Cardiologist joins Griffin Faculty Physicians in Derby

Griffin Faculty Physicians is pleased to welcome João Fontes, MD, MPH, an exceptionally skilled and experienced cardiologist, to its multi-specialty medical group.
Dr. Fontes joins Griffin Faculty Physicians Cardiology after leading the Lenox Hill Hospital Department of Cardiovascular Medicine in New York City as Director of Inpatient Cardiology Services and Director of Innovation and Technology. He also served as staff cardiologist at Montefiore Medical Center and was an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Zucker School of Medicine and Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

With an extensive background in caring for patients for a wide range of heart conditions using advanced diagnostic technologies, Dr. Fontes also specializes in compassionate, personalized support.
“I care for adults at all stages of heart health, whether it's prevention, breathing problems, valve disease, or managing things like a past heart attack,” Dr. Fontes said. “Today, we use leading-edge technology like AI, specialized blood tests, and advanced imaging to move beyond just treating heart disease. We are predicting it. We catch conditions earlier, and we treat them more precisely. That means our patients can live longer, more active lives.
“These innovations don't replace the need for human touch. My approach always starts with listening to your story. I want to get to know you, answer your questions, and help you feel more at ease. I believe health isn't just the absence of disease. It's about being happy, independent, and active.”
Dr. Fontes received his medical degrees at Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, and Harvard University School of Public Health.
He completed an internal medicine residency and fellowships in Cardiology and Heart Failure at Boston University School of Medicine. A prolific researcher, he has been published in 40 peer-reviewed articles. He is fluent in English, Portuguese and Spanish.

Dr. Fontes will also serve as Griffin Hospital Chair of Medicine.
Dr. Fontes is currently seeing patients at the Griffin Faculty Physicians Cardiology office at Griffin Hospital, 130 Division St., Floor 1, East Wing, Derby. For more information or to make an appointment, call 203-732-1257.

Griffin Faculty Practice provides patient-centered, personalized care with primary care locations in Ansonia, Naugatuck, Seymour, Shelton, Southbury and Oxford. In addition, the practice provides specialized care in allergy/immunology, urology, rheumatology, OB-GYN, cardiology, cardiac electrophysiology, gastroenterology, cardiothoracic surgery, breast surgery, general surgery, and endocrinology. 

For more information, visit https://gfp.griffinhealth.org.

This is a press release from Griffin Health. 

Allergy specialist joins Griffin Faculty Physicians in Derby

DERBY - Griffin Faculty Physicians is pleased to welcome Dr. Racha Abi Melhem, a highly trained and compassionate allergy and immunology specialist, to its multi-specialty medical group.

Dr. Abi Melhem joins Griffin after caring for children and adults for allergies and immune disorders during a fellowship with King’s County Hospital Center in New York. 

While supporting her mother through an immunodeficiency diagnosis during medical school, Dr. Abi Melhem developed a deep understanding of the worry patients carry into the exam room, and she endeavors to brings that empathy to every patient visit.

“During an observation in allergy and immunology, I discovered how much I love the specialty and the investigative work that comes with it,” Dr. Abi Melhem said. “Individualized care is one of my highest priorities because no two patients are exactly alike. I believe that compassionate care begins with listening, and I strive to make every patient feel heard, understood, and supported throughout their care.”

Dr. Abi Melhem earned a degree in Chemistry and her medical degree at American University of Beirut in Lebanon. 

She completed a post-doctoral research fellowship in Surgery and an internship in Internal Medicine at American University of Beirut before completing an Internal Medicine residency at Staten Island University Hospital and an Allergy/Immunology Fellowship at SUNY Downstate Medical Center.

Dr. Abi Melhem expanded her medical experience with observerships in Cardiology at Atrium Health Medical Center in Ohio and in Allergy/Immunology at Allergy Partners at East Carolina University in North Carolina.

She is fluent in Arabic, English, and French. 

Dr. Abi Melhem is currently seeing patients at Griffin Faculty Physicians Allergy & Immunology at 300 Seymour Ave., Suite 101. 

For more information or to make an appointment, visit https://gfp.griffinhealth.org/specialty-care/allergy-immunology or call 203-416-6997.

About Griffin Faculty Physicians Allergy & Immunology

Griffin's new Allergy & Immunology practice offers expert evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment for seasonal allergies, asthma, eczema, food allergies, medication allergies, chronic sinus issues, hives, or other immune-related conditions for both children and adults.

