Richard Gumina, M.D., Ph.D., has been named acting chief of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine in the UNMC Department of Internal Medicine. As part of this appointment, Dr. Gumina also will be involved in leading Nebraska Medicine’s heart and vascular clinical program.
The announcement was made today by Deb Romberger, M.D., professor and chair of internal medicine.
Dr. Gumina will replace Vincent Pompili, M.D., who has served as chief of cardiology since 2016. Dr. Pompili has moved to Charlotte, N.C., to lead heart and vascular services for Novant Health in the system’s four-state region of Virginia, Georgia, and North and South Carolina.
“I am grateful for all of Dr. Pompili’s work as chief in recruiting new faculty, leading clinical growth, and contributing to our educational and research missions,” Dr. Romberger said. “We wish him all the best in his new role.
“I am pleased that Dr. Gumina is willing to take on the role of acting chief. His background as an interventional cardiologist and a physician-scientist will help continue the momentum of growth in cardiovascular medicine. He is rapidly getting acquainted with our campus and bringing great ideas to how we live out our clinical, education, and research missions.”
Dr. Gumina joined UNMC in January as associate division chief for cardiovascular research after serving on the cardiology faculty at Vanderbilt University Medical Center the past five years. Prior to working at Vanderbilt, Dr. Gumina worked for six years at The Ohio State University.
“The Division of Cardiovascular Medicine is set on a fantastic trajectory to build a leading Heart and Vascular Center,” Dr. Gumina said, “We will continue to build on the strengths of the division — superb faculty and support staff who provide excellent care for patients with complex cardiovascular disease.”
Dr. Gumina earned his doctoral and medical degrees from Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee and did a fellowship in cardiovascular research. His extensive training also includes a residency in internal medicine and three fellowships (clinician investigator, cardiovascular diseases and interventional cardiology) at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
A prodigious researcher, Dr. Gumina’s lab is supported by a grant from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health to understand how the heart heals following a heart attack. He also is funded by the American Heart Association to study mechanisms that lead to atherosclerosis and thrombosis, the major cause of acute coronary syndromes and cardiovascular death.
The Division of Cardiovascular Medicine recently moved its offices from the 5th floor of the Medical Sciences Building to the 8th floor of The Lied Transplant Center. In addition, four cardiology investigators now have labs on the 12th floor, and Dr. Gumina is hoping to recruit another three or four researchers to complement the clinical strengths within the division.
Congratulations! Looking forward to working with you.