Jessen Jacob, MD

Sergiu Darabant, M.D., is a medical cardiologist at Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute. Dr. Darabant specializes in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of coronary artery disease, valvular heart disease, arrhythmias and cardiomyopathies. He also has extensive experience in cardiovascular imaging, critical care cardiology and advanced heart failure therapies. He is fluent in English and Romanian.Dr. Darabant joins Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute from the University of Louisville Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky. There, he served as chief fellow and was under the mentorship of Dr. Marcus Stoddard, the president of the National Board of Echocardiography. Under Dr. Soddard, he developed a special interest and training in transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography imaging modalities. These techniques are used in evaluating cardiovascular disease and stroke patients. When used, the imaging is included as preprocedural evaluation of valvular heart disease, preparation for structural heart disease interventions and medical guidance to prevent recurring stroke. His research has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine, the Journal of Heart Valve Disease, the Journal of Hospital Medicine and ACC FIT Online. Dr. Darabant also was elected as an American College of Cardiology Fellow in Training (FIT) Editorial Fellow.Dr. Darabant’s approach to care is to first listen to his patient’s concerns and then use every resource available to help them stay healthy and lead a balanced, joyful life while regaining their independence.When he is not treating patients, Dr. Darabant enjoys traveling with his wife and dog, outdoor activities, cooking, and studying to become fluent in Spanish.

Harneet Walia, M.D., FAASM, is the medical director of sleep medicine at Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute and chief of clinical transformation for Baptist Health. She is also a professor at Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. Dr. Walia joined Baptist Health in January 2021 from Cleveland Clinic, Ohio. She is a national thought leader and has contributed substantially to mentorship and outreach. She has presented on more than 100 international and national platforms and in media relations to raise awareness of sleep disorders. Dr. Walia has led numerous clinical trials and real-world research projects on sleep apnea treatment, including upper airway stimulation and health outcomes, ranging from patient-reported outcomes to cardiometabolic disorders. She and her team have demonstrated that improving sleep disorders can improve patients’ quality of life, depressive symptoms and insomnia symptoms, and have garnered various national awards. Her research has also shown that obstructive sleep apnea is associated with recalcitrant blood pressure and that treatment can improve blood pressure. Her research has been published in several high-impact, peer-reviewed journals such as CHEST, JAMA Otolaryngology and Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. She serves on numerous local and national committees for sleep medicine. As chief of clinical transformation at Baptist Health, Dr. Walia continues to drive innovation and excellence in healthcare delivery. Her leadership is instrumental in implementing evidence-based practices and fostering a culture of continuous improvement to meet the evolving needs of patients and the community. She has also led multiple professional and leadership development initiatives. She has been recognized for her leadership and scholarly achievements, and received the prestigious Gidwani Mid-Career Scholarship from the Women’s Professional Staff Association at Cleveland Clinic in 2020. This scholarship facilitated her professional development at Harvard Medical School’s leadership course, where she honed her leadership skills and strategic vision in healthcare transformation.

Juan Lopez, M.D., is a board-certified medical cardiologist at Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute, specializing in complex cardiovascular conditions, echocardiography and preventive cardiovascular health. He is fluent in English and Spanish.Prior to joining Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute, Dr. Lopez completed his cardiology fellowship at University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital. He earned his medical degree from the Florida Internal University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine and completed his internal medicine residency at University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital. He earned Intern of the Year in 2018 and the Derek J. Sayfie, M.D., Research Day Top Clinical Research award in 2019. Dr. Lopez coauthored a chapter in the 2023 book Mastering Structural Heart Disease and published research in journals such as Circulation Research and the American Journal of Cardiology.With a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering, Dr. Lopez has a deep understanding of the procedures and devices that he recommends to patients. He also understands that patient care means going beyond diagnosis and treatment as he helps patients and their families work through fears and anxieties to achieve healing.In his free time, Dr. Lopez enjoys spending time with his wife and three children, which includes lugging an overpacked cart often to the beach or making a pizza from scratch at home.