VAC Physicians

Founder Vascular Access Centers and co-founded Rex Medical with Whitfield Gardner in 1999 and directs R & D.

Dr. McGuckin is Director of the Philadelphia Vascular Institute located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dr. McGuckin’s research interest include: Cardiovascular Systems, Endoscopy and Endosurgery, Peripheral Arterial Disease, Limb Salvage, Percutaneous Oncologic Therapy and therapy related to the End Stage Renal Disease population. He is currently researching recanalization of Central Venous Occlusion using RF ablation. He holds 39 patents and has over 170 pending patents. Dr. McGuckin double majored in Mechanical Engineering and Pre-Medical from the University of Notre Dame in 1983, and received his M.D. from Hahnemann University in 1987, General Surgery in 1988, Masters Degree in Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania in 1990, Diagnostic Imaging in 1995, and completed his Fellowship in Interventional Radiology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in 1996.

Dr. Arata graduated from the University of California, Davis with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry. He received his medical training at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine and a Medical Internship at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.  He completed his Radiology Residency at Duke University Medical Center and went onto a Vascular and Interventional Fellowship at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.  He is Board Certified Interventional Radiologist and earned a Certificate of Added Qualification in Vascular Interventional Radiology. He is a member of the American Venous Forum, the American Society of Interventional and Therapeutic Neuroradiology, the American College of Phlebology, the American Stroke Association, the Society for Vascular Medicine and Biology, The American Heart Association, Council on Cardiovascular Radiology, the Society of Interventional Radiology, the Radiological Society of North America, the American College of Radiology and the American Roentgen Ray Society. Dr. Arata’s specialties include all aspects of hemodialysis access maintenance, peripheral arterial disease, spine stimulator therapy, uterine fibroid embolization, spider and varicose vein treatments.

Dr. Barakat graduate from University of Damascus with Bachelor in Basic Medical Science. From 1997 to 2002 he received medical training at Damascus University, University of Illinois at Chicago, Northwestern University, Harvard University, Oxford University and Baylor College of Medicine.  He completed an Internship and Residency in Internal Medicine at University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston followed by a Fellowship in Renal Disease and Hypertension. Dr. Barakat is Assistant Professor; Division of Renal Disease and Hypertension, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.  He is a member of the American College of Physicians, the American Society of Diagnostic and Interventional Nephrology, the American Society of Nephrology, the Harris County Medical Society, the National American-Arab medical Association and the Academy of Internal Medicine.  Dr. Barakat specializes in all aspect of hemodialysis vascular access maintenance including AV fistula maturation.

Dr. Doe graduated from St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York with a BSH in Mathematics. He received his medical training at Upstate Medical University, Syracuse New York and completed a Residency at Wilson Memorial Medical Center in Johnson City, New York. Dr. Doe went on to a Radiology Residency at Upstate Medical Center followed by an Interventional Radiology Fellowship at Albany Medical Center. He completed a tour of duty with the United States Army in Kosovo as Chief of Radiology with the 4206th.  He is board certified by the American Board of Radiology and is a member of the Society of Interventional Radiology and American College of Radiology. Dr. Doe specializes in all aspect of hemodialysis access maintenance, peripheral arterial disease, arm and chest port placement, varicose and spider vein treatment.

Dr. Peter Gregory has been practicing nephrology for the past four years, with a particular focus on interventional nephrology for the past three years. After graduating with a degree in chemistry from the University of Virginia, he obtained his medical degree from the Medical College of Virginia. While there, he received the coveted William Branch Porter award for excellence in Internal medicine. He then went on to train in internal medicine at Washington University in St. Louis followed by nephrology fellowship at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. During his tenure at Johns Hopkins, he became the first Hopkins nephrology fellow ever trained in interventional nephrology under the direction of Dr. W. Perry Arnold. Having obtained this unique training, he has spoken on the topic of interventional nephrology to both nephrologists and nephrology nurses at several meetings and continues to be involved with teaching and mentoring nephrology trainees throughout the Baltimore area. For the past two years, Dr. Gregory was a practicing interventional nephrologist for Mid Atlantic Nephrology Associates in Baltimore working in one of the largest and busiest hemodialysis vascular access centers nationwide. During this time, he became one of the earliest certified members of the American Society of Diagnostic and Interventional Nephrology. Dr. Gregory has now joined the Philadelphia Vascular Institute where he will focus entirely on interventional nephrology/hemodialysis vascular access care.

Dr. Hewett is a Summa Cum Laude graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering and a Master in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Arizona in Tucson.  He received his medical training at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine followed by a General Medicine Internship at St Mary’s Medical Center in San Francisco. He completed his Residency in Diagnostic Radiology at Duke University Medical Center and went on to a Fellowship in Vascular and Interventional Radiology at University of North Carolina Chapel Hills Hospitals.  He is a member of the Society of Interventional Radiology, American Roentgen Ray Society, the Radiological Society of North America and the American College of Radiology.  Dr. Hewett specialties include all aspects of hemodialysis access maintenance, peripheral arterial disease, spine stimulator therapy, uterine fibroid embolization, spider and varicose vein treatments.

