Diversity and Inclusion: The Foundation for Innovation

Diversity is the core of our vision. We believe in inclusion and equity for our volunteers and provide a welcoming environment for fall. BCF volunteers perform cardiac procedures and teaching globally regardless of religion, sexual orientation or cultural background.

Meet Our Team

Salil K. Midha, MD, FACC
President

Dr.Midha has been working with the charitable missions to India since 1991. He has participated in over 300 pacemaker implants in India alone. Along with Susan DeTurk he has worked in SitaRam Bhartiya Hospital, New Delhi and Jaswant Rai Speciality hospital in Meerut. In addition he has worked on charitable missions at the Mool Chand Hospital, New Delhi; Ganga Ram Hospital in  New Delhi and Post Graduate Institute of Medial Sciences in  Chandigarh, India
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Dr.Midha is Chief of Cardiology and Cardiac Cath lab at Melrose Wakefield Hospital in Melrose, MA

Brenda Houde, RCIS
(Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist)
Chief Mission Coordinator

Brenda is a graduate of LM/ Regis college in radiological science. She is currently working at Melrose Wakefield Hospital and Anna Jaques Hospital. She has volunteered for the Boston Cardiac Foundation for the past several years. Such involvement has led her to help people from India and Ethiopia. She is the Chief coordinator of our missions.

Jessica Jordan, RN, NP
​Director

Jessica has been working with the foundation and has been to several charitable missions in Africa and India. In addition she has been very helpful in fundraising for the foundation. She has been with the foundation since the inception.

Jessica currently manages the Anticoagulation clinic at Winchester hospital.

Paul Johnson
​Director

​Paul Johnson is a Principal and former managing partner of Johnson O’Connor Feron & Carucci, LLP accountingfirm in Wakefield, MA. He is an advisor to high net worth planning, real estate and trust services. Paul is a member of Board of trustees of several nonprofit organizations including Chopra foundation (Deepak Chopra), the Strazzula foundation, Hartwick College and Bethany Homes.
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Paul has done extensive work for the private foundation which provides educational grants for the inner city youths in the greater Boston area. 

Robyn Loguidice
Treasurer and Director

Robyn Loguidice is one of the founding members of BCF. For over 30 years she has been working as a executive manger for Dr Midha's cardiology practice in Melrose, Massachusetts. She has been instrumental in overseeing all aspects of the foundations work and fundraising activities. She also manages all the foundation finances, and charitable events.

Gaurav Midha
Director

From the inception of our foundation, Gaurav has been instrumental in organizing core fundraising functions and tournaments of the Boston Cardiac Foundation. In addition with his financial background, Gaurav has been helping out with documentation and policy development. 

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Carl Turissini, MD
Interventional Cardiologist
Mission Coordinator - Haiti

Carl Turissini has helped in supporting the Interventional programs for BCF. He coordinated the angioplasty program for the poor in Addis Ababa. Carl has done tremendous work to help set up Cardiac Center in Haiti to help the poor for the past 10 years. BCF is proud to have his input in coordinating further missions to Ethiopia and Haiti.
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Dr. Turissini currently performs Interventions at Mass General Hospital and Melrose Wakefield Hospital

Leon Ptaszek, MD
Cardiologist - Cardiac Arrhythmia Service
Massachusetts General Hospital

Dr. Ptaszek has participated in several missions to Ethiopia and India. During that visit, he participated in the first implant of a defibrillator in a public hospital in Ethiopia. He has been instrumental in starting educational programs. He is also Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School

Adrian Ebner, MD
Medical Advisor - Paraguay

Dr. Ebner has been working with BCF for over 15 years. He is a Cardio-thoracic surgeon interventional Cardiologist based in Asuncion, Paraguay.

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Gilenesh Haile, RN
Mission Coordinator

Lana Toderashko, RCIS
Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist

Austin Johnson, RN
Cardiac Cath Lab Nurse

She has been a tremendous asset to BCF in helping BCF and has coordinated several missions in Addis Ababa. In addition, she has helped in missions to India and has  been very active in fundraising. Gil currently works in the Endoscopy Department at the Melrose Wakefield Hospital.

Since 2012, I have been involved in the cardiac, neurovascular and interventional radiology field. Hence, I have seen first hand what it is like to see patients struggle in emergent situations. Providing them critical care and aid is what gives me purpose, joy, and fulfillment. It is my privilege to partner with the Boston Cardiac Foundation (BCF) to serve the sick and vulnerable people of the world.