The practice’s services include:

• Comprehensive allergy testing for environmental, food, and medication allergies
• Asthma diagnosis and management, including breathing tests 
• Treatment for eczema, chronic hives, and other allergic skin conditions 
• Allergy shots (immunotherapy) for long-term allergy relief 
• Advanced biologic treatments for severe allergic and asthma conditions 
• Specialized medication allergy evaluations, including supervised testing and desensitization when appropriate

Griffin Faculty Physicians provides patient-centered, personalized care with primary care locations in Ansonia, Derby, Naugatuck, Seymour, Shelton, Southbury and Oxford. 

In addition, the practice provides specialized care in urology, rheumatology, OB-GYN, cardiology, cardiac electrophysiology, gastroenterology, cardiothoracic surgery, breast surgery, general surgery, and endocrinology. 

For more information, visit https://gfp.griffinhealth.org.

This is a press release from Griffin Health.

Griffin Faculty Physicians welcomes OB-GYN to medical group in Derby

DERBY - Griffin Faculty Physicians is pleased to welcome Julien Chedid, M.D., a highly skilled and compassionate OB-GYN, to its multi-specialty medical group.

Dr. Chedid joins Griffin Faculty Physicians OB-GYN after serving as the Educational Chief Resident in Obstetrics and Gynecology at BronxCare Health System in New York City, where he cared for people from many different cultures and backgrounds, reinforcing his focus for listening deeply to his patient to provide exceptional care.

“I chose OB-GYN because it brings together so many parts of medicine,” Dr. Chedid said. “I get to help people through some of life's most joyful moments, like welcoming a baby, and through difficult moments that call for clarity, support, and trust. When people come to see me, I want them to feel heard, respected, and fully involved in their care. My goal is for them to know that their voice matters, their questions matter, and that I'm here to guide them and support them every step of the way.”

Dr. Chedid earned a degree in Medical Laboratory Sciences and his medical degree at University of Balamand in Lebanon. He completed a clinical observership in gastroenterology and was a was an acting intern for minimally invasive gynecologic surgery at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C. Dr. Chedid expanded his training in OBGYN as a resident physician at Saint George Hospital University Medical Center and Mount Lebanon Hospital in Lebanon.

He is fluent in Arabic, English, French, and Spanish.

Dr. Chedid is currently seeing patients at the Griffin Faculty Physicians OB-GYN office at 300 Seymour Ave., Suite 102. For more information or to make an appointment, call 203-516-5303.

Griffin Faculty Practice provides patient-centered, personalized care with primary care locations in Ansonia, Naugatuck, Seymour, Shelton, Southbury and Oxford. 

In addition, the practice provides specialized care in urology, rheumatology, OB-GYN, cardiology, cardiac electrophysiology, gastroenterology, cardiothoracic surgery, breast surgery, general surgery, and endocrinology. 

For more information, visit https://gfp.griffinhealth.org.

This is a press release from Griffin Health.

Vascular surgeon joins Griffin Faculty Physicians in Shelton

SHELTON - Griffin Faculty Physicians is pleased to welcome Dr. Michael Sergi, MS, MD, FACS, a highly skilled and experienced vascular surgeon, to its multi-specialty medical group.

Dr. Sergi brings more than 20 years of experience as a board-certified vascular surgeon, recently serving as a member of The Vascular Experts. 

His attentive approach has helped him to build lasting relationships with patients managing chronic and progressive vascular disease, helping them improve circulation, mobility and alleviate painful symptoms. 

He specializes in vascular disease evaluation and management, venous disease, vein treatment, and complex wound care.

“I was drawn to medicine because I’ve always liked fixing things and helping people,” Dr. Sergi said. “My father was a surgeon, and being around medicine early on showed me the kind of impact it can have. One of the things that makes vascular surgery unique is continuity of care. These conditions are often chronic and progressive, so I’m not just treating a single event. I’m following patients over time, monitoring how things change, and helping decide what needs to happen next.”

Dr. Sergi earned his medical degree at New York Medical College. He completed his residency at St. Vincent's Hospital Manhattan and was fellowship-trained at Yale-New Haven Hospital. 

He has an extensive background in vascular disease research, with peer-reviewed publications. 

In addition to his clinical and research work, Dr. Sergi has contributed to medical education as a faculty member at the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University, where he has been involved in training medical students in vascular and surgical principles.

He was named a Connecticut Magazine Top Doctor from 2021-2025.

