Fellowship leadership
Mauricio Danckers, MD, FCCP
Program Director - Mauricio Danckers, MD, FCCP, (he/him) is a graduate of Universidad Mayor San Marcos in Lima, Peru. He completed his internal medicine residency and chief residency at Mount Sinai West/Morningside (formerly known as St Luke’s – Roosevelt Hospital Center ), and his pulmonary and critical care medicine fellowship and chief fellowship at New York University.
Dr. Danckers is the medical director of the Intensive Care Unit at HCA Florida Aventura Hospital. Dr. Danckers’ areas of interest involve clinical quality improvement and innovation in medical education. He is an Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine at Nova Southeastern University’s Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine. Dr. Danckers has been awarded in several opportunities for his teaching skills and commitment to graduate medical education at his institution.
Dr. Danckers had been a recipient of the “Distinguished CHEST Educator Designation” recognition over the past several years. He is the current chair for CHEST Training and Transitions committee and is an active supporter of the CHEST Foundation. Dr Danckers is the national awardee of the 2022 CHEST Early Career Clinician Educator Award.
Dr. Danckers is board certified in internal medicine, pulmonary medicine, and critical care medicine.
Daniel I. Zapata, MD
Associate Program Director - Daniel I. Zapata, MD (he/him) is originally from Connecticut, received his medical degree from New York Medical College. He completed Internal Medicine Residency and Pulmonary Critical Care Medicine Fellowship at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York. He spent 2 years in practice and medical education in Queens before moving to Miami. He enjoys spending time with his family, sports, and music.
Dr. Zapata is board certified in internal medicine, pulmonary medicine, and critical care medicine.
Raiko Diaz, DO
Assistant Program Director - Raiko Diaz, DO (he/him) completed his medical school training at NOVA Southeastern University and internal medicine residency at Cleveland Clinic Florida. He completed his pulmonary disease at HCA Florida Aventura Hospital and his critical care medicine fellowship at Cleveland Clinic Florida. He is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine at Nova Southeastern University’s Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine. Dr Diaz’s areas of interest include ARDS and pulmonary hypertension.
Dr. Diaz is board certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Medicine, and Critical Care Medicine.
Core faculty
Daniel Heller, MD
Daniel Heller, MD (he/him) is a graduate of the Sackler School of Medicine at Tel Aviv University in Tel Aviv, Israel. He completed his Internal Medicine Residency and Chief Residency at Mount Sinai Medical Center, and his Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine fellowship at the University of Miami and Jackson Memorial Hospital. Dr. Heller is currently the Associate Program Director of the Internal Medicine residency program at HCA Florida Aventura Hospital. He is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine at Nova Southeastern University’s Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine and Florida International University’s Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. Dr. Heller’s areas of interest include ARDS and septic shock.
Dr. Heller is board certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Medicine, and Critical Care Medicine.
Gustavo Ferrer, MD
Gustavo Ferrer, MD (he/him) graduated from George Washington University with a Fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care. He is the founder and former Program Director of HCA Florida Aventura Hospital Pulmonary Medicine Fellowship. He carries a prolific research career. He has received many prestigious awards and holds several patents.
Dr. Ferrer is board certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Medicine, and Critical Care Medicine.
Idle Manuel Lee, MD
Idle Manuel Lee, MD (he/him) is originally from Panama and grew up in Texas. He completed his training in Internal Medicine in Richmond University Medical Center in NYMC followed by a Critical Care Medicine Fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering also in New York. He moves to South Florida in 2015 currently serving as Medical Director at HCA Florida Kendall Hospital.
Dr. Lee is board certified in Internal Medicine and Critical Care Medicine.
Dionne Morgan, MD, FCCP
Dionne Morgan, MD (she/her) was born and raised in Jamaica. She completed fellowship training in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine and in Sleep Medicine at SUNY Downstate and at National Jewish Health respectively. She has been awarded Teaching Faculty of the Year in several opportunities at her HCA Florida Aventura Hospital. She is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine at Nova Southeastern University’s Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine. Dr Morgan’s area of interest include patient safety strategies and hospital quality improvement in clinical outcomes.
Dr. Morgan is board certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Medicine, Critical Care Medicine, and Sleep Medicine.
Siddarth Kathuria, MD
Siddarth Kathuria, MD (he/him) completed his Internal Medicine residency at the Yale School of Medicine, at Norwalk Hospital and his Pulmonary and Critical Care fellowship and chief fellowship at the Icahn School of Medicine, at Mount Sinai Morningside, Mount Sinai West and Mount Sinai Beth Israel. He has a special interest in Medical Simulation, completing a fellowship in Simulation at Mount Sinai Morningside and Mount Sinai West in New York City.
Dr. Kathuria is the Director of Simulation for HCA East Florida Division. His areas of interest include simulation-based education, debriefing, quality improvement and patient safety initiatives. He is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine at Nova Southeastern University’s Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine.
Dr. Kathuria is board certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Medicine, and Critical Care Medicine.
Prerna Sharma, MBBS
Prerna Sharma, MBBS (she/her) completed her medical training in K.J. Somaiya Medical College in India, her internal medicine residency at UPMC Mercy Hospital and pulmonary and critical care as well as right heart failure and vascular medicine fellowship at University of Virginia Medical Center. Dr. Sharma’s academic interests include pulmonary hypertension, venous thromboembolism, critical care ultrasound, and health care quality improvement. Her teaching interest lies in Point of Care Ultrasound and its clinical applications.
Dr. Sharma is board certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Medicine, and Critical Care Medicine.
Teaching faculty
Nikhil Bhardwaj, MD
Nikhil Bhardwaj, MD (he/him) attended medical school training at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria. He completed his internal medicine residency and pulmonary and critical care medicine fellowship at St Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital in New York. Dr Bhardwaj has been practicing in HCA Florida Aventura Hospital for over two decades with a blend of community-based services in his various subspecialities. His special interest is in practicing good clinical medicine and educating medical staff on practical skill sets useful in daily practice.
Dr. Bhardwaj is board certified in, Pulmonary Medicine, Critical Care Medicine, and Palliative Care Medicine.
Sherard Lacaille, MD
Infectious Disease and Critical Care Medicine
HCA Florida Kendall Hospital
Sabrina Arshed, MD
Critical Care Medicine
HCA Florida Kendall Hospital
Gordana Bjekic, MD
Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
HCA Florida Aventura Hospital
Dubier Matos Castillo, MD
Critical Care Medicine
HCA Florida Kendall Hospital
Diego Bonilla, MD
Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
HCA Florida Kendall Hospital
Armando Cabrera, MD
Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
HCA Florida Aventura Hospital
Adam Wellikoff, MD
Interventional Pulmonology
HCA Florida JFK Hospital
Javier Kaplan, MD
Anesthesiology
HCA Florida Aventura Hospital
Michael Decker, MD
Anesthesiology
HCA Florida Aventura Hospital
Moises Mitrani, MD
Ear, Nose, and Throat
HCA Florida Aventura Hospital
Javier Gonzalez, MD
Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
HCA Florida Kendall Hospital