Strong Heart and Vascular Center

Meet Our Team

Leway Chen, M.D., MPH, FACC

Director and Senior Transplant Cardiologist for the Program in Heart Failure and Transplantation, Dr. Chen conducts research in heart failure and medical outcomes.

Medical degree, University of Missouri (Kansas City). Masters in Public Health, University of Washington. Post-graduate work, Beth Israel Hospital, Framingham Heart Study. Fellowships, University of Washington (heart failure & transplant management) and Seattle VA Puget Sound Health Care.

H. Todd Massey, M.D.

Senior Transplant Surgeon for the Program in Heart Failure and Transplantation, Dr. Massey has been involved in more than 100 heart and heart-lung transplants.

Medical degree, Medical College of Georgia. Surgical residency, University of Louisville. Thoracic residency, University of Texas Southwestern. Fellowships in heart/lung transplant and adult cardiac surgery, Duke University Medical Center.

Jeffrey Alexis, M.D.

Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. Dr. Alexis is board certified in Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Disease. Dr. Alexis is a faculty member of the Cardiovascular Research Institute (CVRI) and conducts research on coronary artery disease that develops after heart transplantation.

Medical degree, Harvard Medical School.  Residency, Massachusetts General Hospital.  Fellowship, Division of Cardiology, Mount Sinai Medical Center.

Eugene Storozynsky, M.D., Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Medicine and Cardiology at the University of Rochester Medical Center. Dr. Storozynsky is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Board Certified in Cardiovascular Diseases. His area of special interest includes researching novel non-invasive echocardiographic techniques to detect subclinical organ rejection.

Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology and Medical degree, University of Rochester. Residency and Cardiology Fellowship, Strong Memorial Hospital, University of Rochester.

Michael Fong, MD

Senior instructor of Medicine, Cardiology Unit. He is board-certified in internal medicine board eligible in Cardiology. Dr. Fong earned his undergraduate degree in 1997 from the University of Toronto, and his medical degree in 2001 from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. He completed his internal medicine residency at Case Western Reserve University in 2004 and a cardiology fellowship at the University of Rochester Medical Center in 2007. Dr. Fong was recruited by the Program in Heart Failure and Transplantation in July of 2007. He also will be working in the Cardiac MRI Center and Nuclear Cardiology. His research interest is in hypertension.

Mary Beth Earley, RN, MS, ANP-BC, CCRN

Transplant Coordinator for the Program in Heart Failure and Transplantation, Ms. Earley is board-certified as an Adult Nurse Practitioner and has more than 25 years of cardiac nursing experience.After starting her advanced practice career in the cardiothoracic ICU at Strong Memorial Hospital, she went on to support a new cardiac surgery program in SC, and then developed a heart failure clinic in Fla. .She returned to the Rochester area in 2002 and joined the heart failure and transplant team at URMC.She has received AACN’s Outstanding Nurse Practitioner award for the care she’s provided to critically ill patients and their families, and has been published multiple times on program development and heart failure management.  Master's degree in Nursing, University of Rochester.

Lisa G. Kotyra, RN, MS, ACNP, CCRN

Transplant Coordinator for the Program in Heart Failure and Transplantation, Ms. Kotyra is board certified as an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner and has extensive experience in critical care and cardiology nursing. She has cared for critically ill patients throughout her career, including as a nurse practitioner in the CT ICU and a general cardiology practice. Bachelor of Science in Nursing, State University of New York at Binghamton. Master's degree in Nursing, University of Rochester.

Liz Powley, RN, MSN, FNP

Transplant Coordinator for the Program in Heart Failure and Transplantation. Ms. Powley is board certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner and has had 28 years of Nursing experience at the University of Rochester in various positions. This includes experience in critical care nursing, out patient cardiology and 8 years of experience caring patients in various stages of heart transplant. Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Keuka College. Master's degree in Nursing Administration, University of Rochester. Post Master’s Certificate as Nurse Practitioner at St. John Fisher College

Theresa Cadieux-Milliken, RN, MS, ANP-BC, CCRN

Transplant Coordinator for the Program in Heart Failure and Transplantation, Ms. Cadieux-Milliken has extensive experience in cardiology and critical care. She has cared for critically ill patients as a registered nurse in the Cardiovascular ICU, Heart Failure/Transplant unit and cardiac catheterization lab as a nurse practitioner. Ms. Cadieux-Milliken has extensive experience in education as an adjunct professor at Nazareth College and Clinical Support Specialist for IABP. Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Nazareth College of Rochester. Master’s degree In Nursing, University of Rochester.

Lisa M. Yockel

Administrator for the Program in Heart Failure and Transplantation for the past 4 years. Ms. Yockel coordinates the activities of the multidisciplinary team and the transplant office.

Bachelor's degree in psychology, University of Colorado (Boulder). She has worked in the medical field for over 19 years, previously spending 10 years as a clinic administrator with Children’s National Medical Center in Washington DC.

Megan McKee, LMSW

Medical Social Worker for the Heart Failure Program, Transplantation and Ventricular Assistive Device. Ms. McKee is a New York State Licensed Social Worker, with experience in inpatient psychiatry and with the Medical Center’s Liver Transplant Program.

Master’s degree in Social Work, Roberts Wesleyan College.