Pulmonary & Critical Care Division Newsletter

Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine (PCCM)

Dr. Amira Al-Nabolsi
PCCM
Medical School: Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Residency: Corwell Health Farmington Hills

Dr. Shannon Antishin
PCCM
Medical School: Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Residency: Henry Ford Health

Dr. Jawad Bouhamdan
PCCM
Medical School: Wayne State University School of Medicine
Residency: University of Michigan

Dr. Jonathan Major
PCCM
Medical School: Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine
Residency: Henry Ford Health

Dr. Niroshan Ranjan
PCCM
Medical School: Ross University School of Medicine
Residency: Henry Ford Health - Jackson

Dr. Quintin Solano
PCCM
Medical School: University of Michigan Medical School
Residency: Michigan Medicine

Dr. Marwa Tarbaghia
PCCM
Medical School: Bahcesehir Universitesi Tip Fakultesi
Residency: Cleveland Clinic Foundation / Fairview Hospital

Critical Care Medicine (CCM)

Dr. Raya Bani Kenana
CCM
Medical School: University of Jordan Faculty of Medicine
Residency: Henry Ford Health

Dr. Chandana Cherukupalli
CCM
Medical School: A.T. Still University of Health Sciences School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona
Residency: Henry Ford Health

Dr. Michael Derevensky
CCM
Medical School: State University of New York Upstate Medical University
Residency: University of Vermont Medical Center

Dr. Connor Bunch
EM/IM/CCM
Medical School: Indiana University School of Medicine
Residency: Henry Ford Health

Dr. Cassidy Merklen
EM/IM/CCM
Medical School: University of Michigan Medical School
Residency: Henry Ford Health

Dr. Nosike Obionwu
Nephrology/CCM
Medical School: Nnamdi Azikiwe University College of Health Sciences
Residency: Rutgers Health/Newark Beth Israel Medical Center

Dr. Heitor Smiljanic Carrijo
Nephrology/CCM
Medical School: Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Faculdade de Medicina
Residency: DMC/Sinai-Grace Health

Interventional Pulmonology (IP)

Dr. Kim Pham
IP
Medical School: Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine
Residency: University of Missouri

Congratulations to Dr. Kamelia Albujoq on her appointment as Section Chief of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine at Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital, effective July 1, 2026. Dr. Albujoq earned her medical degree from the American University of the Caribbean before completing both her Internal Medicine residency and Pulmonary & Critical Care fellowship at Henry Ford Hospital. She joined the Henry Ford Medical Group in 2018 and has since become a highly respected clinician, educator, and leader within the division. Her appointment reflects years of dedication to excellence in patient care, education, and service, while continuing the strong tradition of physician leadership within our Pulmonary & Critical Care program.

As Section Chief, Dr. Albujoq will provide leadership for a thriving Pulmonary & Critical Care service comprising 41 employed physicians and 42 advanced practice providers. She will oversee the day-to-day clinical operations of the service while partnering with Dr. Dominik Starosta, Service Chief of Internal Medicine, to align clinical, operational, and strategic initiatives across the hospital. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Albujoq on this well-deserved appointment and wishing her every success in her new leadership role.

PCCM Reports will be launching soon! The peer-reviewed journal will provide a forum for fellows and faculty to publish original research, case reports, review articles, and other scholarly work.

The journal was created to showcase the outstanding clinical and academic work being performed throughout our division while providing trainees with an accessible venue for publication. We hope it will foster collaboration, promote scholarship, and serve as an educational resource for our pulmonary and critical care community.

Submissions from fellows, residents, medical students, advanced practice providers, and faculty are encouraged. Manuscripts will undergo peer review and be published online on a rolling basis.

For additional information or to discuss a potential submission, contact Dr. Jeff Jennings, or visit pccmreports.org.

One of the first case reports we hope to feature is Dr. Kelly's fascinating case of urinothorax, first encountered several years ago. The case has remained a topic of discussion within the division, and the new journal will finally provide an opportunity to share this unique clinical experience with a broader audience.

We also encourage submission of quality improvement projects, educational innovations, clinical images, and other scholarly work developed during fellowship. Many excellent projects are presented locally or at national meetings but never reach publication. PCCM Reports provides an opportunity to share these experiences with a wider audience while helping trainees build their academic portfolios.

Dr. Sharon Raymond-Forde recently contributed to a two-part review series in CHEST Physician examining the evolving management of pulmonary embolism (PE) in light of the 2026 AHA/ACC guideline recommendations.

The first article, Catching Decompensation Earlier in Acute PE, reviews contemporary approaches to early risk stratification and recognition of clinical deterioration. The second, Navigating PE Treatment: What AHA/ACC Guidelines Recommend, explores how the updated guideline framework informs treatment decisions across the spectrum of PE severity, emphasizing risk-adapted escalation of anticoagulation and advanced therapies.

Patients with congestive heart failure frequently present with exertional dyspnea and are often referred to pulmonologists because their symptoms closely mimic primary pulmonary disease, including asthma, COPD, and pulmonary hypertension. When pulmonary hypertension develops in the setting of left heart disease, prognosis worsens, and treatment options remain limited despite advances in guideline-directed medical therapy.
Henry Ford Health has been selected as the first center in the United States to participate in a clinical trial evaluating pulmonary artery denervation (PADN) in patients with pulmonary hypertension due to left heart disease. This investigational catheter-based therapy targets the sympathetic nervous system's role in pulmonary hypertension through reduction of excessive sympathetic signaling. The procedure is performed as a one-time intervention.

The study will evaluate whether pulmonary artery denervation can improve outcomes in patients with symptomatic heart failure and combined pre- and post-capillary pulmonary hypertension.

Potential candidates include patients with symptomatic heart failure despite guideline-directed medical therapy, an estimated pulmonary artery systolic pressure ≥40 mmHg on echocardiography, and pulmonary hypertension confirmed by right heart catheterization at the time of study enrollment. Patients with BMI >45, severe pulmonary disease (DLCO <40%, TLC <60%, or FEV1 <70%), and those requiring long-term supplemental oxygen are excluded.

If you have a patient with exertional dyspnea and suspected pulmonary hypertension due to left heart disease, please consider referral to the Henry Ford Pulmonary Hypertension Program for evaluation and potential enrollment.

Congratulations to Dr. Krishna Thavaraja on her appointment to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation Board of Directors, a leading national organization dedicated to improving the lives of patients with pulmonary fibrosis. Dr. Thavaraja is one of only two physicians serving on the Board. Her appointment recognizes her expertise and longstanding commitment to advancing the care of patients with interstitial lung disease and pulmonary fibrosis.

As a member of the Board of Directors, Dr. Thavaraja will help shape the Foundation's strategic priorities, including advancing patient care, guiding research initiatives, and strengthening education and support programs for patients and families affected by pulmonary fibrosis. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Thavaraja on this outstanding national leadership appointment.