Our Advanced Practice Providers
Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) are licensed healthcare professionals, such as Physician Associates (PAs) and Nurse Practitioners (NPs), who work closely with doctors to diagnose, treat, and manage medical conditions. They have advanced training and education to provide excellent care.
Russell Brandwein, MS, PA-C, AACC
- Executive Director, Interventional Cardiovascular Care
- Physician Associate
Jenna Constantino, PA-C
- Physician Associate
Jenna Constantino, PA-C, is a physician associate with the Structural Heart and Valve team at Columbia. After earning a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Pittsburgh, Jenna worked as a home health aide and as a nurse’s aide at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). She then went on to complete a master’s degree in health sciences for physician assistants at Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences in New York City.
Since her certification in 2016, Jenna has worked as a PA on the cardiac surgery step down unit and in the cardiothoracic intensive care unit at Columbia. She joined the Columbia Structural Heart and Valve Center in 2024.
Jessica Forman, DMSc, MS, PA-C
- Director, Left Atrial Appendage Services
- Physician Associate
Jessica Forman, DMSc, MS, PA-C, practices as a physician associate at Columbia’s Interventional Cardiovascular Care. She started her career working on the inpatient side of the service in 1999. She transitioned to outpatient care in 2012.
She treats patients with coronary artery disease, valvular disease, and structural heart disease issues. She completed her Doctorate in January of 2021 and is currently the Director of Left Atrial Appendage Services. Her practice focuses on all aspects of interventional cardiology and structural heart and valve disease. She has a special interest in bioethics, especially research ethics. She has a Master’s in Bioethics from Columbia University and recently received her Advanced Certificate in Bioethics and Jewish Law from Yeshiva University.
Cynthia Hadaya, PA-C
- Physician Associate
Cynthia Hadaya, PA-C, is a physician associate with over seven years of experience in interventional cardiology and vascular medicine.
She earned a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition from Wayne State University before completing her Master of Science in physician assistant studies at Pace University. Cynthia began her career as a Family Medicine PA in Michigan before joining the interventional cardiology team at Columbia in 2016. In 2021, she transitioned to Vascular Medicine at Columbia, where she continues to provide expert care to her patients.
Franis Hwang, DNP, ANP-BC
- Nurse Practitioner
Francis Hwang, DNP, ANP-BC, is a highly skilled healthcare professional who transitioned from serving as a combat medic in the Army to becoming a nurse practitioner. He earned his most recent degree, an Executive Doctorate in Nursing Practice (DNP) from Johns Hopkins University.
With extensive experience in emergency medicine, cardiac surgery, acute care trauma surgery, and orthopedic surgery, Francis combines his military training with advanced clinical expertise to provide exceptional care to interventional cardiovascular patients. His dedication to healthcare excellence and adaptability to diverse medical challenges make him a valuable asset in both acute and long-term care settings.
Ruslana Jackson, MSN, ANP-BC
- Nurse Practitioner
Ruslana Jackson, MSN, ANP-BC, is a board-certified adult nurse practitioner specializing in the medical care of interventional cardiology patients at Columbia.
Ruslana earned her Master of Science in Nursing from New York University, where she pursued a dual specialty as a Holistic Nurse Practitioner and Adult Primary Care Nurse Practitioner. During her graduate studies, she was inducted into the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, Upsilon Chapter, and was awarded the Federal Traineeship Scholarship in recognition of her academic excellence.
She completed her undergraduate education at Loyola University Chicago, earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing with a minor in Sociology. Ruslana is particularly passionate about the mind-body connection and its profound impact on overall health, integrating this perspective into her approach to patient care.
Woo Kim, PA-C
- Physician Associate
Woo Kim, PA-C, is a highly skilled physician associate with over six years of experience in non-invasive cardiology. He earned his bachelor's degree in laboratory medicine from the University of Washington and completed his cardiology and cardiac ICU internship at Montefiore Hospital. Woo is passionate about the cardiovascular system and dedicated to optimizing patient outcomes through preventative care and education.
Throughout his career, Woo has worked at prestigious institutions, including Bellevue Hospital and NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell, where he evaluates patients, performs physical exams, supervises stress testing, and coordinates care with medical teams. As a Korean-American immigrant, Woo is passionate about improving access to healthcare and making a positive impact on his community.