Dr. Mario Moya is a native of Del Rio, Texas who earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Texas at Austin in 1978. He pursued his medical studies at the University of Nuevo Leon in Monterrey, Mexico while on a scholarship program. In 1988 he completed a Surgical Internship at Mercy Catholic Medical Center in Darby, Pa. and also a year in Internal Medicine in the same institution in 1989. Dr. Moya then completed his Medical Imaging Residency at Mercy Catholic Medical Center in 1994. Houston, Texas was his next destination where he completed his Angio Interventional Fellowship at MD Anderson Cancer Center. He also completed additional fellowship work at St. Lukes Episcopal Hospital before returning to Philadelphia where he joined the Interventional Section at Mercy Catholic. He has been in private practice since 1995 and from 1998 to 2005 was lead Interventionalist at Nazareth Hospital in Northeast Philadelphia and St. Francis Hospital in Wilmington, DE. He is board certified in Radiology since his completion of training and also earned his Certificate of Added Qualification in Interventional Radiology. Currently he is licensed to practice in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware. He is a member of the Society of Interventional Radiology, the American Roentgen Ray Society, the American College of Radiology, the Radiologic Society of North America, the American College of Phlebology, and the American Institute of Cosmetic Medicine. Dr. Moya’s specialties include all aspects of hemodialysis access maintenance, peripheral arterial disease, limb salvage, spider and varicose vein treatment.

Dr. Parikh graduated from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD. He received his medical training at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston followed by a residency in Internal Medicine. Dr. Parikh completed a Nephrology Fellowship at Duke University Medical Center. He currently works with the Fistula First Initiative (Network 6), the Duke Clinical Research Institute, and Emory University on clinical research projects to evaluate and improve vascular access outcomes for hemodialysis patients. He is a member of the American Society of Nephrology, the Renal Physicians Association, the American Society of Diagnostic and Interventional Nephrology, and the National Kidney Foundation. Dr. Parikh specializes in all aspect of hemodialysis vascular access maintenance including AV fistula maturation.

Dr. Salazar is a graduate of Rhodes College at Memphis.  He received his medical training at the University of Tennessee in Memphis.  His training included an Internship in Internal Medicine at Metro Health Medical Center in Cleveland Ohio. He completed his Residency in Diagnostic Radiology and a Fellowship in Cardiovascular & Interventional Radiology at the University of Tennessee at Memphis.  Dr. Salazar is an Instructor in Diagnostic Radiology at the Health Science Center, University of Tennessee.  He is a member of the Radiological Society of North America, the American College of Radiology, the Memphis Vascular Society, the Memphis Roentgen Society, The American Medical Association, the Memphis & Shelby County Medical Society, the Tennessee Medical Association and the National Network of Latin American Medical Students.  Dr. Salazar specializes in all aspect of hemodialysis access maintenance, peripheral arterial disease, arm and chest port placement, uterine fibroid embolization, varicose and spider vein treatment.

Dr. Shah completed his Internship and Residency in 2001 and then his Fellowship in Nephrology in 2003 from MCP Hahnemann University in Philadelphia, PA. Dr. Shah then trained in Hemodialysis Vascular Access under Dr. W. Perry Arnold in Baltimore, MD and is certified by the American Society of Diagnostic and Interventional Nephrology. Dr. Shah has been practicing as a Clinical and Interventional Nephrologist in Philadelphia, PA for two years and was an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Drexel University College of Medicine (formerly known as Medical College of Pennsylvania and Hahnemann University) in the Division of Nephrology through December 31, 2005 and was active in the education of Nephrology Fellows, Residents and Medical Students. In addition he was Medical Director of FMC – Abington through the end of 2005. He is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Nephrology by the American Board of Internal Medicine and holds active Medical Licenses in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland and District of Columbia. Dr. Shah specializes in all aspects of hemodialysis vascular access, fistula maturation, chest port placement and varicose vein treatment.

Dr. Sandeep Sharma comes to us after finishing his nephrology fellowship at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, PA. During his fellowship he had presented research at the American Society of Nephrology national conference and has been published in national journals. Prior to his fellowship he completed his internal medicine residency at Allegheny General where he was recognized for service and care provided in the outpatient clinic. After graduating from St. George’s University, Dr. Sharma completed a Family Medicine residency at Hamot Medical Center in Erie, PA where he served as a Co-Chief resident and received a resident teaching award. Dr. Sharma has lived in Western PA for the last 30 years and in Pittsburgh for the last 7 years. He received his interventional training from James McGuckin, MD and Peter Gregory, MD. Dr. Sharma specializes in all aspects of hemodialysis vascular access, fistula maturation and varicose vein treatment.

