World Class Cardiac & Neuro Care Closer to Home

Columbia University Irving Medical Center Expands Collaboration With Stamford Health

Stamford Health’s successful collaboration with Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) includes neurosurgeons and cardiac surgeons from Columbia’s medical school, the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons (VP&S), building on the high-quality cardiovascular and neurosciences services already in place at Stamford Health. In addition, Stamford Health has collaborated for over a decade with Columbia VP&S as a teaching affiliate.

Stamford Health, known for its award-winning cardiac care through the Heart & Vascular Institute, offers treatment and expertise from Columbia’s Department of Surgery’s nationally recognized heart surgeons. Today, Columbia’s top surgeons see and operate on patients at Stamford Health, performing both scheduled and emergency heart surgery. The cardiac collaboration unites the clinical expertise of CUIMC and Stamford Health’s nationally recognized heart surgeons, Nicholas Shea, MD, Michael Argenziano, MD, and Luigi Pirelli, MD.

Stamford Health also recently welcomed Columbia’s Department of Neurosurgery’s endovascular neurosurgeons, Max Shutran, MD, and Kamil W. Nowicki, MD, PhD, to its medical staff to support treatment of a wider range of cerebrovascular conditions and more complex stroke cases. To date, they have cared for patients with vascular disorders in the brain and spine, including stroke, aneurysms, carotid stenosis, and vascular malformations, using both minimally invasive and open surgical techniques. They also treat other neurosurgical problems including herniated discs, spinal stenosis, brain tumors, and trigeminal neuralgia.

Stamford Health’s neurosciences team is co-led by Todd Miller, MD, director of neuro-interventional radiology, and Donald Price, MD, director of neurology, and consists of board-certified neurologists, neurosurgeons, pain management physicians, stroke experts, sleep specialists, concussion experts, headache and geriatric care specialists.

These clinicians employ the latest research, imaging technologies and a full range of minimally invasive treatment plans. In 2025, the American Heart Association recognized Stamford Hospital in the Get With The Guidelines® -Stroke Program. Stamford Health was also recognized by U.S. News & World Report in 2025 as a High Performing Hospital in stroke care.* Stamford Hospital is Advanced Primary Stroke Certified by The Joint Commission.

Through this expanded relationship with CUIMC, one of the nation’s premier medical centers, Stamford Health provides the most advanced and sophisticated cardiac and neurosurgical care to lower Fairfield County.

ABOUT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IRVING MEDICAL CENTER

Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the Columbia University Vagelos School of Physicians and Surgeons provide patients with the expertise of highly regarded physicians, surgeons, dentists, and nurses. Columbia offers comprehensive interdisciplinary care, providing services in more than 230 specialties and subspecialties to patients from around the country and the world.

Columbia’s approach to patient care springs from its unparalleled historical legacy of clinical excellence and is further informed by and honed through the application of cutting-edge research. Columbia providers move effortlessly between the latest treatments, such as advanced robotic surgical techniques, and the traditional tried-and-true applications of personalized health care.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CARDIAC SURGERY AT STAMFORD HEALTH, CONTACT 203.276.4400.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT NEUROSCIENCES AT STAMFORD HEALTH, CONTACT 203.276.4884.