Melanie Mendoza-Aguilar, DNP, ACNPC-AG
- Nurse Practitioner
Melanie Mendoza-Aguilar, DNP, ACNPC-AG, is an adult nurse practitioner specializing in the management of patients in acute care settings. She is board-certified as an Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (ACNPC-AG).
She first started her career as a registered nurse working in a high-volume telemetry unit and later earned her Doctorate of Nursing Practice from Columbia Nursing and joined CUIMC’s interventional cardiology team in 2023. She strives for patient-centered care and working in communities in need of compassionate, culturally-competent health care.
Gifty Ntiwaah, MSN, AGPCNP-BC
- Nurse Practitioner
Gifty Ntiwaah, MSN, AGPCNP-BC, is a board-certified adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioner in interventional cardiology at Columbia where her current focus of care is providing compassionate and exceptional care to patients, through strong patient advocacy and education, preventative care/screenings, and risk reduction strategies. She started her NP career in advanced heart failure, before transitioning to interventional cardiology.
Gifty earned her Master of Science in Nursing from Hunter College Bellevue School of Nursing, where she specialized in adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioner. She completed her undergraduate education at College of New Rochelle in New York, earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Gifty's philosophy of care is: to care for patients as you would want to be cared for!
Barbara Robbins, MS, FNP-BC
- Nurse Practitioner
Barbara Robbins, MS, FNP-BC, is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner specializing in the management of patients undergoing interventional cardiology procedures.
After graduating from Golden West College with an Associate Degree in Nursing in California, she worked at a Trauma Care Center in step-down and ICU while earning a Baccalaureate in Nursing Degree at California State University, Long Beach, with a concentration in Critical Care. She then relocated to Vermont, where she spent 30 years working in Critical Care and Education. She earned a Master’s Degree in Nursing with a concentration in Education and Ethics at the University of Vermont while continuing her work in Critical Care. She also taught in Norwich University’s Associate and Baccalaureate Nursing Programs.
She later earned a Post-Master’s Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate and began working as an NP at the University of Vermont with the Neurology Department in both acute and outpatient settings, specializing in stroke care. She was recognized as a Clinical Instructor in the Neurology Residency Program and was certified as a Critical Care Registered Nurse for over 30 years. After relocating to New York, she worked as an NP in Orthopedics, Neurology, and Neurosurgery before joining the CUIMC Neurology inpatient team.
Since 2012, partnering with Dr. Robert Sommer, she has been providing primary cardiology care to both adult and pediatric patients with Congenital Heart Disease (CHD), as well as managing periprocedural care related to catheter interventions and open-heart surgery. She is a primary investigator with Dr. Sommer in developing and conducting research for patients with migraine headaches and patent foramen ovale (PFO), a common defect in the heart wall. Together, they have collaborated on several landmark manuscripts in this field of research.
Samantha Sinche, MS, PA-C
- Physician Associate
Samantha Sinche, MS, PA-C, graduated with High Honors from SUNY Upstate Medical University in 2016, earning a master’s degree in physician assistant atudies. She began her career as a physician assistant in orthopedic surgery at NYU, where she worked for five years before transitioning to her true passion: interventional cardiology.
Since joining the interventional cardiology team at Columbia in the spring of 2022, Samantha has been thrilled to contribute to a group dedicated to providing world-class patient care.
Fang Xiang, NP-BC
- Nurse Practitioner
Fang Xiang, NP-BC, is a board-certified adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioner with over three years of cardiology experience, including a one-and-a-half-year intensive cardiology internship at a private cardiologist's office.
She holds a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from Hunter College, New York, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from Felician College, New Jersey. Fang is dedicated to providing patient-centered care and specializes in managing a range of cardiovascular conditions, including coronary artery disease, chest pain, and heart failure.
With over 17 years of hospital experience as a certified registered nurse, Fang also holds certification as a medical-surgical registered nurse. Her expertise, professionalism, and strong motivation have earned her a reputation as a trusted healthcare provider among patients and a reliable collaborator among colleagues.
