancer, and critical care ultrasound.  He also sits on national committees, including the Education Committee for the American Association of Bronchoscopy and International Pulmonology, for which he is the lead on multiple educational projects.

 Slide Handouts

 Slide Handouts

H. Bryant Nguyen, M.D., MS

Sepsis:  Year in Review

Specialties

• Internal Medicine

• Critical Care Medicine

​

John E. Peterson Professor

Head, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Hyperbaric, Allergy and Sleep Medicine

Director, Medical Intensive Care Unit

Executive Vice-Chair, Department of Medicine

Loma Linda University Medical Center, Loma Linda, CA

Dr. Nguyen is the John E. Peterson Professor of Medicine, Emergency Medicine, and Basic Sciences at Loma Linda University in California.  He is the Head of the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Hyperbaric, Allergy and Sleep Medicine, Director for the Medical Intensive Care Unit, as well as the Executive Vice-Chair in Department of Medicine.  

His research includes multi-disciplinary critical care delivery, early intervention and novel therapies in severe sepsis, shock resuscitation, lactate clearance and biomarkers discovery.  Dr. Nguyen has championed sepsis education and guidelines not only within his own institution, but his list of over 100 publications and dedication to bridging the gap between research and clinical practice has taken him across the country and around the globe. In the current pandemic, Dr. Nguyen leads the MICU at his institution in both research and developing best practices in caring for the sickest patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 / COVID-19. 

​

​

​

​

Paresh Chandra Giri, M.D., FCCP

Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: An Overview

Specialties

• Internal Medicine

• Pulmonary Disease

• Critical Care Medicine

​

Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Hyperbaric, Allergy and Sleep Medicine, Program Director, Pulmonary Hypertension Loma Linda University Medical Center

Dr. Giri is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Medical Director of Pulmonary Hypertension Program and Respiratory Care Services at Loma Linda University Medical Center.

He is involved in multiple clinical studies involving pulmonary hypertension therapies and is active in the local chapters of the Pulmonary Hypertension Association and is a member of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) Pulmonary Vascular Disease Network. His further interests in this field include cardiopulmonary exercise testing and exercise right heart catheterization for the evaluation of unexplained dyspnea.

​

 Slide Handouts

 Slide Handouts

Gina Jervey Mohr, M.D.

Conversations in the ICU:

Why Words Matter

Specialties

• Family Medicine

• Hospice and Palliative Medicine

​

Dr.  Mohr is an Associate Professor at Loma Linda University Medical Center.  She is the Founding Director of the Palliative Care Program and Program Director of the Palliative Medicine Fellowship Program at Loma Linda University Medical Center.  She is board certified in family medicine, hospice and palliative care.  She has given many lectures on palliative care for COVID-19, neurological illness, as well as futility surgical oncology.

​

​

​

​

​

Roland Reinhart, M.D.
Pain Management Specialist

Managing Pain & Sedation in the ICU

Dr. Reinhart is a board-certified Anesthesiologist and Pain Management Specialist. He is the Founder and Medical Director of the Advanced Pain Management Surgical Center in Rancho Mirage, California.

In 1998, Roland Reinhart, M.D. started his practice because he recognized that patients with chronic pain issues were hard-pressed to find responsive and effective care through their existing health care options.  His goal was simple:  Build a system that would allow him and his colleagues to see patients, order tests, and begin treatment immediately, rather than making people wait for days or weeks for relief.

 Slide Handouts