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Dr. Sandhya K. Balaram, a leading adult cardiac surgeon in New York City, has been named chief of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, effective Nov. 15. She was also recruited to Weill Cornell Medicine as an associate professor of clinical cardiothoracic surgery.

In her new role, Dr. Balaram will expand NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital’s world-class cardiovascular care, with an emphasis on surgical coronary revascularization, valve repair and replacement, and aortic surgery.

“We are excited to welcome Dr. Balaram to NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital,” said Robert Guimento, president of NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital. “Dr. Balaram is an accomplished physician and surgeon dedicated to increasing access to high-quality, compassionate care for patients, and her leadership will be a tremendous asset to our team and the community.”

“Dr. Balaram is a distinguished leader in the field of cardiothoracic surgery,” said Dr. Leonard Girardi, cardiothoracic surgeon-in-chief at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center and chairman of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery and the O. Wayne Isom Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine. “Her commitment to delivering the highest quality care to our patients makes her the ideal choice for the position, and I look forward to working together as we continue to elevate our cardiovascular care offerings in Brooklyn.”

Dr. Balaram spent 19 years as a cardiac surgeon and associate professor at Mount Sinai Morningside, where she held the positions of chief of the division and more recently, as the director of clinical quality and performance.

“I’m thrilled to be joining NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital and Weill Cornell Medicine and look forward to the opportunity to further grow the cardiothoracic surgery program in Brooklyn,” said Dr. Balaram. “I am excited to be working with this talented team to provide excellent clinical outcomes and personalized care to patients in need in Brooklyn and beyond.”

As chief of cardiothoracic surgery, Dr. Balaram will enhance cardiovascular services through systematic approaches between leading specialists, community physicians and primary care networks. She will work to strengthen operating policies and procedures with a focus on high-quality cardiac surgical outcomes and increased outreach within Brooklyn.

An accomplished academic researcher and member of both the American Association for Thoracic Surgery and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, Dr. Balaram has authored dozens of peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. She received her Ph.D for her study of the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis. Her specific research interests include hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, clinical outcomes of women after heart surgery, and minimally invasive cardiac surgery.

Dr. Balaram received her bachelor’s and medical degree from the integrated six-year program at University of Missouri-Kansas City, where she was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Society. She completed her general surgery residency and earned her doctorate at Creighton University. Dr. Balaram completed her cardiothoracic residency at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, followed by a minimally invasive cardiothoracic surgery fellowship at Mount Sinai Morningside.

Dr. Balaram has dedicated much of her career to increasing access for underserved patient populations. She has traveled internationally for voluntary medical missions to countries without access to care and is presently developing a cardiac surgical team for the humanitarian organization Operation International.