Highly skilled in Interventional Cardiology, Austin has helped Boston Cardiac Foundation with missions to Addis Ababa. He is experienced in Interventional cardiology and great support for coronary angiograms as well as permanent pacemakers. He currently works at the Lenox Hill Hospital in New York.

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Timothy Hudson, MD
​Medical Advisor

Dr. Tim Hudson graduated from University of Washington. He completed his interventional cardiology Fellowship from Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. He currently works with Northwest Permanente in Portland, Oregon.

​Dr. Hudson has made 8 visits to Asuncion, Paraguay since 2004 implanting pacemakers for the poor. He is joining Susan DeTurk in December 2013 to go back to Asuncion.

John O'mara, MD, FACC.
Cardiologist

Dr. O'mara has been a tremendous asset to Boston Cardiac Foundation. He has helped the poor in several countries over the past decade. He has helped BCF in several missions to Africa and India.

He currently works as an Interventional Cardiologist in Seattle.

Michael Farmer, MD, FACC.
Cardiologist

Dr. Farmer joined us to our visit to India in 2012. He brings the expertise in implantation of pacemakers and defibrillators. He was the former Chief of EP Laboratory in Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, MA . He is currently working with innovative medical devices research at Mass General Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.

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Raby Khether, MD
Intervention Cardiologist

Dr. Raby started the first interventional program for BCF in Addis Ababa. He performs interventions at Lahey Clinic and Melrose Wakefield Hospital. He is the Chief of Cardiology at the Winchester Hospital.

Meridith Doherty, RN
Cardiac Cath Lab Nurse

Truly dedicated to her work, Meredith has been an asset to missions in Africa. Highly skilled interventional  nurse, she has helped us in missions to  Addis Ababa.
She works in the Cath Lab at the Melrose Wakefield Hospital

Tara Phulara
Administrator, India Missions

Tara has been helping us coordinate the pacemaker missions for over 20 years in India. An exceptional person and truly dedicated to the missions to help the poor and indigent.

He is the Administrator at the Sita Ram Bhartia Hospital in New Delhi, India.

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Rajeev Agarwala, MD
Medical Advisor - India

Dr. Agarwala has been involved for more than a decade in care for the poor in Meerut, India. He has been extremely enthusiastic in motivating the local staff and Ladies club in Meerut to coordinate the care for the poor.
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He is the chief of Cardiology of Jaswant Rai Hospital in Meerut, India. 

Mohammed Bedrus, MD
Director, Africa Missions

Dr. Bedrus is Chief of Cardiology of Black Lion Hospital and Cardiac Center in Addis Ababa. He has been a tremendous support to Boston Cardiac foundation in coordination to help the poor and follow up of all the pacemaker implants. He has been instrumental in setting up teaching programs for the local physicians. BCF is proud to have him on our team.

Greg Simokonis
Medical Representative

Greg works for Abbot Labs and has been with several BCF missions. He has extensive knowledge about pacemakers and defibrillators and has been very instrumental in initiating the ICD program for Addis Ababa

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VK Saini, MD
Founder, Project Pacer International

Dr. Saini was one of the Cardio-thoracic surgeons who practiced in Carney Hospital in Dorchester and educator in Boston University Medical School and helped start the Indian Medical Association of New England. His commitment to the local Indian community and to the poor around the world was exemplary.

Dr.Saini was the co-founder of Project Pacer International in 1987. Susan Deturk and Salil Midha, MD worked with him over 20 years to help the poor. Dr.Saini passed away in April 2011. He inspired many of us to continue the charity work he had started.

Greg McDoland, MD
Medical Advisor

Dr. McDonald has been part of Boston Cardiac Foundation from its beginning. He retired as a cardiologist from the Dartmouth Hitchcock Hospital in the Lebanon, NH. He has to his credit over 15 medical missions globally. He was one of the surgeons who helped our team in 2010 achieve an award from Limca book of records. During this mission, we implanted 11 pacemakers in 7 hrs. which still remains the world record!

Susan De Turk
 Ex Director

​Susan worked with BCF for over 20 years and has traveled over 40 times to India and Paraguay. She started working with Dr. V.K Saini, co-founder of Project Pacer International and has been instrumental in coordinating the missions to above countries. Her enthusiasm and relentless efforts have been the key for product donations from various pacemaker companies.
​Susan passed away on May 20, 2022 after decades of service to the community and beyond. 

Obituary
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