Dr. Sergi is currently seeing patients at Griffin Faculty Physicians Vascular Medicine, located in the Ivy Brook Medical Center, 2 Ivy Brook Road, Suite 105, Shelton. 

For more information or to make an appointment, visit https://gfp.griffinhealth.org/specialty-care/vascular-medicine or call 203-635-6292.

Griffin Faculty Practice provides patient-centered, personalized care with primary care locations in Ansonia, Naugatuck, Seymour, Shelton, Southbury and Oxford. 

In addition, the practice provides specialized care in urology, rheumatology, OB-GYN, cardiology, cardiac electrophysiology, gastroenterology, cardiothoracic surgery, breast surgery, general surgery, and endocrinology. 

For more information, visit https://gfp.griffinhealth.org.

This is a press release from Griffin Health.

 

Griffin Faculty Physicians recognized for cholesterol control efforts

DERBY - Griffin Faculty Physicians has received the American Heart Association’s Check. Change. Control. Cholesterol™ Gold award in recognition of their commitment to reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke through improved cholesterol management.

High cholesterol is one of the major controllable risk factors for heart disease, heart attack and stroke, estimated to cause nearly 2.6 million deaths annually. 

Yet, a survey from the American Heart Association shows that nearly two-thirds of people who have high cholesterol don’t think they’re at high risk for a heart attack or stroke.

To help people better understand their risk and learn to manage their cholesterol, the Association launched its Check. Change. Control. Cholesterol. initiative in 2017. Since then, more than 900 health centers and systems have registered to participate.

To help practices achieve their goals, the Association provides all participants with a dedicated website featuring a free, evidence-based improvement program that includes tools and resources to help clinicians improve cholesterol control rates. 

To facilitate easy and seamless adoption of the program, the Association will provide access to trained support specialists within their community who can help identify specific program components to incorporate into clinical practice.

“High cholesterol is one of the major controllable risk factors for heart disease, yet still is undertreated. This program helps physician practices put a spotlight on this important risk factor and help patients achieve and maintain control of it,” said James Langabeer, Ph.D., Chair of the American Heart Association’s Ambulatory Quality Improvement Advisory Group and Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center, McGovern Medical School. “We are so glad to see Griffin Faculty Physicians join this initiative to prioritize cholesterol control and ultimately improve heart health across the nation.”

Learn more at heart.org.

About Griffin Faculty Physicians

Griffin Faculty Physicians, a subsidiary of Griffin Hospital, is a multi-specialty physician group providing patient-centered, personalized care at locations throughout the area. 

Specialties include primary care, cardiology, endocrinology, pulmonology, gastroenterology, geriatrics, general and breast surgery, card-thoracic surgery, urology and obstetrics & gynecology. 

For more information, visit griffinfacultyphysicians.org.

Griffin Hospital physician honored with Planetree Scholar Award

                    Shyla Muriel, M.D. 

DERBY - Shelton resident Shyla Muriel, M.D., of Griffin Faculty Physicians, was recently awarded the Planetree Scholar Award at the 2019 Planetree International Conference on Person-Centered Care held in Orlando.

The Shelton resident is an experienced Internal Medicine specialist with more than 25 years of diverse experience and is the longest-serving physician in her physician group.

Muriel is respected and appreciated by patients and her fellow caregivers for her dedication to providing exceptional care and for her focus on preventative health. 

In nominating her for the award, staff at Griffin Faculty Physicians stated that Muriel always makes time for patients – even if it means staying late at the office – and she is known for personally calling patients to discuss lifestyle changes to improve their well-being.

“She is knowledgeable, has a great bedside manner and is very proactive in improving my health,” a patient stated recently in a customer satisfaction survey.

About Planetree

Founded in 1978 by Angelica Thieriot, a San Francisco patient who endured a traumatic health care experience, Planetree is an internationally-recognized not-for-profit organization that partners with health care providers around the globe to advance patient-/resident-centered approaches to care. Planetree has been at the forefront of the effort to personalize, humanize, and demystify the healthcare system for more than 30 years. With its model of patient-/resident-centered care being implemented in a diverse range of hospitals, continuing care facilities, outpatient clinics, and consumer health libraries across North America, Canada, Brazil, The Netherlands and Japan, Planetree is demonstrating that patient-centered care is not only an empowering philosophy, but a viable, vital, and cost-effective model of care.

This is a press release from Griffin Hospital.