Dr. Smith graduated with a Bachelor of Science and a Graduate degree from Baylor University and the University Of North Texas Health Science Center Ft. Worth.  Dr. Smith completed his Internship and Residency in Internal Medicine at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School Dallas, Methodist Hospitals of Dallas, and Parkland Hospital.  He completed his Fellowship in Nephrology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Baylor University Medical Center, VA Dallas, and Parkland Hospital.  He trained in Interventional and Endovascular Medicine at Harvard University and the University of Tennessee School of Medicine, Memphis.  Prior to joining Vascular Access Centers, Dr. Smith was a partner in Dallas Nephrology Associates practicing Interventional Medicine there for 10 years, performing over 12,000 procedures.  In addition, he maintains teaching positions with the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, the University of North Texas Health Science Center, and is associated with The University of Texas Houston School of Medicine and the University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston.  Dr. Smith specializes in all aspect of hemodialysis vascular access maintenance including AV fistula maturation.

Dr. William Yu graduated from Boston University School of Medicine in 1994 as part of the 6-year combined BA/MD program, from which he graduated Magna Cum Laude. He completed his Internal Medicine Residency from 1994-1997 and his Nephrology Fellowship from 1997-1999, both at Northwester University School of Medicine in Chicago. He is Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Nephrology. He has practiced in a private practice setting for over 6 years in the Baltimore area. Despite being in private practice, Dr. Yu was active in teaching and had a part-time academic position at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine as a Clinical Instructor of Medicine from 2000-2005. Furthermore, Dr. Yu was awarded the “Faculty Teacher Award” in 2001 by the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Sinai Hospital Program in Internal Medicine. In 2001, Dr. Yu was trained in Interventional Nephrology procedures, specifically Hemodialysis Vascular Access procedures, by Interventional Radiologist Dr. W. Perry Arnold as well as Interventional Nephrologist, Dr. Gerald Beathard. By the beginning of 2002, Dr. Yu was the first practicing Interventional Nephrologists in the Maryland and Washington, DC area. In early 2004, Dr. Yu was one of the first Interventional Nephrologists certified in Hemodialysis Vascular Access Procedures by the American Society of Diagnostic and Interventional Nephrology (ASDIN). To date, he has performed over 5,000 procedures and has helped train several other Interventional Nephrologists.  Dr. Yu specializes in all aspects of hemodialysis vascular access including AV fistula maturation, chest port placement and varicose vein treatment.

Dr. Klyachkin received his medical training at Saratov Medical Institute in the Russian Federation. He graduated Cum Laude in 1978. He went on to complete his Internship in General Surgery followed by a Residency and Fellowship in General and Vascular Surgery at the same institution. From 1983 to 1991 Dr. Klyachkin was Assistant Professor, General Surgery and Vascular Surgeon, Department of Surgery, Saratov Medical Institute. In 1991 he was a Research Fellow, Department of Surgery, Atherosclerosis Research Laboratory at Duke University Medical Center. He went on to Research Fellow at the Vascular Research Laboratory, Massachusetts General Hospital and the Harvard Medical School.  In 1994 he became Surgical Resident, University of Kentucky Medical Center and Chief Resident in 1998. He completed a Vascular Surgery Fellowship at State University New York, Stony Brook. Dr. Klyachkin is widely published and an invited presenter at conferences. Dr. Klyachkin specializes in fistula creation and all aspect of hemodialysis access maintenance, peripheral arterial disease, limb salvage, and arm and chest port placement.

Dr. Schroder graduated from Manhattan College with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry. He received his medical training at New York University School of Medicine.  He went on to Intern in General Surgery at New York University Bellevue followed by a Residency in General Surgery at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park, New York. He became Chief Resident, General Surgery in 1998 at Long Island Jewish Medical Center. He then went on to complete a Research Fellowship and Clinical Fellowship in Vascular Surgery at UMDNJ – Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, New Jersey.  He is a Fellow, American College of Surgeons.
Dr. Schroder specializes in fistula creation and all aspect of hemodialysis access maintenance, peripheral arterial disease, limb salvage, and arm and chest port placement.

Dr. Tagoe graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from the University of Ghana Medical School, where he also completed a rotating Internship. He then went on to a General Surgery Internship and Residency along with a Surgical Critical Care Fellowship at Harlem Hospital Center, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University New York, New York. His training continued with a Vascular Surgery Fellowship at St. Francis Heart Center New York Medical College in Roslyn, New York. He is a Fellow, American College of Surgeons.  Dr.Tagoe specializes in fistula creation and all aspect of hemodialysis access maintenance, peripheral arterial disease, limb salvage, and arm and chest port placement.

Dr. Carson graduated from Dartmouth College with a Bachelor of Science in Biology/Computer Science. He received his medical training at Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia. He went on to an Internship in Internal Medicine at Tufts University followed by a Residency in Diagnostic Radiology at University of Massachusetts Medical Center.  He completed a Fellowship in Interventional Radiology at Columbia University; Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center.  Dr. Carson is Board Certified Interventional Radiology CAQ.  He is a member of the Society of Interventional Radiology, the Radiology Society of North America and the American Medical Association. Dr. Carson specialties include all aspects of hemodialysis access maintenance, peripheral arterial disease, venous disease, and uterine fibroid embolization.